WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Overworked. To make ends meet, we toil away at jobs which sometimes have no meaning, no real depth, no true fulfilment. Then, there are those who labor to the same extremes doing exactly what they love, seemingly tireless, totally immersed in a way that encompasses their focus to the farthest possible extent. While the results may justify the long hours, what happens when everything else valuable in life gets buried under a shadow of an endless, yet supposedly satisfying, grind. For Dr. Kavya Menon (Rima Kallingal) working in the cancer wing of a hospital, work is an obsession, though for her to admit it might not be an easy sentiment to solicit. Even as she goes from one assignment to another with a level of physical fervor that belies the real exhaustion she feels, one phone call received fractures her world and initiates a new outlook on everything she’s about.
Next, my Mind:
The first of two films representing the “Medical Programming” while making their New York Premiers at the inaugural 2019 New York City South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota USA, this 18-minute short from writer/director Vijayeta Kumar, writer Nimisha Misra, plus producers Ranjan Singh and Divya Sud, depicts an all-too-real, sobering, and evocative scenario that so drastically affects this contemporary society via the narrative’s thematic exploration of the ripple effect and ramifications that can be experienced when allowing a job to become your entire life while all else around you becomes cannon fodder for the subsequent neglect it faces. The commonality of such attitudes and the consequences that so often follow it are smartly illustrated within the contexts of both Dr. Kavya’s work and personal life, but the fact that it takes an unanticipated and discouraging piece of news to slow her down is what initially makes the story so tragic yet sadly relatable and grounded in the actuality encountered by so many in this world.
Additionally, the news which rocks Dr. Menon’s routine and brings her into a state of shock-to-the-system clarity and resolution is made that much more impactful through the circumstance it represents, the ominous familiarity it carries for her, and the complete sense of helplessness she now must confront that will all manifest into the means by which she can reassess every aspect of her life, acknowledge what’s best, do what’s right, recognize what needs to be adjusted, and gain a newly acquired manner of positivity that hadn’t existed within the chaotic sphere she inhabited for so long. But, as stubborn as we are as human beings, there is still a resistance to fully surrendering to the slower, more practical, and healthier pace, and when we’ve “taught” ourselves to just keep pushing through no matter what, it is then everything we put our hands to now begins to suffer for our preoccupied mind, and that can then negatively impact even that which we love, like our job itself and/or the relationships with co-workers and family, all of which the film addresses with potent force in a story centered on one twenty-four hour period.
Whether or not Dr. Menon can finally grasp onto all of this is what aids in maintaining the narrative’s ultimate objectives with poignant purpose. By the film’s beautifully crafted and, perhaps, expected finale, we are treated to a revitalized and much more balanced character whose outlook and actions in life are sunny. Kallingal delivers what I can only describe as a very emotionally palpable, entirely realistic performance in her role as Dr. Kavya Menon, a prominent oncologist, who’s been caught up in nothing but believing she can keep soldiering on from patient to patient (albeit due to her well-earned reputation) and maintain this breakneck pace to treat one of the world’s most insidious diseases. It decidedly swallows up her whole being, where there is no place for anyone or anything, even herself. Despite the attempts of co-workers to slow her down at least a little, finally acknowledged phone calls from family slams the brakes and acts as the wake-up call she’s needed, whether realizing it or not. Kallingal deftly navigates the character’s impassioned journey with poise and effectively presented believability.
Supporting players are present here mainly from Nakuul Mehta as Vishal, Kevya’s highly accommodating and understanding boyfriend who more than makes his efforts to make it clear he’s there for her while also subtly indicating how much he needs her to slow down, along with Rytasha Rathore as her co-worker Dr. Mandakini Yadav, Manoj Singh Kaira as one of the cancer patients, and Sukanya Dhanda as Mrs. Verma among several others who play parts in being Kevya’s sources of both challenge and ultimate inspiration to rethink her priorities. In total, “Sunny Side Upar” stands as a blunt but very much needed proclamation about the current frenetic state of being so many exist in and just how overtly it impedes and influences choices we make which can take such an unnecessary toll on life’s more positive facets. May we be able to slow down at least enough to be forcefully honest with ourselves and do what this film’s primary message so skillfully executes in comprehending life like its title happily suggests–sunny side up.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
