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‘Amar Colony’: Tallinn Review
An original blend of the sacred and the profane
Feature debut from India plays out inside a crumbling building in the teeming city of Shimla
An Absurdist Drama
"Amar Colony" is life itself with its psychological conundrums, its scandals, its politics. Its inhabitants embody multigenerational humanity, bound together in a limited space. They meet, they talk, they cheat, they have secrets and they share meals, they love each other, abuse each other, believe in god and refuse to die. A delicate and unique portrait of an exotic community that in fact represents all of us, this film is a satire on mankind.
Malaika Bova, 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2022
Synopsis
Meera is beautiful, pregnant and in search of some spice in her life. Mohit is young, idle, and lives next door with Devki, his abusive mother. Meera has a boring and absent husband. But wait to see what the guy is hiding. Her aunty Durga is old and hopes to become immortal, her other half has a secret in his shop that nobody knows about, except his young grandchild who is smarter than it seems. They all live in a dilapidated building called Amar Colony.
"Amar Colony" is life itself with its psychological conundrums, its scandals, and its politics. Its inhabitants embody multigenerational humanity, bound together in a limited space. They meet, they talk, they cheat, they have secrets and they share meals, they love each other, abuse each other, believe in god, and refuse to die.
With its washed colour palette and a romantic decadent setting, this film is a satire on mankind. A delicate and unique portrait of an exotic community that in fact represents all of us.
Malaika Bova, 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2022
A crippled widow demands respect for her beloved pigeon. Caught in the maze of loneliness, a pregnant woman finds her escape in a tomato. When paranoia strikes, a religious devotee of Lord Hanuman battles it with a mace.
Logline
DIRECTOR’S NOTE
I made a short film in 2016 titled 'papa' during which I discovered a mysterious wooden chawl in my hometown - Shimla. You will find many chawls in cities but usually, there are none in the hills. Long corridors, bay windows, beautiful wooden staircases, and balconies... I left that place with my film but the place never left me compelling me to tell its story. This is how Amar Colony was born.
Amar Colony is a special child. I feel extremely close to my characters and their 'inner turmoil'. All of them are delusional in some way and there is an atmosphere of absurdity throughout the film. Some surreal dream sequences and ludicrous imagery are also used in the film. I had no reference point for this film and my biggest support was my producers who supported my vision and gave me the liberty to create a film like this.
My goal was to create a unique experience of estrangement. Starting from the Script, Characters, and Production Design to its Camera Language & Performances, there is something quirky that I have tried to achieve at all levels. For me, Amar Colony is about the emptiness embodied in Devki's cage-like house, Meera's loneliness among the tall empty corridors, and the purposeless life of Durga going through religious delusions.
