Call me a rebel, but I have outgrown the Bollywood song and dance routine. I have always leaned more towards Indian cinema that tells real stories – a slice of life – as I learnt in drama which I studied until matric. (Loved it – one of the highlights of my schooling career.)
Post the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa, I’m not eager to venture out into cinemas. And there’s no need to. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime are more convenient, and cheaper, to enjoy movies and series.
I also believe streaming platforms have given new impetus to Indian cinema. Movies released only a streaming platform mean the filmmakers can experiment with different genres, take risks and focus on storytelling rather than the pressure of the theatrical box office.
Darlings is one such experiment in black comedy. And it’s explosive in all the right ways.
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy or dark humour is defined as “a film, play, or other work that deals with tragic or distressing subject matter in a humorous way.” The subject matter here is domestic abuse and violence. It is sensitively handled and silently mocks society which has become desensitised to violence that happens behind closed doors. You know, the “we can hear them, but it’s not our place to ask, we see the bruises, but we are used to it” type. It also explores the conflict between love and self-love within a marriage fraught with lies.
Badrunissa, affectionately called Badru, tolerates her alcoholic, abusive husband, Hamza, in the hope that he will change. But when he does the unthinkable, she toughens up and vows to get even.
Her mother, Shamshunissa, supports her, but even she isn’t ready for the crazy ride ahead. Shamshunissa’s own demons are revealed at the end of the movie and that’s when the pieces of the puzzle fall into place. There’s also an interesting love twist that is gently explored between Shamshunissa and Zulfi, who sells second-hand goods.
Shefali Shah as Shamsuunissa is the star of Darlings. Co-incidentally she starred in my all-time favourite movie Monsoon Wedding, released 20 years ago. (Totally giving my age away here!) Her bond with Alia Bhatt as Badru comes alive beautifully.
Alia Bhatt is the same Alia I loved in Highway, but she is more layered and natural. She also co-produced the movie so perhaps that helped her immerse herself into her character. She personifies Badru as does Vijay Varma as Hamza. He fits in the shoes of the complex husband perfectly. Roshan Matthew is innocent and endearing as Zulfi.
I’m not going to analyse the characters and filmmaking further as I don’t consider myself an expert, just a lover of good storytelling. Kudos to the writer Jasmeet K. Reen, along with co-writers and dialogue writers Parveez Sheikh and Vijay Maurya for bringing this refreshing take to our screens. The movie is poignantly produced by Gauri Khan, Alia Bhatt and Gaurav Verma.
As pinkvilla.com highlights, “Alia Bhatt, Vijay Varma, Shefali Shah and Roshan Mathew’s film is a mirror and a reminder.”
As a black comedy, Darlings allows society to see domestic violence from a different angle and it’s needed. Statistics and the daily news reports globally and in South Africa, tell us that we need to use all avenues to send a message to society that abuse and violence against both men and women is wrong.
The movie is strung together with a chilling analogy of a frog and scorpion. It bites you. It stays with you. Just like this movie has, one week later.
For me, that’s worth the watch.