Over a Chai (Tamil, 2015) | Short Film Review

The overall idea behind the short is something very contemporary & there are loads of folks who would be able to relate to it. It is generally a challenge to make a conversation based single-location short, with just 2 characters, engaging. On that front, there has been lot of innovation with respect to camera angles & close-ups (diligently following the 180 rule) that help sustain the interest. The best part is the acting which is top notch for the most part. Also, the dialogues, which in spite of sounding a bit too know-it-all sometimes, seem fair overall. The ‘puriyaliya pudklaiya’ dialogue & the modulation with which it was spoken takes the cake.

However one has to mention that the Male-Female leads pairing could have been better even though both are quite expressive. In fact, a bit on the over-side (primarily due to dubbing inefficiency at places) before she shows her admit card. On many occasions the lead pair seem uncomfortably close which seem like bad positioning of actors with respect to the camera. The girl’s Brahmin slang is realistic but somehow doesn’t seem to be required & ends up as a caricature. Thankfully it is never over-used but just peeps out from time-to-time.

Overall, a good effort, but there is plenty of scope for improvement in dubbing & sound design.