Designed by Preeti

After decades of marriage, Preeti (Rashmi Rustagi), with the support of some of her friends, decides enough is enough. No longer can she accept being controlled in the relationship, and no longer can she accept her husband's infidelity. It is clearly a very tough decision because it means starting all over again, which is not easy to do later in life. But an instance of violence is beyond what she can take. Preeti is part of the Indian/Asian community, and some of her friends' cultural views mean she is expected to continue being part of the marriage, but she remains strong and resolute even though there are doubts along the way.

 

Rashmi Rustagi is the actress playing Preeti, and she also forms part of the writing team. Rustagi is able to convey the difficulties her character has in starting again at a mature age. We see how difficult it is, and she is able to show the emotions of fear and guilt, along with regret. The character has led a life where she has not been allowed to be herself, follow her dreams, or do day-to-day activities without her husband's permission. Her husband's controlling nature even has a major impact on Preeti's relationship with her daughter. Rustagi performs brilliantly in the role that holds a great deal of responsibility. As a member of the audience, you really champion the decisions that Preeti has made and empathise with her feelings and emotions. This cannot happen without a strong performance from Rashmi Rustagi.

 

Jay Charan portrays the husband Ajay, and he truly delivers as the husband who will go to any lengths to stop his wife from living the life she wants. He is excellent at pushing the emotions of the audience as the believable villain of the piece. There is nothing to like about this character, and the audience will no doubt dislike him intensely, which is a credit to Charan.

 

The director has experience directing films that depict the life of Asian women. She clearly has a passion for telling the story of women who have failed marriages and women who have to go it alone after loss. Designed by Preeti portrays a very important message, and it is done with great sensitivity and knowledge. It was also balanced with some light moments, particularly amongst the female characters in the film, the comedy making it a more rounded, and therefore enjoyable watch. The music is also upbeat, which gives the audience a break from the heavy subject matter.

 

All the writers have a passion for bringing difficult subjects to their audience, many of which are brought from Asian culture. It is clear that on this occasion they are promoting the message of being in a controlling marriage and that women can move on and be successful on their own. This is an important message and will likely resonate more deeply with anyone who is experiencing this type of relationship. The characters and story become symbols of courage and hope. When people say “why don’t they just leave?”, it is clear that they don’t understand the effect of an abusive relationship. This story answers those questions, offers strong insight, and provides the audience with many strong female perspectives from different walks of life.

 

The audience will enjoy this impactful story with its elements of comedy and hope. This is clearly a story of success with some real emotion along the way. Sometimes fear is not of the outside world but what is happening in the place where you should feel the safest: the home.