NO TRAILER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
First, the Recap:
Can it be said that what we witness, those situations and circumstances the eyes take in and assess, can in turn influence our choices and guide our internal sense of self? What if we are privy to an event that could have had a radically different outcome, yet a failure to act our on part occurs, with the ramifications more than is bearable? For a simple, hard-working, middle class man named Mr. Joshi (Raghubeer Yadav), this becomes all too real when CCTV footage of a brutal assault against a young woman comes out, shocking their community not only it the attack’s vicious manner, but the reveal that there was another party present during it in the background–himself.
Realizing this truth, Mr. Joshi begins his own desperate, guilt-ridden campaign to rid his world of any single piece of evidence that he was actually an involuntary bystander during the incident, knowing the whole time that he could have interceded and possibly even altered the fateful end to it for another person’s life. Yet, even as his wife (Alka Amin) and son notice his increasingly erratic behavior, Mr. Joshi still continues to take whatever measures he can to hide the actuality of what his decision lead to, even as he likewise notices the societal fascination with yet passivity towards the story, all while questioning what it is to be a man. From there, however, his road takes an even more karma-infused twist.
Next, my Mind:
With a truly dark comedic bend intermixed with the hard life lessons in guilt vs. responsibility, action vs. inaction, and even what it is to be ourselves vs. the damaging perpetual cycles of society happening around us, this beautifully orchestrated short film from writer/director Gaurav Sharma, having its world premier at the 2019 Dallas Fort Worth South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota USA, carries that weight of unflinching realism which makes its messages and delivery both relevant and uncomfortably relatable in how it illustrates an inner battle we’ve all experienced in one form or another. How many times can we recollect about “that certain situation” where we could have chosen to take direct action yet allowed fear and doubt to instead waylay it?
Afterwards, it therefore becomes all about the burden of shame, guilt, and even an initial loss of identity, thinking of how we could have so easily brought about a better result, as is very deftly shown here in the film. As the days go by and everything surrounding us seems to be that blatant reminder of our newly forming feelings of inadequacy and culpability, the film’s narrative then takes on the notion that while we are distraught over our lack of accountability, the society around us seems completely dispassionate and uninterested despite the severity of the crime perpetrated, which then makes the convictions upon our own souls even deeper, as it shows the need for more “heroes” in this world, and this only makes the film’s hugely ironic and equally impactful finale even more darkly humorous yet eerily, transparently fitting, especially in this day and age of everything being captured on camera.
Visually, the film is shot smoothly and, while it may have simply been the literal screen or projection system it was being shown on that caused it, actually came across with a little bit of a grainy quality. For this critic, that actually works when it comes to the primary themes being explored, almost adding an intentional grittiness to the events being depicted that perfectly suits the story. Plus, the additional potency of specific, purposefully jarring imagery that is utilized to further highlight Mr. Joshi’s inward struggles works to add to the dramatic sense of the film, while there are likewise plenty of other moments visually that cater to the wry, intelligently designed humorous elements as well. Ketan Pedgaonkar’s expressive music score also contributes wonderfully to the varying tones the film takes on as it unfolds, giving us that emotional connection to the events through its nuances.
With all the passion in delivery and believability in characer, concepts I’ve always felt are the mark of a great character actor, Yadav brings his “A” game to the role of Mr. Joshi, a regular guy who strives to provide for his family while also attempting to put up with the general insanity of home life and its little quirks and frustrations. Then, his entire world gets rocked to the core upon seeing an evening news report covering the malicious and ultimately terminal attack against a young woman plus the accompanying video footage that captured the whole thing–including himself in the shadows doing nothing other than being paralyzed with hesitation and the choice to escape the situation. Knowing, however, that no one else knows it was him based on the footage, Mr. Joshi becomes so overtly full of paranoia and need to distance his own now-troubled mind, his choices become both agonizingly funny but painful to witness, knowing we know what only he knows, much less when his road to “redemption” gets “rewarded” in a most undignified manner, even as the last moment showcases how cycles are doomed to repeat. Throughout the whole effort, Yadav excels is making us feel both good and bad about the character, hence very well acted.
Amin also brings her own veteran acting prowess to bear in the role of Mr. Joshi’s wife, who is just as appalled by the events they’ve come to know about, even while not having the faintest clue that there is someone rather close to her who could have so greatly turned the events disclosed and who is now frantically trying to cover up his involvement. Of course, her reactions to his own incident during the film’s final act is equally wonderful, even though again, we as the viewer are aware of the irony it entails. Additional supporting turns are brought about by a series of actors who encompass roles such as Mr. Joshi’s son, the young attack victim, the crime’s perpetrators, and a group of other goons who play a pivotal part later in the film. I did not catch or have resources to highlight the actors’ names here, but know I always desire to give credit where credit is due to supporting players.
In total, “That Man In The Picture” stands as a wonderful way to kick off DFW SAFF 2019, especially being we were the first audience to see it, and it does total credit to the prolific nature of South Asian independent film and the overall quality of projects in this genre coming out of that region. We can only hope this signals what else is to come, but in the meantime, catch this effort that will most definitively remind you to take action to aid others when you can and know that someone, somehow, somewhere, always seems to be watching our good deeds or our negligence.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
