Vastutaa Short Film 2016

It's easier to stay at bottom, it requires no effort. It's hard to get the number one spot but to retain it is much harder. The thing about the place in the middle between the two is that it is reassuring. It makes you believe you are above the rest while you are doing just fine. It forbids you from improving and going places. Mediocrity is Narcotic. The line that tagged my along with my mind when I watched the teaser of the film Vastutaa.

The murky relationship between mediocrity and monotony channels to lack of ebullience. The zest to learn, experience and grow fades away. This is the lower state of consciousness where the person is drained of love, care and understanding. Vastutaa outlines the dark obscure place which makes a person vulnerable to different implicit outcomes. The confrontation of the self doesn't come easy. It goes through different levels of pain. Our perception of pain is highly unpleasant. Interestingly, the pain has it's own noble joy, it paves way for realisation. It strengthens our endurance and invokes our senses out of the uniformity. Pain and suffering is the part of the process. It is the natural course of reinforcing our existence as stated in Evolution and expanding consciousness.

Vastutaa is an independent, short film composed in black and white by Minds Of Moon. The word Vastutaa (वस्तुता) comes from Sanskrit that translates to "reality." The film is based around a dark theme of monotony that constricts the reasoning and expression of the person who fails to come to terms to the state of his presence. It uses the background score of an old song "Tora man darpan kehlaye" from the Hindi movie "Kajaal" of 1965 sung by Asha Bhosle. The song corroborates beautifully to the theme of Vastutaa by giving a poetic touch to the scenario being played out. The film subtly touches darker parts of psychosis with the repetitive imagery of the reflection the main character comes across.

The film showcases a dark and dingy place that matches the background of the film. It sets off with a mundane outlook and goes onto deeper levels of monotony. The window oddly represents a source of respite from the self. The realisations get stronger by the minute, making it difficult for the character to withhold quietude. The resistance turns into restlessness. The character goes through a tantalizing experience which tears him down. Having his back against the wall, the portrayal of internal struggle comes to a breaking point when there's an introduction of medication. When the person loses control of his senses, he is drawn to his impulses. The hallucinogenic substance which aims to bring a soothing effect from the traumatising situation makes the situation tense. Much to the help of getting rid of the reflection, the drug wears out sooner than the dawn of revelation. Liberation comes with lessons. The plot meticulously plays around the dark theme, It has a good cinematic effect and the B&W layout gives more to expression to the script. Good as it gets, Vastutaa makes for a well rounded short film.