REVIEW: THE TENANT

Producers-Kanchan Kalra, Daniel Walter and Sushrut Jain

Director- Sushrut Jain

Star Cast-Shamita Shetty, Rudraksh Jaiswal, Divya Jagdale, Sheeba Chaddha, Atul Srivastava, Swanand Kirkire and Manish Anand

Genre- Social

Platform of Release- Theatres

Rating- ***

Cute Take on Feminism!

Shamita Shetty returns to the silver screen after 16 years in a full-fledged role in this film which is not only a film which will cockle the hearts of all feminists over there but is also a gem of a little heart-warming tale made before the Covid had set in. What is the best about this film is the fact in its own covert and sweet little way the director actually sets out to drive home the message that there definitely exists a sort of double standards in society in which if a man strays he is eulogised as a He Man and God forbid, if a woman even shows a slight interest in a man, she is dubbed a prostitute

The Tenant is about a glamorous urban girl, a model cum painter Meera alias Sonia (Shamita Shetty), who shifts into a formal society. A 13-year-old boy, Bharat (Rudraksha Jaiswal), finds her attractive and becomes genuinely friends with her and but naturally, the poor bohemian girl becomes a subject of gossip amongst men, women, and boys in society. The film sets out to tackle the theme and answer the question whether she will be able to fight society and stand with pride, when a video from her past leaks out with her boyfriend.

The salacious secret about her tumbles out of the closet and exposes society’s hypocrisy towards women while teaching an important lesson to them. It’s also a story of an unlikely friendship—between a young boy, Bharat Sharma (Rudraksh Jaiswal) and a sultry single woman, Meera (Shamita Shetty), which has been dealt in a very aesthetic fashion.

The movie has some power-packed performances, and especially it is refreshing to see Shamita Shetty as Meera, a disillusioned yet kind and polite woman, and as someone uber-confident and unapologetic about her personality. Rudraksh as the 13 year old teenager Bharat also gives an impactful performance and represents young boys on the cusp of growth where depending on what one’s personal experience and exposure is, can make them into misogynists or feminists.

On the flipside, the story is sometimes illogical as well as unconvincing—especially how unabashed Meera is in a teenager’s presence, inviting him to an adult booze party at her abode, or taking him on an outing without even telling his parents or cosying up with her boyfriend. While the film’s first half takes time to work up the plot, the second half is definitely crisp and engaging.

To sum up, I’d concede that The Tenant is a matter-of-fact take on feminism and avoids intense dialogue-baazi to make a case for women and its cute appeal also lies in the heart-warming tale of friendship.