I wish I could live my life again, this time I would make everything right – says Nayan, the award-winning writer and mother to Anu, an Odissi dancer, and actor. But is there anything that is totally right? What we think right may not be perceived as right, which is exactly what happens in the case of Anu. She has had a disturbed childhood and her mother gets married three times. The second husband of her mother, a younger guy sexually abuses her when she is young and afraid to speak. Anu blames her mother for her insecurities, and one of them is the obvious fear to get married. She has a daughter and by not bringing a man into her life she feels she has given her daughter a safe childhood. On the other hand, she raises a woman, her daughter Masha, who is ready to be dominated by her in-laws, if only to provide a family to her yet to be born child.
‘Tribhanga – the famous dance pose of Indian dance is the name of the film and what Anu calls herself – crooked (Tedhi Medhi Crazy). The film is the story of three generations of women and explores their relationship with each other. The complex roles of the women are played by Tanvi Azmi, Kajol, and Mithila Palker, and the film is directed by Renuka Shahane. In the opening scenes Kajol comes across as this brash, rude, and cursing easily kind of woman and she did seem a little too loud and noisy for comfort. But as the film progressed her role turned out to be witty, sensitive and vulnerable even. Tanvi on the other hand has a great screen presence, ironically even when she lies on the hospital bed fighting Coma. Mithila’s role could have been explored more. The movie is a brave attempt and the director, who is a seasoned TV actress, has brought back the nostalgia with Doordarshan era memories, especially when you see Kanwaljit enter as the artist and Nayan’s partner. A mother’s role, especially that of a single mother is very challenging and this is shown through the three-generation vie, by the debut director, who has a win on her hand. In this story also written by Renuka, men play supporting roles – Kunaal Roy Kapur, Manav Gohil, and Vaibhav Talwawaadi.
The film ‘Tribhanga’ is showing on Netflix.
