.png)
★★★ Stars
Directed by: #MohanSinghGaharwar
Written by: #MohanSinghGaharwar
Starring: #ChiragMaridawaria, #ReshmiRajoriyo, #RatanSingh, #DeepakJayalwal
Mother follows the story of a ‘mentally disturbed’ son (Chirag Mandawaria) who lives only with his mother, plus his own persona and perceptions. As he faces turning points in his course of life, he has to actively differentiate between what is real and what is fake by understanding what matters most overall. This short film, written and directed by Mohan Singh Gaharwar, was shot entirely with a smartphone and no large budget to its name which is an impressive feat. The quality is of a very standard; in regards to the actual shots and of the writing itself. Having the knowledge that this film was made with no assistance from high end equipment truly shows that any aspiring filmmaker has the opportunity to achieve, even within the walls of their own homes or with a professional cast in their frames.
When focusing on the casting choices, the main character has a striking onscreen presence thanks to the talent of Chirag Mandawaria. Mandawaria presents great strength in his abilities to express true, vivid emotion through acting. The audience is immediately captivated by his stance from the first few minutes of the film. The character is pushed through a range of different deeply rooted emotions during his duration onscreen and Mandawaria does not shy away from putting his heart into each direction given to him.
A prominent aspect of the short film’s projection of enjoyment is the colouring/lighting that is used in multiple scenes. Whether this element is lighting of the set or colour editing carried out after filming, the bright colours incorporated into the shots give insight into what meaning and explanation the plot is trying to provide its audience. This technique somehow divides the set from the characters that are present within it – as if the characters are detached from their surroundings and completely immersed in themselves and the surroundings in their own specific perspective.
Although the colouring is impressive and enhances the film in its entirety, the plot would flow smoother with the aid of more detailed dialogue. I found myself becoming slightly lost in the lack of explanation through dialogue in certain scenes. Some shots hold a lot of purpose in the plot but, because of the lesser detail, it slightly loses its force in the creation of the thriller atmosphere. Other than that, what the viewers are introduced to is a hair-raiser, a brilliant story.
Mother finishes with an incandescent sense of excitement, a complete thrill as expected. The ending positivity ticks the box of ‘psychological thriller’ that has been put forward by the creator. A woman hangs from the ceiling, her body casting a beautiful shadow on the wall as the room is coloured a deep pink. Her feet twitch as the protagonist looks away from her almost lifeless limbs, completely unfazed by the body behind him.
This short film exhibits admirable filmmaking in many different features of the process; I applaud Mohan Singh Gaharwar on his work.
.png)
