The Unaccused
Introduction
Most of us may have enjoyed onscreen intimacy between co-actors at some point but have you ever thought about what the actors may have to undergo? It is a common norm to think that even the co-actors are ‘enjoying’ but you are never really in the moment while shooting such scenes. It is tough particularly with people around in close proximity, and hence challenging in many ways too. I remember asking an actor(who is a dear friend, no not from this short) about the same and he had emphasized on how important the role of an intimacy coordinator is in making actors comfortable with their own bodies and their co-actors who are in their closest proximity. So eventually intimacy is just an extension of how you would perform a dance move(choreographed in steps). Yet, my take is that a lot also depends on the director, so no matter what your contract says about intimacy, it can be violated if you aren’t careful(and there have been many such incidents in industries abroad too). So where do you draw the line? In regard to this sentiment, I happened to watch a short Hindi film The Unaccused that compelled me to write on this aspect of filmmaking which is glorified but less talked about from the point of view of the actors. So then does The Unaccused manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Without quite getting into the core story here, The Unaccused touches upon the concept of onscreen intimacy with two co-actors while highlighting their inner turmoils along the way. The story here is powerful and definitely gives you a different perspective on the hush hush topic of intimacy which is shown onscreen. The screenplay standing at 20 odd minutes are absorbing and almost unfold like a thriller of sorts wherein you are exposed to the inner turmoils of two co-stars with a little bit of a past that they share, while having to shoot an intimate scene and behave like ‘professionals’. The drama is absorbing and hard-hitting in many ways barring the slightly over-indulgent end which I felt the writers going a little overboard with the messaging(which was relevant but felt slightly out of place).
The drama does begin with the introduction of two individuals confined to a room and sharing an intimate conversation while one of them.is about to leave. The writers hold the ‘reel’ aspect of the drama long enough to hoodwink you at the very beginning, and only after a while do you realise that this is actually a scene of a film that requires the duo to be intimate with each other. To give them company is their director, who wishes the co-actors to add more ‘intensity’ in the scene with respect to the supposed love-making, something that adds a whole new dimension to the topic of onscreen intimacy in the context of the short.
The proceedings are engrossing particularly when you get acquainted with the two protagonists and get a little glimpse of their psyche and the relationship that they share with each other. And this includes a touch on their past as well which adds to the complexity of the drama. The entire sequence of events are realistically shot where you would find yourself being a fly on the wall, almost eves dropping on conversations that transpire on the set before a shot. This, without losing focus of the core issue at hand, of pushing the actors to perform a scene irrespective of their current mindset and showing zero empathy towards their personal space.
I was, though a little bit on the fence when it came to its ending particularly because the angle presented was an offshoot of the core sentiment here(and I would have rated the drama even higher if not for the end). If that is what needed to be presented, there should have been traces of the same along the way(like quick flashes with respect to a character) that would have solidified its ending. This is not to say that the ending was bad, it still did hold relevance but it just felt slightly out of place for me. But overall, the screenplay is brilliantly penned and well worth watching and pondering on!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and the lines give a lot of information on the two protagonists so being a little attentive would help you reap awards. The BGM mostly relies on natural sounds that adds to the rawness in the drama and helps keep the drama real. The cinematography helps keep the drama intimate between two individuals especially when the conversations flow between them, while keeping you at a distance on every other occasion in the lead up to the ‘scene'(featuring multiple takes). The editing is crisp and sharp here. Director Puneet Rakheja does a wonderful job in tackling a relevant and less talked about subject with a lot of sensitivity. He does create a perfect setup for the drama by keeping it grounded in reality while allowing his actors to flourish in the setup. The direction was excellent here.
Performances
The performances are excellent here. Saurav Khanna as Rob represents a director who wants to achieve a perfect shot while also pressurising his actors in a certain direction. A part of you also says that it might be for his own ‘enjoyment’ and it is this grey area that Saurav handles wonderfully well. He keeps things real in a wonderful act. Shadab Kamal as Kabir is wonderfully restrained and showcases his vulnerabilities really well while constantly having to fight a battle with himself. I think he was quite brilliant here. Anuritta Jha as Lata is excellent here in every sense of the word. Representing a character who is mutually forced into performing the ‘scene’ in a certain way, there is a constant source of tension being showcased through her expressions while having to deal with her co-actor with whom she may have had a past, to eventually surrendering to her fate – all of these were such complex emotions and extremely well portrayed by Anuritta.
Conclusion
The Unaccused is a powerful little short film on onscreen intimacy and boasting of great performances that makes for a wonderfully poignant watch. Available on Youtube and Highly Recommended!
