As the title suggests, with 'Bittersweet', this short film offers up to the viewer, a promise of conflicting emotions. It then proceeds to deliver on it spectacularly, balancing an easy and light-hearted narrative with deep emotional undercurrents. By the time the end credits roll, viewers will not only concur with the title wholeheartedly but will also find themselves wanting to know more about the characters.
Bittersweet follows Nidhi over the course of a short week as she delves into her past to retrieve and relive a “box of memories”. Supporting her in this adventure are her two close friends and allies, the no-nonsense Maya and the exuberant Anu. For most of the second act, Nidhi is caught in two minds and alternates between bashful excitement and horrified pragmatism, and it is her friends that give her the courage to see her plan through to the end. The final act brings about the resolution that Nidhi spends the whole film seeking and it is indeed bittersweet.
The film is a refreshingly honest and authentic look at the road not taken and will connect with a generation of Indians who, at one point or another, didn’t choose a path as much as they had it chosen for them. Even when everything works out, there is still a part of them left behind at that fork. First time writer & director Julie Antony weaves a tight and emotionally compelling narrative as we follow Nidhi on her journey to revisit one such part of herself. The dialogues have a certain realism and authenticity that, together with Rajesh Arumugam’s beautiful and soulful background score, holds the viewer’s attention and doesn’t let go until the end-credits start rolling.
The Director of Photography, Ram Ganesh, deserves special mention as well as does the cameraman, Vamshidar Rawal– right from the very first shot, each moment is beautifully framed and captured while keeping things simple and realistic to match the mood of the story.
The cast (also made up of first timers like the director and the crew) ably plays its part in bringing this story to life. Nisha Prem as Nidhi, is a walking cauldron of emotions and brings out a vulnerability that connects with the viewer and gets them invested in her outcome. The other members of the cast do a great job of supporting the lead while always giving her the spotlight. The actresses playing the two friends, Parvathy Nambiar as Maya and Kavya Shivaramakrishnan as Anu, elevate the mood and energy of every scene in which they appear. Maya is fearless and direct and pushes Nidhi when she vacillates towards backing out and Anu is cheerful and high-spirited and fuels Nidhi’s excitement at the other end of the spectrum. Farhan is suitably underplayed by Vishak Sivadas and also makes for a great contrast with Nidhi.
All in all, Bittersweet fulfills the intriguing promise the title sets up and offers a visually striking yet realistic take on nostalgia. The story is a beautifully simple one at its core and that allows the first-time cast and crew to imbue it with the kind of charming breeziness and rich emotionality that befits the delightfully paradoxical title.
