- Release Date: 31/10/2023
- Platform: Youtube
- Cast: Esha Kansara, Ashwath Bhatt, Siddhant Raj
- Director: Harsh Siddhanta
Making something extraordinary is difficult, but making something ordinary good enough to tug at the heartstrings of anyone willing to let it in is probably harder. Harsh Siddhanta’s short film, ‘Out of Place,’ doesn’t tell you anything that you don’t already know or something that hasn’t been conveyed to you before through some medium or another. However, it crafts its story and outlook on life uniquely, owning every word spoken and every emotion conveyed. This results in the film attaining a kind of heart, maturity, and connection that may be short-lived and even feel silly at certain junctures but works wonders.
The story revolves around an apparently struggling writer, Shounak (Siddhant Raj) who questions his decision to be inspired by a film and move to Mumbai to pursue a career in film writing. His landlord, Kultar (Ashwath Bhatt) is a man in his late 40s living the life of a debauched college-goer and not shying away from lecturing Shounak on how he should approach life. Things take an interesting turn when a vibrantly beautiful and uncontrollably happy and energetic girl, Kaveri (Esha Kansara) knocks on their door, requesting to spend a week at the Paying Guest House. Through their interactions with Kaveri, the two gain a fresh perspective on their day-to-day lives. While we don’t know how long their optimism will last, they learn to see life from an angle that they hadn’t for a long time.
The plot summary should provide you with everything that you need to know about the film. It may feel generic on the surface, and some portions might even seem unlikely and too wishful, but after repeated viewings, I realized that life doesn’t always follow rules or make sense. No matter how hard we plan, things never happen according to plan. Things go haywire, and that is what makes life endlessly enjoyable, thrilling, heartbreaking and on some special occasions, inspiring and heartwarming. Many things may go against our interest, but at the same time, a lot many will turn up in our favor. This is something that justifies many aspects of the film and makes it believable and enjoyable.
To think that a woman like Kaveri would come to live with two questionable men like Kultar and Shounak is wishful thinking of the highest order. However, what is not wishful thinking is how Kultar reacts to her presence in the house. Even Shounak had his hopes evidently soaring at the prospect of Kaveri living with them, but his excitement was cut short by her limited stay and the fact that she was married, which she spelt out intelligently. Esha Kansara, Ashwath Bhatt, and Siddhant Raj wonderfully played out this particular scene among them, and the emotions were so on point that it was easy to be involved in the story because it was easy to connect with these characters.
Ashwath Bhatt has done fantastically in some of the most prominent supporting roles in big Bollywood projects of late. To see him playing such a character was a surprise for me, but it also underlined the versatility that the man has. I am confident that he will very soon make it to the big league of Bollywood heavyweight character actors and we will celebrate him like we do stalwarts like Kumud Mishra and the great and now departed, Irrfan.
Siddhant Raj was pitch-perfect for the character of Shounak. He brings that necessary frustrated yet helpless look and feel to the character that was necessary to make it work. He is also someone who can make us believe that he is genuinely looking for answers from the character of Kaveri when he is shown asking her some questions to which even, Kaveri doesn’t have definitive answers. Siddhant makes these moments feel real with his nuanced performance. Had these situations felt underwhelming, the story and the film would have capsized completely at an emotional level.
From the moment Esha Kansara appears on screen, the film and the proceedings light up. It has to do as much with her vibrant beauty and vivacious presence as also with how well her character is written and portrayed. She is so dignified and yet so respectfully alluring that it is hard not to be in awe of her aura and yet never belittle her magic by judging or enjoying her performance from a voyeuristic perspective. Her change of gears in a scene where she quickly transforms from her vivacious self into someone who has lost and is still trying to figure out a way to live with that thought was wonderfully portrayed and better still directed.
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This brings me to Harsh Siddhanta, who I felt was fantastic in his direction of some of the key moments of the film, which not only elevated the feel of the story but also ensured that the realism of the moments was never shunned, resulting in the audience connecting with it at a personal level. There will be many who will question the reason and end result of the film and might even criticize it for having nothing that might amount to intrigue or surprise. Still, we have to understand that that is also how periods in our lives pass. There may not be a lot happening, but even in the smaller and more delicate things and feelings of our lives, there is much to learn and appreciate.
‘Out of Place‘ is a delightful short film that not only brings a smile to your face but also serves as a reminder of what you might be missing by not living your life for yourself, at least for a few hours a day. It may not change your life or prompt a return to it, but it will undoubtedly make you reflect throughout its runtime.
The views expressed in this article are that of the reviewer and do not reflect EastMojo’s position.
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