Hot take: Aamhi Doghi

In one of the first few scenes of 'Aamhi Doghi' (2018) we see the young female protagonist as a child, listening to a speech about mother's love. She looks across at a motherless girl who's crying and thinks "shit, now I'm going to have to cry too." With great economy this scene underlines that here is a woman not like one we are used to seeing in that she lacks empathy. The moment took my breath away and set the tone for the film: this is a psychologically complex narrative unlikely to veer into melodrama. The story is of an unconventional friendship between two women from different backgrounds, and how the relationship eventually moulds and shapes this strong-willed girl.

The pace is slow, but barring a few scenes nothing seems superfluous: care is taken in the first half to developing all aspects of the two women's characters so we can see why they are the way they are. The acting performances by both the women (essayed by Priya Bapat and Mukta Barve) as well as the supporting characters is natural and nuanced. The relationships the two women have with the respective men in their lives are refreshingly secondary, yet the director ensures we see how much these men contribute to their lives too. This is not one-note feminism that cries out from the rooftops, but a quiet story of sisterly solidarity. If we tap into our emotional sides a little more and try and see another person's point of view, whether we are of the same or opposite gender, we will all go a much longer way, first-time director Pratima Joshi seems to say. Marathi cinema is not known for its subtlety, but this one is a gem that gives us a layered story which is all heart.

P.S. The film is based on a story called 'Paus Ala Motha' by the fiercely independent voice Gauri Deshpande, who wrote in both Marathi and English. Watching it made me want to read her work.

Genre: Drama

Language: Marathi

Runtime: 2h 20 min

Year of release: 2018

Streaming platform: Amazon Prime Video

Hot take is a series in which I offer my first impressions of films from India and around the world.