The Debt

A man tries to help an ill relative, while simultaneously having to deal with an aggressive housemate.

Jatin is in a difficult position. His brother is at the hospital, critically ill and immediate surgery is required in order to save his life. Jatin's family does not have the money to pay for it and he must find a way to fund it and quickly. So, he asks his housemate Ajay for the money, to which he agrees. Unfortunately, Ajay is a narcissist and is aggressive towards his partner Meena and Jatin is deeply annoyed by that. Jatin is under massive pressure in an effort to deal with his brother and stand up for Meena.

This short drama from India focuses on a person having to deal with two terrible situations: finding money to save his brother from dying to and saving a young woman from her abusive partner. Shot in black-and-white, the film has a distressing atmosphere due to the events that take place, which are a life-or-death situation and domestic violence. The mood is downbeat throughout and there appears to be little hope that things are going to turn out OK.

The three leads deliver strong performances. Jatin is a guy who wants to do the right thing and shows significant character development when he builds up the courage to confront Ajay. Ajay is the character who could be described as the antagonist. Although he is willing to help others financially, he seems to do so for his own benefit. He is an obnoxious individual who disrespects others and has a tendency to be violent. Meena is an unfortunate woman who has forced herself to be with Ajay in order to get some much-needed money out of him.

This is a story that has a dark environment filled with bad elements that include a person close to death, a woman being beaten and a vile man. Generally, the two main themes are terminal illness and domestic violence, however the film also encourages inner strength, standing up for others and support.