NYC SAFF 2019 Closing Night Film Review “Roam Rome Mein (Every Inch Of My Being)”
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First, the Recap:
What does it take to not only know someone else, but to know yourself as well? In fact, how often is it that even when we are pondering how we didn’t know as much about someone as we thought we did, we end up discovering we’re just as much of an enigma? Once faced with this incontrovertible enlightenment, can we move forward, or allow the upending of everything within us to undermine it all? For one man named Raj (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), this will become an all-too-familiar experience when his favored, self-centered world gets jarred by the sudden disappearance of his younger sister Reena (Tannishtha Chatterjee). Taking matters into his own hands, Raj heads to where she supposedly ended up, Rome, and begins to run into a host of colorful locals who all seem to have some knowledge about her. Yet, the mystery only grows deeper and stranger, as Raj beings to wonder what is reality and what isn’t, and whether the truths he seeks will actually reflect her state of being, or his own.
Next, my Mind:
It was clearly the most profound means by which to wrap up the film slate at the inaugural 2019 New York City South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota by treating the viewing audience to arguably the most cerebral, fantastical, dramatically and eccentrically unique feature of the event, delivering a narrative that carries within it the fundamental exploration of our own sense of who we are while being exposed to that which reveals more about what’s stirring inside even as we seek to comprehend the actions and motivations of another, as is so intelligently displayed here in the tale of one man coming face to face with his own inner demons while searching for his beloved sister in Rome. Presented by writer/director/actress Chatterjee (in her directorial debut as well!), writer Abhishek Chatterjee, and producer Ravi Walia, what makes the story continue to remain utterly and fascinatingly enticing is that mixed in with all the myriad of thematic elements being portrayed, from what was aforementioned to tangents ranging from familial hierarchy, gender roles, racism, and feminism, there’s the point made by Chatterjee during a post-screening Q&A that the film in part was inspired by real life occurrences she herself had encountered.
A statement of context like that, especially after having watched the film, only increases its worthiness to be watched for this critic, as the additional angle introduced in the story is one that breaches the supernatural, but not in the typical ways we’ve come to expect in contemporary cinema. Rather, it’s more a means to an end and not remotely a focal point but more a “side character” as it were, lending this underlying, mildly eerie uncanniness to Raj’s inward and outward travails. What also builds and builds during the unfolding events is the overt levels of tension then release that Raj is taken through, as every odd encounter with random individuals in Rome who always seem to end up tied to Reena makes his already-present volatility swing into overdrive. Yet, once it is clear that his awareness of reality, and who he interacts with, becomes skewed, it makes Raj’s journey even more surreal, dreaming about past moments with Reena and linking them with the possibilities of why she may have chosen to vanish, revealed in pieces along the way, and all culminating in a quietly stunning finale that brings it all together with affecting potency. Truthfully, some of the story is hard to dig onto without giving critical facets away, which I will not do. So this critic’s suggestion is that you do what must be done–SEE the film.
Another indisputable fact that stands out for this effort is the casting of Siddiqui, as he for me is the absolute king of Indian independent cinema, mainstream releases not to be discounted, of course, but here in projects like this, he simply dominates the proceedings with his very distinct acting style and intensity that just radiates from him. There is no exception to this in his role as Raj, a very self-absorbed man who has his life pretty much figured out despite what anyone else might try to say. However, all his bravado and chauvinistic manner gets rattled to the core when his sister Reena goes missing, sending him on an adventure that will test every fiber of who he is based on the individuals he engages when going to Rome to seek Reena out. He’s filled with so much pent-up unsettledness, and it comes out in a multitude of ways over the course of the odyssey, whether calmly or in fits of overt rage and frustration as every time he believes he’s closer to finding her, the plot thickens and there’s only more questions than answers. The raw, unfettered passion brought to Raj’s character by Siddiqui throughout is so tangible, a true force, and as he always does, you will feel every moment of the character’s plight full on.
Chatterjee brings a wonderfully controlled and highly purposeful aura to the character of Reena, Raj’s sister whose home life as we see has not always been a bed of roses. A product of this, her strong-willed personality leads her away from the family with no notification. But, what her actual intentions were, that is for her to know, and Chatterjee embraces the character’s mix of vulnerability and strength with adept grace. Primary supporting role come from Valentina Corti as Veronica, one of the mysterious people Raj links up with in Rome, Francesco Apolloni as a police inspector Raj has a rocky alliance with, Isha Talwar as Raj’s fiancé Parul, Andrea Scarduzio as Robert, a key player in Raj’s search, Vineet Kumar and Sapna Sand as Raj and Reena’s parents, and Priyanshu Jora as Gaurav, a close relation to Reena, among many others in a large ensemble cast. So, in total, “Roam Rome Mein” is ultimately about bonds we share, acceptance and release, knowing ourselves, discovering others, and having the willingness to give, as the film’s title advises, every inch of our being to discover what’s within, find peace with it, allow it to change us for the better, and then move in a more settled place of existence even when we don’t always have the full picture of what’s ahead, or perhaps even what’s now behind.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
