‘Anuja’ movie review: Adam J. Graves’ Oscar-nominated short film leaves you yearning for more

A still from ‘Anuja’.
| Photo Credit: Netflix

Set in a nondescript Hindi-speaking city, Adam J. Graves’ Oscar-nominated short film Anuja is sustained throughout the twenty-odd minutes thanks to Graves’ attempt at paying homage to storytelling. The film begins with Palak (Ananya Shanbhag) narrating a Panchatantra tale of the loyal mongoose to her younger sister Anuja (Sajda Pathan). This ode to storytelling lies at the foundation of the short and is only strengthened by Sajda’s salt of the earth acting. 

With only each other to confide in, the sisters feel hyper-aware of the various worlds they have to navigate to sustain themselves — from uber-rich shopping complexes that are cordoned off from them or the greedy factory owner with betel nut stains on his teeth who is insistent on squeezing labour from his workers. They wind down in the din of the torchlight browsing and mocking matrimonial advertisements in the paper. But hidden beneath Palak’s laugh is the belief that she will soon have to give into the patriarchal institution, most likely against her wishes. She is convinced that she does not have anything remarkable to offer to the world – living in the shadow of her sister, a math prodigy reaffirms this belief.

Anuja however, is not as bothered about worldly affairs — she only wants the companionship of her older sister. Her outlook is put to the test when an opportunity is presented to her — a scholarship test for an acclaimed boarding school

One day, a teacher in the neighbourhood tries to persuade the factory owner of Anuja’s abilities and requests him to let her take the test, only to be shooed away. The 400 rupee test seems to be a golden ticket out of generational poverty for the sisters and Palak is keen on paying the sum by selling handbags she stitched using leftover cloth from the factory.

Over the next few minutes, we witness the sisters slither in and out of worlds they are alien to to pursue a dream. Watching the girls take space and navigate the Indian metropolis is anxiety-inducing but a wave of relief washes over you as they emerge unscathed. But one cannot escape the discomfort that comes with the stark difference in dialogue delivery between the sisters — Anuja’s dialogue delivery and dialect is convincing while Palak speaks Hindi with refinement that is hard to decode given their circumstances thus far.

Sajdah Pathan in ‘Anuja’

The open ending complimented the director’s homage to storytelling and made the audience feel a part of the film. However, as the credits roll and one starts to piece things together, it becomes evident that the film has an air of corporate marketing attached to it and that it might have worked better as a government advertisement and a sermon on the evils of child labour rather than a short film.

The length of the film and the haphazard characterisation left me yearning for more of Anuja and Palak.

Anuja is currently streaming on Netflix.