SHORT FILM REVIEW SEASON’S GREETINGS

Producer- Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar

Director- Ram Kamal Mukherjee

Star Cast- Celina Jaitley Haag , Lilette Dubey, Azhar Khan and Shree Ghatak

Genre- Social

Platform- Zee5

Rating- ***

Deft Direction!

Jyothi Venkatesh

Ram Kamal Mukherjee pays his tribute to the late National award winning director and cultural icon, Rituparno Ghosh, through his short film Season's Greetings. The film deals with mother and daughter relationship. While Celina plays the role of daughter, veteran actor Lillette Dubey plays the role of her mother Sucharita Mukherjee and the transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala the househelp. Featuring the talented cast of Lillete Dubey, Celina Jaitley and newcomer Azhar Khan, the 45 minute short film is woven around a story of relationships.  As the lockdown has been extended in India, and is also likely to be extended till May 31, it does seem to be a good savior and equally entertaining for all the viewers

The film which has music by Shailendra Sayanti marks the debut of Kumar Sanu's son Jaan Kumar Sanu as playback singer. Two other tracks are rendered soulfully in the short film by Sayani Palit and Sarbani Mukherjee. The film revolves around Section 377 and also deals with #MeToo movement which makes this as India’s first film on these issue post abolishment of Section 377. The film has music by Shailendra Sayanti and the songs are by Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sayani Palit. Produced under the banner of Assorted Motion Pictures and SS1 Entertainments the film is a tribute to legendary filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh.

What I liked the best about the cute film which is woven around a story of relationships, is that it makes an attempt to put forward the idea of an individual's right to choose one’s religion and lifestyle, even when it actually comes to romantic relationships. The characters in the film are fiercely individualistic and they don't compromise on their faith and beliefs while forming lifelong relationships. Romita (Celina Jaitley Haag) makes it clear to Usman (Azhar Khan), her live-in partner, which she is not at all in a mood to change her name and religion post their marriage, and he too agrees and in fact this sets the tone for the rest of the film.

While I should concede that it is actually the best ever performance of Celina Jaitley Haag after a long period, the sense that she renders a very nuanced performance, Liellete Dubey proves that she is a seasoned thespian, who is at home be with her would be son in law Usman or for that matter maid Chapala, who becomes her confidante and her transgender friend to whom she is attracted for the sake of companionship after her husband and Romita’s father deserts her.

Rabindranath Tagore’s song, 'Sajani Sajani Radhika Lo' has been used beautifully in the last sequence. Though it is sad that the editor Subhajit Singha fails to make the tempo faster by failing to resort to slick editing, I’d advise you to not miss catching up with an emotional short film with exotic layers, which set out to stir your collective conscience as human beings, thanks to deft direction by Ram Kamal Mukherjee.