What happens when a conservative woman who has dedicated her life to her family has to come to terms with her son's sexuality? Who will she choose?
Sridhar Rangayan's Evening Shadows is a heartwarming tale of how Kartik comes out to his mother, Vasudha. Kartik is an acclaimed professional photographer who lives in Mumbai with his boyfriend, Aman. Kartik returns to his hometown after four years to attend a pooja. It is now that Kartik has to disclose the big secret to his mother.
Evening Shadows is a revelation in the field of writing. Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta weave a story extremely real and personal. The duo manages to capture the plight of women in Indian families with impeccable accuracy. The characters are reasonably layered and adequately written. Excluding a handful of scenes which do not land, the writing is hands-down the best we've seen in Indian LGBTQ+ cinema.
Sridhar's direction leaves us in awe of his potential. His understanding of Indian families is scarily real. With a specialisation in queer cinema, he binds a wreath of extremely real events. Cinematography by Subhransu is breathtaking. But the problem is the wobbly editing and hideous background score. Editing by Praveen Angre is disproportionate and unsatisfactory. The background score is extremely disruptive and cringe-worthy.
What makes Evening Shadows, a worthy watch is not just the writing but the awe-inspiring performances. Mona Ambegoankar as the mother, Vasudha will leave you speechless. Her performance is extremely potent and believable. Devansh Doshi as Kartik is concise and sharp in his performance. He has deep empathy for his character. Ananth Narayan Mahadevan as the father, Damodar will surely strike fear in your hearts with an outstanding performance. But among the lot, Yamini Singh as Sarita will make your heart wrench and sympathise with her.
The film features Surmae Shaam by Shubha Mudgal which will stir a plethora of emotions. In conclusion, Evening Shadows is an extremely well-made film but with its own flaws.
