I Am (2011)

TRIGGER WARNING: child abuse, r*pe, police brutality, d*ath

As with most anthology films, my lasting impression of Onir's I Am is one of utter confusion. On one hand, I can't help but applaud him for the choices he makes while deciding the themes of his shorts- on the other, I can't see why he chose these 4 shorts specifically to be bundled together in a single movie. One short is about sperm donation, one about the Kashmiri Pandit exodus, third about child abuse, and fourth about being a gay man in India. They just don't add up in a very coherent way, especially because some of them are handled better than others (or maybe that's just me). 

I personally feel that "I Am Megha" deserved to be a full-length movie on its own. There is no doubt that Juhi Chawla and Manisha Koirala were the best actors in all the four shorts, and its their performances that will stay with me for a long time. I particularly appreciated how well-written Juhi's character was- there was nothing gimmicky or manipulative about Megha. However, I do wish a little more depth had been added to Rubina (Manisha)- her "struggles" weren't defined or articulated properly, and that kind of let the whole thing down. Coming back to my belief that this should have been a full-length movie, I fail to see how it fit in with the other three, which dealt with sexuality in one way or another. Hmm, maybe the "hints" about Megha and Rubina being teenage lovers were actual proper hints? I hope so, that would also explain the lit chemistry the two women had, and would add another invigorating layer to their relationship. Otherwise though- would have been much better off as a stand-alone.

My second favourite was "I Am Afia", which dealt with a recently cheated on and divorced Afia (Nandita Das) and how she decides to have a child on her own, through a sperm donor. Very interesting and relevant concept, and certainly helped in deconstructing the taboos surrounding non-conventional pregnancies and parenthoods. However, the dialogues felt a little too amateurish, considering how finely tuned the performances and story were. I loved Purab Kohli as the donor, and how a "bond" forms between him and Afia. Everything felt natural and light, even the ending. What I loved most though, was how Nandita's voice instantly became sweeter when she started talking in Bengali. 

Which brings me to my actual favourite part of I Am- the fact that it uses so many different languages, according to the characters' backgrounds and ethnicities, instead of forcing them to speak in the same kind of Hindi. I can't think of any other "Hindi" movie that does the same, and the overall effect is so pleasant and organic (just the fact that they use different languages, not the things they actually say in those languages) that you immediately appreciate this movie a lot more than you already did.

I'm sorry to say that the last two shorts just didn't work for me. Maybe it's because I was not in the right headspace to see something about child abuse, police brutality and r*pe, and hence felt bogged down by the narratives. However, my personal preference aside, these stories deserve to be told and discussed. It's high time we break down the silence surrounding child abuse in particular, when a frighteningly large number of Indian kids have to live with it. As for the Rahul Bose short, I have nothing to say except that I was highly disturbed, traumatised and heartbroken. It did make me appreciate the scrapping of Article 377 from the Indian Penal Code more than I already did, and again, I cannot emphasise how much I admire Onir for choosing to tell this story, and everyone who supported him in this project.

In conclusion, a very important film of our times, still relevant 10 years after its release. Do not miss it.