Sister Midnight
    
                        
Director: Karan Kandhari
Year:  2024
Duration: 107 minutes
Music: NA
Rating: 7.0
From the first moment, you realize you are not watching a traditional Bollywood or even Indian film when a Howlin' Wolf blues song plays on the soundtrack as the camera slowly moves down the train's aisle to come to rest on a newly married couple hidden behind beads covering their faces. In fact, there is no Indian music in the film. Instead, there is an eclectic selection from Cambodian to Iggy Pop to the Band. So even though this is set primarily in Mumbai, in Hindi and with one of Bollywood's biggest female stars, it can't be approached as you might a Bollywood film. The Indian film industry has been going through some dramatic changes the past few years with young directors taking Indian film in non-traditional directions with terrific edgy scripts and more realistic acting. The director Karan Kandhari of this his debut is a British-Indian and the financing came from England.



It is a remarkable film in many ways. An absurd comedy that gets darker and more mystical as it goes along before diving into horror and Indian mythology. It admittedly trudges at times, often repeating itself as it slowly descends into insanity and dreamlike surrealism. How much of this is a satiric parable of the emptiness of loveless arranged marriages in the modern day or a loud feminist scream is hard to judge. But the director clearly is aiming for something more than just weirdness. Much of this was shot in the Mumbai slums, but the cinematography is stunning and the setting fascinating. Even if the narrative leaves you cold or confused, it is a beautiful watch. His use of framing and colors is wonderful.



The newly wed couple are Gopal (Ashok Pathak) and Uma (Radhika Apte). Apte is one of a group of younger actresses who are willing to take roles that are very controversial and that would have been unheard of not that many years ago. This one in particular in which she is even topless in a scene. The marriage was arranged and they know nothing about each other or how to be a married couple. What do you do. Gopal is at a loss and seems uninterested in his wife or having sex. Uma is frustrated and angry, sharp of tone and foul of mouth. She knows nothing about how to care for a home or a husband. Conversations are sparse and nearly painful. A life of this would be torture.



This could easily have turned into a sweet set-up of them overcoming all this and falling in love. It doesn't. It gets horrific. And perhaps liberating for Uma. A lot of the film is imagery. Uma gets a job cleaning at night and walks home in the darkness carrying her mop and pail like a sword and shield to do battle with demons. They live in a one room hut on a street that is filled with activity of people walking, selling, chatting. I could watch that all day. Life moving by. This is not an easy film. It is challenging to stay with as the narrative gets choppy and less and less realistic. And stranger. But I am glad I did. Just don't expect dancing and love.