Q (Hindi, 2014)

The passion with which the film has been made by debutant filmmaker, Sanjeev Gupta must be appreciated. The theme he has taken and the ultra-realistic tone of the movie shows his conviction in making this film not just for money but for documenting a social evil on celluloid.

In spite of hearing from the director that the movements of each of the characters in the 1 BHK (Bedroom Hall Kitchen) flat was well-rehearsed, one cannot believe so; the dynamics & the monotony that he wishes to portray are so real & relatable. It is commendable that he has never resorted to glamming up the picture with sunset/sunrise shots in spite of the seaside locality.

Every character plays its part well including the little children. The only recognizable name, acclaimed theatre personality, Heeba Shah, actor Naseeruddin Shah’s daughter, excels as the mother with a hidden agenda. Her subtle changes in reaction to the antics of the girl or her kid are brilliant.

The film is shot fully on handheld with only ambient sound and strictly no background score. This makes it look very raw & un-mainstream if you can call it that, but serves the purpose of capturing the monotonous life that even people indulging in crime, lead.

The film running for just 96 minutes seems long due to the repetition of scenes in the day-to-day life of the homemaker. While it is understandable that the director wanted to focus on monotony of such a lady’s life there are moments where the audience are just biding their time for the inevitable spike towards the end.

The behavior of Heeba Shah’s kid sticks out like a sore thumb in a film embracing realism. His perennially smiling face and submissive reaction to almost everything his mother says seems very tough to believe.