WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Commemoratives. Mementos. Precious reminiscence. Usually, these would be the kinds of words we’d associate with that which brings back to our thoughts the joys of life situations we purposefully wished to have more than just images in our heads about, those items that we can pull out at will to bring a smile to our face and even instill hope for future endeavors that will lead to adding more to our expanding collection. But, there are also those instances where what gets forced back into our head isn’t so pleasant or desired. Fifty-year-old tea maker Ehsaan (Ahsen Murad) is having his normal day until two men (Waleed Sajid & Ali Raza) enter his shop and proceed to speak loudly enough for Ehsaan to overhear. What they bring about then and the next day will become a catalyst for Ehsaan’s mind to recall that which he’d left behind–and thought long forgotten, never to be dealt with again.
Next, my Mind:
Another indie effort seeing its Texas Premiere as part of the Pakistani and LGBTQ Programming at the 2022 DFW SAFF sponsored by Toyota USA and hosted by Jingo Media Founder/Festival Director Jitin Hingorani and Artistic Director Ambica Dev, this short from writer/director/cinematographer Salman Alam Khan, writer Tahir Rashid, producer Sana Jafri, and executive producer Olomopolo Media delivers, in very succinct fashion, a quietly potent story that puts buried memories and hidden lives on display in an affecting manner that belies the film’s 8-minute runtime, allowing such a quick span to encapsulate building tension and even potential animosity within the lead character that could boil over at any moment. A few of the more recent reviews I’ve posted indicated that several efforts of similarly abbreviated timeframes felt like they could have provided a little more to be “complete”, but here this critic believes what is conveyed worked better IN the 8-minute format.
Following what appears to be the very uncomplicated, humble life of a 50-year-old man who runs a tea shop and the guests he has a few days in a row that spark recollections he’d thought long since departed or at least wouldn’t be of any consequence, it’s a journey into what almost amounts to a state of anamnesis, which then serves to highlight not only this base thematic direction, but also brings about addressing sudden loneliness, melancholy, being haunted by those shadows of the past which lead into subtle but relevant underlying connotations of societal/cultural stigmas attached to those in the LGBTQ-based lifestyle choice. Now this was part of the magic of this film in that while some narratives, including ones that were a part of this year’s DFW SAFF, wear their messages associated with the orientation artistically but still overtly, this film breaches the subject with a pronounced elusiveness that only causes the key moment of true revelation to hit harder and with deeper resolve.
It’s the inner turmoil brought about by having possibly been without the level of attachment that one once had, and it takes witnessing or overhearing those sentiments and feeling the associated emotional impact again that sparks our reaction, for who longs to be reminded of that which was lost, especially in context when it’s happening right in front of our eyes? Loneliness paired with the understanding, in this case, of what the surrounding convention has to say about it plays such a huge role in this narrative, and hence again why the ultimate intent here has such a magnified level of meaning behind it, at least that’s what this critic felt upon witnessing the film’s finale. We as people harbor such emotively active hearts and minds, and how we will compartmentalize things to “protect” ourselves when actually the better way is to let it out would seem the best option to choose, but here with cultural agendas and/or discrimination attached to the situation at hand, it paints a much more challenging scenario to have to confront.
Murad assuredly lends an utterly understated performance, at least until the story calls for a decidedly NOT understated reaction from his character, all though done with such an ease of delivery that is no less adept in its demonstration of what character acting is about via his role as Ehsaan, a man of basic means but strong heart and work ethic who still seems distant, even haunted, at times. When two visitors to his tea shop a few days in a row inadvertently stir his emotional state to an elevated level, it suddenly speaks strongly to Ehsaan’s reality, his former choices, and a longing he has kept inside for so long that suddenly is forced to the surface and explodes. It’s a blatant instance of raw emotive force and pent-up yearning represented in Ehsaan’s outburst, and how deftly Murad moves from meek to flustered to sheer rage is amazing to watch the actor navigate, doing so with an effectiveness that doesn’t overact any of it, but rather suits the events perfectly throughout, allowing us to feel the characters frustration, hurt, and heartbreak.
Supporting appearances arrive from Sajid and Raza as the two men who carry on about the state of their own association without realizing the affect it is having on the one other person present to hear their sometimes playful, other times serious banter while in Ehsaan’s shop. So, in total, “No Beloved” is an appropriate title that is explored in both delicate and direct fashion as seen through the eyes of one man’s inward pain and earnest desire to be who he is but not having had to actually face it or society’s opinions of it for a good amount of time erupting through once contained memory and dormant passion. It’s a sobering reminder of what truths we conceal and the toll on us it takes when it all comes roaring back with a vengeance and have no outlet but our own ghosts, or other people, to take it out on.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
