A Journey

The word journey in the title of the short film- "A Journey" has the connotation of the path of life that everyone has to travel on. This journey consists of various stages of life between youth and maturity which has been brilliantly depicted by Y Sathyanarayana and Vignesh Kumar in the movie.

The plot of the cinematic piece revolves around the emotions of an old man as he packs and gets ready to permanently move out of the house he lived his whole in, but with a hidden meaning to it.

The writer/director Vignesh Kumar uses the black and white colour palette to effectively highlight the true essence of life. The creative piece establishes the subject matter of the short film by utilizing a series of close-up shots and mid-shots. The set design, lighting, costume, and makeup have been kept natural to complement the colour palette of the drama. There is no dialogue in the film so that the audience can concentrate on the narrative and understand the key messages and valuable lessons it communicates. The background music of the movie assists to make the emotional connection of the audience stronger with its content. A journey appeals to its viewers and increases the degree of engagement as the narrative unfolds.

In terms of performance, Y Sathyanarayana plays the role of a grandfather who wants to move out permanently from his house as he feels lonely and left out. Sathyanarayana portrays the sadness and the pain of leaving his house which has memories of the moments spent in it. He does not want to walk away from his family but he is helpless. The helplessness and uncertainty on his face also give the audience a reality check and make the situation in the film relatable as they were reminded of the hardships during the lockdown.

Vignesh Kumar plays the grandson in the film. Kumar showcases the love and guilt of not being able to stop his grandfather from leaving the house. Kumar with his acting skills understands the nuances of character and portrays the emotional side so effectively.

A journey talks to its audience about the set path life follows that starts from a cradle and ends with a coffin/cremation. Emotions and relationships are of immense importance and functioning without these two would become very difficult. This dramatic piece attempts to bridge the gap between two generations by understanding each other and coexisting happily and peacefully to ultimately discover a very different perspective on life together. The cinematic piece reiterates the fact that one needs to survive through various circumstances like pleasure, pain, sunshine, and rain. A journey reminds the viewers about the significance of expression and communication in life as the time one has is limited and it is better to say what you want to loved ones instead of regretting it later.

As an ardent viewer of the short film, I would like to say thank you to the filmmaker for reminding us the major life lessons that we tend not to think about daily. I would also like to appreciate that Vignesh Kumar could give the audience an emotionally gripping short film even with the limited resources available during the pandemic.