Introduction –
There are very few films that allow viewers to interpret the story through their personal prism or creative perspective. Nayantara’s Necklace is one of them. Although this short film appears straight forward, it has hidden layers which when peeled exposes a different narrative altogether.
Synopsis –
Nayantara ( Konkana Sen ) is a wealthy, metropolitan, sophisticated and a well-travelled woman. On the other hand Alka ( Tillotama Shome ), her friend, is a typical middle class housewife, plain-Jane in looks and behavior, and completely cut off from modern trends and technologies.
The film begins with Nayantara’s visit to her friend. She is grooming Alka to become just like her; suave, sophisticated, classy and in touch with technologies such as Facebook. She teaches her the finer nuances of high life, like wine brands, the way it is handled and consumed, the conversational skills etc. Although Alka is hesitant in the beginning she gradually succumbs to the high society drill. She gets on to Facebook and there she meets an old school friend, Girish ( Gulshan Devaiah ).
Girish, who is based in Singapore, tells Alka that he is coming down to meet her. Nayantara is elated. She suggests that Alka should go for a complete makeover. And she actually changes Alka into a modern, pretty looking and well groomed lady. However, on meeting Girish, it is obvious that her fake accent, her borrowed words and adopted personality has little effect on him as he desires an ordinary life. Later, Alka heads back to Nayantara’s home, but by then everything has changed dramatically.
Check out the movie to experience a fine climax. Share your thoughts in the comments section. Is it realistic or imaginative?
Analysis –
At first glance, the film looks like a straight forward story of an ordinary housewife wanting to change and become like her rich, modern and well-spoken friend. However, one gradually realizes that there is more to it than meets the eye. This is where the viewer needs to be observant. Alka frequently addresses Nayantara’s son as her own, and then there are subtle hints that Nayantara is not what she is portraying. It all leads up to an exciting finish. Great performances by all the actors while direction and cinematography is spot on. We loved some of the dialogs, especially this one – “Take just one sip. But show that you literally gargle with wine every morning!” Funny, really funny!
Year of Release – 2021 | Director – Jaideep Sarkar | Writers – Aparnaa Chaturvedi & Ankur Khanna | Running Time – 20 Minutes | Availability – LargeShortFilms | YouTube