WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
The convictions of the heart. Guided by that which drives us, motivates us, moves us we press forward day by day, seeking out what we desire and ideally finding the fulfillment, support, and love needed so desperately. Yet, amidst this journey, there are the obstacles we encounter that would cause us to steer away from the path, sometimes found amongst those who are closest to us, even if innocently and unknowingly so. For one young woman named Sameera (Swati Semwal), it has been a constant battle between joy and frustration. Finding a solace within via a delight in painting, Sameera strives to complete what seems to be an ultimate masterpiece.
Her doting mother (Sapna Sand) and traditional father (Iqbal Raj), however, find their daughter’s somewhat reclusive and eccentric demeanor a stumbling block to them finding a suitable husband for her to marry, often presenting potential choices to Sameera that do nothing but cause her to withdraw even more into the sanctuary of her room and the painting that continues to be the sole focus of the hours and days. Not willing to succumb to this reality, Sameera’s parents push harder while she allows herself to explore the creative, colorfully whimsical freedom she experiences in her art, culminating in a moment of total realization and dedicated, determined expressive statement of independence.
Next, my Mind:
The first part of a currently in-progress trio of short films called “The Unconditional Love Trilogy”, part two of which I recently reviewed here, this 13-minute effort from writer/director/producer/lead actress Swati Semwal and producer Imran Furniturewala carries with it a beautifully stylized, artistic eccentricity paired with the emotionally charged, enigmatic nature of its overall narrative that portrays one woman’s journey through the pangs of love, but in a uniquely affecting and imaginative way aimed to leave us as the viewer mesmerized and enchanted by the magical power of absolute adoration and potency of belief, both in self and in what we hold dear within our hearts, minds, and spirits. As human beings, we tend to find ourselves at the whim of outside forces wanting to direct us differently than what we may already have firmly established, and attempts to make us comply with these new demands tends to ensure hesitancy and need for escape take over our actions.
Here, this pressure is played out through Sameera’s parents and their insistence at finding her the man that will be her arranged “true love”, which only invites her to further delve into a mysterious and initially unrevealed painting that brings out not just her astute skills as a creative, but an overtly evident liberation and sense of euphoric emancipation, which she further expresses through the myriad of colors that becomes shades reflecting how she feels. As events continue to unfold, it all brings about a finale that is more than just a standard disclosure sequence, but an honestly stirring moment of revelation that sees everything come heartwarmingly together, giving us a full understanding of exactly what Sameera has been enraptured by, and how she’s overcome the aforementioned tensions faced. Visually the film is shot with a lush clarity, a display of bright and muted colors plus specific sequences of character-centric, slow-motion close-ups, all embracing the elements that make the story what it is. Add to this an equally atmospheric background music score by Teenu Arora and additional music by Bahramji, Maneesh De Moor, and Zubin Kalhor which only ups the poignancy of Sameera’s tale.
Emotive and captivating, Semwal undeniably brings a fully inspired, dramatically moving performance to bear without hardly saying a word in her role as Sameera, a vibrant, exceptionally beautiful, yet deceptively, inwardly unsettled woman striving to encounter the wonder of love she’s discovered while at the same time having to battle the expectations and virtually pre-planned life her well-meaning, loving, but non-understanding parents have desired for her. Quietly listening to their notions about her future, the escape she consistently returns to yet keeps hidden from them is like traveling to a completely different world once the door to her room closes and the colorful reality she finds such elation in springs forth with a wistful splendor. With only hints at the image taking shape on the canvas Sameera so closely guards, she navigates the tightrope of nervous uncertainty and utter exhilaration until finally coming to the point of total release, when the greater picture is divulged and what amounts to an awakening occurs that solidifies in her mind exactly who she is and what love truly means to her, ushering in a new, refreshed state of autonomy rooted in affectingly personal ideology and convictions, which Semwal so wonderfully and believably captures in her enactment of the character.
Primary supporting turns are presented from Sand and Raj as Sameera’s parents, a couple who we know only want what’s best for their child yet in relying on traditional thinking, no matter how long-standing it may be, have lost the real connection with her, driving her farther from them while not being aware that she’s already found the love of her life and who she is. In total, “Sameera – the Unusual” is a fantastically relevant and potently soul-stirring short film that perfectly suits the principal thematic explorations about uncovering love in its more unexpected forms that this ongoing series of films intends. It should very much cause us all to take a better, more comprehensive look at what message this film carries, feeling its impact on the tapestry of life and our own paths, allowing us to look forward to what comes next, as sometimes, we need to acknowledge that love can be enough and at its most powerful upon association with one, all-encompassing concept when it comes to how we see ourselves–having faith.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
