WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
To experience the essence of heartbreak is to know a lingering pain that hurts so deeply at its inception, and then maintains a sting that resonates within us, a fresh wound inflicted by someone whom we entrusted our heart to and who has unceremoniously handed it back. In this unsettled state of being, the question remains–can we heal, recoup our right emotional stability, or remain forever scarred? It is such questions that one young woman named Anamika (Sonal Vengurlekar) finds herself struggling with the weight of as this particular day has come to a close with a painful, very personal occurrence–a breakup. Still in the initial shock of it all, Anamika heads to her car and the relative safety of its confines.
Continuing to ponder the now-broken relationship and all the unresolved and yet-to-be-understood elements that have lead to this turmoil and the miserable conclusion of a dearly valued connection, Anamika attempts to rationalize that things happen for a reason, life being the way it is, and that she must stay committed to moving forward, despite the still enigmatic answers she desires to seek while battling an ever-present sense of self-blame in the affair ending. However, when choosing to pull off the road in trying to discover some semblance of comfort from sadness and a weary soul, Anamika happens to tune in to a local radio show whose point of discussion is exactly what she’s experiencing, leading to a revelation both profound and affecting.
Next, my Mind:
There are many notions I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that are keys to my love and deep support for independent cinema all over the world, and two of those will always be as follows–there is true beauty in simplicity and depth of intent when you’re willing to look below the surface. Such is the case here with the debut effort from writer/director/lyricist Sufi Khan. This five and a half minute short film effort, which delves into the oft addressed concept of heartbreak and the flood of tempestuous upheaval that accompanies it, utilizes a highly effective one-setting/one central character format to bring the viewer a very uncomplicated, intimate, relatable, emotionally charged narrative that truly carries a relevant and necessary message about how we as human beings choose to deal internally with conflicts of the heart, soul, and spirit, presenting it in a completely accessible way. We can follow our own choices perhaps as we witness each phase of sorrow, doubt, questioning, and subsequent release from the more often than not self-imposed pressures encountered due to a disconnection between ourselves and someone we treasure, all visualized and addressed here via Anamika’s plight. but minus undue melodramatic pitfalls. It feels and appears grounded in the real world, a plus for this reviewer and a hallmark of indie cinema.
Pulling triple duty via contributing to both the screenplay and dialogue facets of the film in addition to starring in it, well known TV actress (currently to be seen as the negative lead in the political drama “Saam Daam Dand Bhed“) Sonal Vengurlekar provides a beautifully, and intentionally, understated performance as Anamika, a successful young woman coming off a day she’d soon rather forget. Her heart has been broken, the hurt is fresh and palpable even in the subtleness of her unassuming body language and facial expressions, at least until the wave of tears hits as she drives along trying to ascertain what went wrong and how to handle it. Even as she believes she might have a small grasp on the fact that life can sometimes be this way, filled with the unexpected that we must move through and learn from, the moments of pause in her drive home that lead to the radio show being heard and the new wisdom that comes from it is perfectly enacted by Vengurlekar, carrying such a mature innocence that transcends her outward beauty and more so illustrates the inner healing her character gains, all while drawing us in and allowing us to be in that car with her in that tender yet painful time. Again, Vengurlekar endears you to her character in providing a lovely, nuanced portrayal of Anamika.
Supporting turns come from courtesy of Naveen Arya as the local Mumbai radio RJ and Neha Sharma with additional voiceover work present here. The gorgeous, lyrical, and apropos song heard during the initial act of the film comes via singer Shaheen Khan. In total, with its heart firmly on its sleeve and realistic, stirring narrative, “We Met At The Wrong Time” shines an all-too-truthful light on how we face this kind of grief, willing to give advice as to what’s needed to others while not applying it to our own situations. Yet, life does indeed have a way to bring us exactly what we do need, so let’s hope like Anamika, we see it, take hold of it, move forward with it, and realize that it is indeed all a matter of timing, even when things don’t always work out the way we plan.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
