Fag End: Story of a Smoky Womb

Ever since the world realised that those lovely guys at Philip Morris might not be so trustworthy, smoking has been seen as a pretty bad thing. The individual risk is enough, but the risks in smoking during pregnancy put both mother and baby at risk. It is easy to imagine that awareness is universal, but in some countries. it is still important to show just why the habit is so damaging. Therein lies the purpose of Indrajit Das’ Fag End: Story of a Smoky Womb.

The film follows Tania (Ruma Roy), a pregnant woman battling twin addictions to alcohol and smoking following IVF treatment. Feeling trapped by her overwhelming cravings, she begins to find herself haunted by cries from her unborn child (Aparajita Chakraborty). A failure to overcome her battle leads to tragedy, as the consequences of smoking are laid bare for all to see.

Fag End is a short film made with education and awareness in mind. Tania’s story is one that is meant to inspire shock from audiences, and pulls no punches in showing the most brutal consequences that smoking can lead to. With this in mind, there’s no doubt that it succeeds in leaving an impression on the viewer – the graphic conclusion and ethereal voice from Tania’s child fail-proof ways of tugging on the heartstrings. The inclusion of post-credit messaging and statistics further add to the educational value and legitimacy of the goal.

The film does portray a particularly devastating consequence of smoking during pregnancy, and features a graphic miscarriage that some viewers may find difficult to watch. It is fair to suggest that this is exploitative, and whilst such an outcome is certainly a possibility of Tania’s actions, it is also possible that a lighter touch in the ending would achieve a similar impact. The intensity of Tania’s addiction also unintentionally focuses the film on only the most extreme cases of self-destruction. Whilst individuals like Tania certainly exist, people with less extreme addictions may perceive the film as vindication – as their own actions would not be as bad as Tania’s. Any level of smoking during pregnancy can have serious consequences, and creating an educational short focused only on the worst examples of this misses a large percentage of those who partake in it.

Pritam Paul’s haunting flute melodies soundtrack the film, weaving in and out of the story and acting as a sonic rendering of Tania’s tortured conscience. It is a powerful production choice, matching the sombre tone of the short perfectly without the overexaggeration so often found in films with such a serious tone. Sepia soaking the screen adds additional impact and sorrow, and just about works thanks to the otherworldliness of events in the story.