Unpaused - Human Bonding in times of Social Distancing!

Bharath Vijayakumar

All the five shorts of Unpaused have Covid and lockdown as the common setting. But it is the human bond and the emotional support that humans desperately need that actually binds these five films together.

Glitch

This first film of the anthology by Raj and DK is the only one that is set in the future and it is no more Covid 19 but Covid 30 that the battle is against. A couple are meeting on a date and what is conspicuous is the absence of humans around them. But we soon realise that this is a virtual date with both individuals actually within the confines of their homes wearing a VR headset. The film is about love blossoming between the unlikeliest of individuals - a covid warrior and a hypochondriac. Gulshan Deviah is excellent as the health obsessed individual in this slightly wacky film. (Rating: 3.25/5)

The Apartment

Nikhil Advani's short is about a woman battling suicidal thoughts finding a saviour from the neighbourhood. Richa Chadda plays this woman who is coming to terms with the monstrous side of her husband but is unable to cope with it in the solitude of lockdown. Maybe the central conflict isn't too ideal for a short but this one is possibly the weakest of the anthology in terms of establishing an emotional connect. (Rating: 2.5/5)

Rat-A-Tat

Tannishtha Chatterjee's short revolves around the bond that develops between a 65 year old woman and a young girl. This is an easy watch with good performances but the emotions sort of seem forced at places. (Rating: 2.75/5)

Vishaanu

Finally we have a film that cares to show the plight of migrant workers during the lockdown. This is a terrific short with subtle yet brilliant performances. The migrant family in this film takes shelter in their boss's posh apartment without anyone's knowledge. Completely devoid of a patronizing gaze, Avinash Arun Dhaware showcases how this family that has been let down by the society and system tries to move ahead without a frown. Even with all the comfort available in that locked up apartment, the family sleeps on the floor. The wife then lives a moment of luxury by recreating for herself the image of a model in a spa ad that she sees on the cover of a magazine. But she is pulled back to reality the very next moment! (Rating: 3.75/5)

Chand Mubarak

Poetic of the lot, Chand Mubarak is a winner on all counts. The two leads are terrific. Ratna Pathak Shah (Uma) knocks it out of the park while Shardul Bharadwaj (Rafik) is an able foil. Nithya Mehra's short talks about family, companionship and coping with the loss of a loved one. While family might be a must for you to fall back upon, what you takeaway from Chand Mubarak is that family needn't always be associated with blood. Sometimes 'Madam' and 'Didi' are only words and what you feel with someone is what defines your relationship with them. (4/5)

Bottomline:

As a whole, Unpaused is a collection of well made films with the majority striking a chord. It also helps that the anthology ends on a high with the last two films scoring big with their emotional connect.

Rating: 3.25/5