Introduction –
Released in 2019, Baatein’s running time is just over 20 minutes which actually touches the extreme end of ‘Short Film’ genre. However, director and writer Adeeb Rais has rightly refrained from shortening the timeline. Had he reduced the film’s length by even a couple of minutes it would have simply failed to portray the sentiments, the serious impact of ragging on young minds.
Synopsis –
Coming to the story, Jeet a young documentary filmmaker visits a nondescript house in an equally quaint little town, Palghar, Maharashtra. He knocks on the door of a particularly nice looking habitat where a young girl ( Tulika ) opens the door. Jeet asks for Mrs. Deshpande. Tulika says she’s not at home. Jeet nods and says that he’d wait outside.
Moments later, Mrs. Deshpande arrives. Jeet introduces himself as Milind’s ( Mrs. Deshpande’s son who is dead ) school friend. Over several rounds social interactions, Jeet reveals his real motive for the abrupt visit. Jeet also clarifies that he is not her son’s friend but someone who lost his brother to ragging, just like Mrs. Deshpande who lost her son to the same nemesis. He then offers a pen drive and requests Mrs. Deshpande to watch a short documentary he shot recently.
Analysis –
Supriya Pilgaonkar’a presence has given the film a creative balance. Adeeb Rais and Shivani Raghuvanshi on the other hand appear restrained in their performances. Shivani is an excellent actor, but this time around her usually expressive eyes seemed lost. One of the reasons for Adeeb’s failure to impress with his acting skill could be because of the multiple hats he was wearing in this project ( writing, directing and acting ).
“We know when our kids need extra coaching but never think that they may also need some serious counseling” is one of the dialogs which will touch every viewer, and interestingly it is a message too. Open-ended films have become a big fad these days. Baatein is one of them. Go watch this film on YouTube.
Year of Release – 2019 | Director – Adeeb Rais | Screenplay – Adeeb Rais | Running Time – 20 Minutes | Availability – YouTube