WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Breaking up is hard to do, right? This is even more overtly evident when you have the dubious honor of being the dumpee. After you invested your heart and soul. After you enjoyed all the things you do about a relationship. After the long wait–10 years–for the marriage you’ve anticipated to finally happen. Yeah, breaking up just sucks. Meet Geeta (Puja Mohindra). She’s found herself in precisely that scenario after being unceremoniously ditched by long-time boyfriend Dani (Andy Nagraj). So, as any sane person would expect, she gets thrown into a support group at the insistence of her loving family–mother Neelum (Neetu Lalmalani), father Jagdish (Ray Raju), sister Sabrina (Adithi Chandrashekhar), Sabrina’s husband Ted (Doogin Brown), and her dear younger brother Rohan (Darshan Bhatt). I mean, all things can do is go uphill from there–right?
Next, my Mind:
Well, I must say to begin that it was a bit of an unanticipated surprise when attempting to look up advance information about the films associated with the 2021 Virtual South Asian Film Festival presented by Toyota USA, supported by AARP, produced by Jingo Ventures, and in association with DFW SAFF & NYC SAFF that in coming across this particular one, I found myself wondering why I was only finding evidence of a Web Series by the same name but not the feature film. Until it came to me when starting to watch the “film”. Oh, this ISN’T actually a film, it IS a Web Series! So launched a slightly different journey across twelve (at just over six minutes each) episodes that encompassed the 84-minute total runtime and provided us a whimsical adventure that was always witty, straightforward, filled with fun characters, and ultimately presented a moral that is certainly practical and applicable to our own lives overall.
Through its unfolding narrative, we find passionate dancer and all-around sweet girl Geeta having to confront the ugliness of a breakup her beau decides it’s time to initiate–after 10 years together–throwing her into a tizzy and its accompanying dizzying spiral in an initially vain attempt to recover. The show then utilizes it’s abbreviated, episodic approach to flesh out all the thematically explored coping mechanisms we turn to in times of stress, doing so with the sublimely charming and very apropos comedic tones and delivery that make the show engaging to take in. Concepts of personal embarrassment, grief, denial, losing one’s passion, stress eating, family trying again to “help”, worrying about being alone forever, trying TOO hard at times to rebound and the “clingy” things we do in the midst of it, stress eating, comparing ourselves to others, desperation, online dating, trying to help others in their love life instead, rediscovering one’s passion, stress eating, to even running into one’s now ex and having to truly see what’s real when forgiveness is offered, stress eating (had I mentioned that before?), it’s all navigated and given the treatment, even stretching beyond just those ideas listed above. WATCH THE SHOW to learn more, folks!
I think what makes something like this so entertaining and enjoyable, even above the nicely uncomplicated yet smartly written and executed form and format presented, is that just like independent film, the show reverberates with such a degree of “Man, I’ve been THERE before!” mentality and accessibility that it’s really hard NOT to sit back and just soak it in, but more so get to savor the playful exercise in personal anguish as seen through an intentionally comical but still genuinely heartfelt and meaningful lens. And by the series’ concluding episode, appropriately and triumphantly titled “Love Wins!”, it takes this proclamation to its core and grants us as the viewer a satisfying and perhaps not wholly expected finale that makes totally logical sense and allows for us the then ponder the notions of new seasons beginning and the fresh roads we will traverse, all while leaving a big ole smile on your face as I will just say that Geeta goes out dancing, which in itself holds so much in validating all she’s been through, humorously for our sake notwithstanding. Also, and I haven’t mentioned this much on purpose (WATCH THE SHOW, folks!) are the Three Aunties who do a copious amount of pre-ep/during ep proselytizing in regard to Geeta’s circumstances that is an absolute riot to listen to and guffaw at.
This is the second project I’ve screened at VSAFF 2021 that featured Mohindra in action behind and in front of the camera (see my review of “Nima’s Beauty Shop” for this reference), which alone speaks to the actress’ versatility and work ethic, and here she gets to have a little more time in the spotlight through her role as Geeta, a young, vibrant woman on the cusp of total happiness that gets a bombshell dropped on her. Wrecking her confidence and entire planned life, she embarks on quite an odyssey of comically portrayed coping mechanisms (while driving her immediate family NUTS!) in her search to fully rationalize what has occurred and what it means for her seemingly bereft future. But, as she slowly starts listening to her own heart and the (albeit annoying at times) advice of others, she begins to have the necessary openness to adapt, overcome, and find the reboot switch within that at least holds the promises of better times to come. It’s one of those performances that’s so delightfully fun to witness, as Mohindra embodies this character with such naturally jocular flare and sentiment, with comic timing also being a must, which she pulls off with poise and charm.
Plenty of supporting appearances are made throughout the series’ 12 episode run, but some of the primary ones that are there for much of Geeta’s trials and tribulations include Lalmalani and Raju as her sometimes hilariously doting yet somewhat overbearing parents, Chandrashekhar as her already married sister Sabrina who always tries to be the picture of a “perfect” marriage with her husband Ted, played here also quite wittily by Brown. Bhatt is certainly on point as Geeta’s younger brother Rohan who often has more chance to make fun of his struggling sis though as time goes on, he actually opens up to a little more serious heart to heart with her. Nagraj is wonderful as Geeta’s ex Dani, whose actions in the wake of the break-up just scream “Arrogant JERK!” though he has his moments to try and make amends. Padmini Divekar, Mangala Gadkari, and Asha Hira are the aforementioned Three Aunties (nuff said!) and a total hoot to view.
Both Danielle Pinnock and Kristy Johnson take on Geeta’s main bestie through all of this named Akua, who has her own relationship issues and viewpoints to share. Jed Feder is Nic, a co-worker of Geeta’s who has more than a little crush on our fair maiden in distress. Additional repeat turns are made by Matt Penn, Gary Smiley, Leah Emmerich, Sandy Gulliver, and Joette Waters as support group members Geeta interacts with over time. Nikhaar Kishnani is Geeta’s new boss and Vishesh Chachra is her boss’ beau, both who make a highly memorable appearance together and he one separate that impact Geeta’s perspectives on her conundrum. Many more other supporting players come and go throughout the episodes, so know you’re not forgotten and unappreciated. Just cannot end up highlighting everyone at this point. So, in total, “Geeta’s Guide To Moving On” is a pleasantly winsome and gleefully rousing adventure to spend 84 minutes taking in so as to realize and recognize our own habits in love, life, and finding the means to go forward constructively and gratifyingly in the face of disheartening times. Therefore, put on your panda pajamas, grab that pint (or more) of ice cream, and let yourself go for a spell to watch!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
