The following is the first part of a 4-part review of a set of short films made by 4 of the best directors India can boast of, in a bid to spread awareness about AIDS among the people.These are 4 20-minute films which are available for free viewing on www.jaman.com.

Under the auspices of Mirabai films and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the AIDS ’Jaago’ Project presents four short dramatic films by cutting-edge Indian directors Mira Nair, Vishal Bharadwaj, Farhan Akhtar and Santosh Sivan that aim to dismantle myths and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS.


1. BLOOD BROTHERS:

Dir.: Vishal Bharadwaj
Cast: Sidhhartha (of Rang De Basanti fame)
Ayesha Takia
Pawan Malhotra
Pankaj Kapur

BB starts off in a mysterious fashion, with Arjun Dutt (Siddhartha) following Pawan Malhotra everywhere, right upto the building he lives in. Pawan Malhotra smells something fishy and confronts him. From then on begins the story of Arjun, how he was leading a happy, marital life before he is diagnosed with HIV. How this one revelation changes his life forever, as he just leaves everything, out of the blue. How another discovery again turns the course of his life forms the rest of the plot.

Vishal Bharadwaj nicely builds it up like a thriller in the initial 3 minutes. The sequences leading up to Arjun’s diagnosis and the reason which he initially believes that led to his state are very engaging and seem very real and probable, especially when viewed from the urban perspective. However, what happens thereafter, with Arjun just running away from everything because of the lack of enough strength to face his wife, and the sequences thereafter leave you a bit puzzled. What actually happened there?? is what you think. Even Pankaj Kapur’s character is an enigma. But, things become clear in the concluding minutes when Arjun discovers something which shocks him and how that changes his life.

Short films are the arena where directors get the chance to prove their mettle. In a 3-hour movie, the director has all the time in the world to come to the point and then drill it in the psyche of the viewer( though in no way is that an easy job), but in a 20 minute feature, the contraint of time restrains a build-up. Vishal Bharadwaj, for once, moves away from his literary adaptations which has been his fetish for his last 3 films, and puts it in an urban setting. Except for the portions where Arjun leaves home and wanders around befuddled, virtually in drunken stupor, which confuses the viewer, he is in form yet again this time. The way he drives home the point in the last few minutes, gives hope, like the light at the end of the tunnel, even though that light is from the fire which burns on a candle which is about to melt down, informing the viewers that AIDS does not mean a ’dead end’ to the road of life.

Performance-wise, the spotlight is on Siddhartha who delivers a very honest performance. See him in the scenes where he realizes the blunder he has committed and the expressions of guilt and sadness on his face, when he lacks the guts to face his wife, and you realize that Rang De Basanti was not a fluke. Hopefully, we see more of him in Hindi cinema.

Pawan Malhotra comes up with another dependable performance, especially in the last few minutes. Ayesha Takia and Pankaj Kapur are adequate in their parts. Pankaj Kapur, I feel, was wasted in his part, though his character still had that spark which he has shown in the performances in his earlier films with Vishal Bharadwaj.

Overall, a good film which does drive home the point and also clears some misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.

My Rating: ***
Watch it here: http://www.jaman.com/movie/Blood-Brothers/0HsYuptHveNs/