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Introduction –
Films based on painters / artists tend to make us wary. Masterpiece did the same. We were not sure about our pick. In the end we did. The two things that made us change our minds … Akshay Oberoi, the dashing and highly talented actor of Fitoor and Piku, and the impressive number of views ( 2.1 million ) the film has garnered so far.
Synopsis –
Abheek ( Akshay Oberoi ) is an artist par excellence. He frequently visits a nearby coffee shop for a change and also to sketch, especially beautiful women. He’s just finished drawing Baani ( Simrat Kaur ) sitting across his table a few moments ago. He heaves a sigh of relief when Baani exits because she seemed perturbed by his frequent glances. However, that feeling is short lived as Baani walks back and snatches the sketchbook from Abheek’s hand. Abheek apologizes for sketching without her permission and then quickly walks out of the coffee shop.
Abheek and Baani meet once again in an art exhibition, but this time around the two slip into a friendly relationship. The meetings continue to grow and so does their personal equation which evolves into a love affair. During one of the visits to Abheek’s house Baani sees a blank canvas. She questions Abheek about it. His reply reflects ego, a typical “Artist” trait. He says the canvas is reserved for the masterpiece, a paragon, an epitome of his talent. The film then splashes across a few scenes offering viewers a hint about Abheek’s demons and dark secrets.
Analysis –
Films based on artists and beautiful women as muses tend to reflect the same veins of previous works, especially in terms of story arc, obstacles and resolution. Masterpiece does the same. How can one enjoy a film when the very essence of being talented is something atrocious, unimaginable and incomprehensible? Agreed, some of the painters from the renaissance era had their fetishes and selfish ways but Masterpiece has taken this too far. On the technical front, the direction is above par while cinematography is crisp. Askay Oberoi plays the role to perfection or nearly so, but Simrat Kaur fails to deliver.
Year of Release – 2019 | Director – Rajeev Barnwal | Writer – Rajeev Barnwal | Running Time – 19 Minutes | Availability – LargeShortFilms | YouTube