By Sushma Shandilya
‘Goldfish’, directed by Pushan Kriplani, is a realistic film set in England. The story is about a mother who has a strained relationship with her daughter, suffering from the early stages of dementia. The mother ‘Sadhana Tripathi’ is portrayed by the outstanding, versatile, veteran actor Deepti Naval, a synonym of unparalleled talent. Deepti Naval’s extraordinary, touching, superb performance has succeeded in taking the film to a higher level of cinematic excellence. The complex role of Deepti Naval’s daughter ‘Anamika Fields’ has been brilliantly portrayed by the extremely talented Kalki Koechlin.
Kalki has brought her character to life through sad expressive eyes and impressive body language. Deepti Naval and Kalki’s heart-touching performances leave an indelible mark on the hearts and minds of the audience. The mother is slowly forgetting everything but the daughter is unable to forget anything. Despite such a complex relationship, the harmony of the mother-daughter bonding is clearly visible in difficult times. However, Anamika’s conversations with her father and lover behind a dark screen are seemingly incoherent.

Sadhana has been a classical singer. Sometimes she is fascinated by memories of the past but sometimes she blames motherhood for ruining her singing career. Music composer Tapas Relia has beautifully portrayed the emotional relationship of mother-daughter. Ustad Rashid Khan and Pratibha Singh Baghel’s mellifluous renditions and the melodious tunes of tabla-sarangi drenched in classical tunes resonate with Sadhna’s loneliness.
As the story unfolds the film also beautifully portrays the importance of having good neighbours, who care for each-other lovingly like family members.
Pushan Kriplani, through his directorial skills has extracted brilliant performances from all the actors. Pushan has made them swim against the current and both the female leads have put all their energy to live up to his expectations. Pushan Kriplani and Arghya Lahiri’s screenplay has skillfully portrayed a universal problem like dementia. ‘Goldfish’ is a timeless masterpiece, presenting a serious subject with sensitivity. Pushan deserves praise for converting emotional scenes into a visual treat with ease.
The complex fabric of love, gain and loss, hope and despair have been woven together in the story. The slow pace of the film brings out the story naturally. ‘Goldfish’ bridges the cultural divide, connecting people on a deeper level. The depiction of human feelings resonating in the minds of the audience is proof of emotional connection with the film. ‘Goldfish’ is a beautiful example of how a good story, impeccable direction and superb acting have the ability to touch the audiences’ hearts. After watching the film, (especially) young viewers should ask themselves, ‘If knowingly or unknowingly, parents misbehaved with their kids in their childhood, should children behave the same way with their parents in their old age?’
There is a myth that a goldfish has a 3-second memory, but in reality, it is said to remember things for many days. The symbolic name of the film is a reflection of Pushan Kriplani’s intelligence.
This emotional film is capable of stirring hearts and affecting the conscience. Viewers understanding the magical effect of meaningful, elegant cinema should definitely watch ‘Goldfish’.
Contributing Author: Sushma ‘Shandilya’ is a well-known Hindi poet and writer based in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. Her short stories, articles and plays have been published in leading Indian publications. Sushma ‘Shandilya’ writes on various contemporary issues including themes around women empowerment. She is also a yoga teacher.
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