‘Shadowbox’ Review: A Restrained Indian Drama That Seldom Coheres, Despite Its Great Performances

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Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi’s “Shadowbox” grapples with a simple visual style. The story follows a family of three dealing with an unusual behavior from the father, which seems to stem from PTSD. This neorealist drama in Bengali and Hindi tackles themes such as gender issues, power structures within administration, and the struggles of the Indian working class. While these themes are not always clearly defined, the film has its merits. Its central narrative remains engaging due to the powerful performances delivered by the cast.

Actress Tillotama Shome, recognized by Western viewers from films like “Monsoon Wedding” and “Sir,” consistently excels in any visual production due to her remarkable ability to construct entire universes through subtle strife. In the film, she portrays Maya, a highly educated woman striving to provide for her teenage son Debu (Sayan Karmakar), living in the suburbs of Kolkatta (formerly Calcutta), by working as a housemaid and performing various odd jobs such as serving tea.

Navigating through this situation is made tricky by Sundar’s, my husband’s, hidden turmoil. A retired soldier and frog farmer, he often feels isolated at home, expressing his distress in bursts of anger outside our household. Although not seen as a threat by most, he’s often viewed as a nuisance or even a bit eccentric – my family and the neighborhood children label him as such. His unusual habit of avoiding shaving before job interviews adds a touch of humor to the situation.

However, when his drinking buddy meets an untimely end and Sundar vanishes, the story takes a dramatic turn. I find myself juggling work commitments with the search for my husband and trying to determine if he could be linked to this tragic event.

Although an event transpires, it barely alters the film’s progression. The calculated shots are momentarily disrupted by a brief, intense sequence shot handheld, coinciding with the plot twist, but thereafter, the narrative remains devoid of turbulence or unforeseen events – not even the subtle kind. Post this incident, the narrative splits between characters persistently patronizing Maya (including the arrogant, manipulative cops hunting for Sundar), and Debu aimlessly navigating his life and education. He yearns for parental guidance and someone to acknowledge his passion for dance, a theme that is regrettably sidelined in the movie’s background. Maya’s attempts to improve Debu’s situation are consistently thwarted, both by the storyline and by the family’s broader predicaments. Tragically, the drama shares the same aimless quality as Debu’s wandering.

In this role, Bisht delivers a profoundly moving performance as Sundar, a character who yearns for liberation from his confining existence, battling inner demons he longs to express. On-screen, the camera adopts a soft stance, mirroring the delicate exploration of mental health struggles in Indian cinema. Though the camera does not delve deeply into Sundar’s personal journey or intensify the haunting aspects of his life, it still manages to shed light on how mental health issues can rob individuals of their humanity without overtly rebuilding his identity or dramatizing his daily torments. The fact that Sundar frequently appears in the film’s periphery (especially during scenes with Maya) serves to highlight his detachment from society and himself, yet it also creates a compassionate portrayal from afar, even as Bisht strives to evoke empathy.

The movie eventually reaches a captivating climax (captured in deep shadows to heighten tension), but “Shadowbox” fails to sustain its drama or infuse the screen with a sense of enigma. Although family relationships are subtly tinged with suspicion, this film lacks a strong element of suspense or dramatic potential, despite offering a remarkable acting performance.

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2025-02-16 22:17