In a society where the subject of suicide is often eschewed both in media and in everyday life, Not Today, which screens at the Spring 2022 New Jersey Film Festival on Friday, February 18, stands as a brilliant piece of Indian cinema that compels its audience to pay attention as the film takes them on a riveting journey of a young Suicide Prevention Counsellor trying to prevent a middle-aged man from jumping off the terrace of a Mumbai high-rise during the course of a night.
Unbeknownst to her family, Aliah, a 24-year-old Muslim woman takes the job as a Suicide Prevention Counsellor. On her first day at work, she receives a call from Ashwin Mathur, a distraught, 52-year-old man who’s standing on the rooftop of a high-rise building, contemplating a suicide jump. Aliah, overcome by her own traumatic past, ignores the rules of engagement and goes on a personal mission to save the man’s life. A bond of trust develops between the two as they begin to confront their grief through telephonic conversations. A genuine sense of empathy is evident in their conversations, which undeniably is the film’s strongest quality brought to screen brilliantly by Rucha Inamdar in the role of Aliah, and Harsh Chhaya playing the character of Ashwin Mathur. The film does not contain any traditional songs, dance, or background music that are often associated with Hindi films. But it doesn’t need to because, though some scenes seem to go on a little longer for my taste, the film, for the most part, is able to keep the audience glued to the screen on the backs of effective dialogues and brilliant acting amidst the mélange of Mumbai sights and sounds.
On the technical side, the cinematography is very good, particularly the scenes of Mumbai streets and trains which contribute to the dichotomy of characters’ profound grief and loneliness versus the city’s vibrancy. The editing and sound design are aptly done. Overall, the film successfully tackles a weighty subject and delivers a social message in a manner that feels more practical and less preachy. Overall, Aditya Kripalani, the writer/director, has done a masterful job of displaying the power of empathy and making peace with the past because suicide is not the way out. Not today.
Here is Not Today Director Aditya Kripalani’s Introduction to his excellent film:
Not Today screens at the Spring 2022 New Jersey Film Festival on February 18! To buy tickets click here.
The New Jersey Film Festival Spring 2022 will be taking place on select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between through February 20, 2022. All the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date.
More info is available here: https://newjerseyfilmfestivalspring2022.eventive.org/welcome
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