NewsBytes Recommends: 'My Mother's Girlfriend'—tender exploration of homosexual love
Arun Fulara's My Mother's Girlfriend, which premiered in 2021, is a 15-minute-long short that tenderly and effectively explores the dynamics of LGBTQ+ love amid the backdrop of India's evolving yet largely conservative society. The film has only three characters but harnesses their talents in a way that the narrative stays in your mind much after the concluding scene. It's streaming on Mubi.
This is what happens in the film
The film begins with Mangesh, a middle-aged Marathi man who makes a living by driving a cab. However, his seemingly normal life upends when he spots his mother with another woman (that too from a different religion), and he finds it absurd and shocking to see the comfort and solace they find in each other. He quickly confronts her; what will be her response?
The metaphors begin from the first scene
The first character we meet, interestingly, is not the central couple, but Mangesh, and the opening shot of his car zooms at a toy with a heart painted on it. A man drawn to such a figurine must fathom love, wouldn't he? Alas, societal and "moral" restrictions pull him down, and even if he wishes, he can't wrap his head around homosexuality.
The breezy, comfortable relationship is worth watching
The relationship between Sadiya and Renuka (Mangesh's mother) is explored patiently and tenderly; not only is Renuka in love with her, she also looks out for her financially. When you meet them, you don't need a well-stretched-out backstory; somehow, you immediately get a sense that you know them already and can picture what they must have been like before the camera began rolling.
Does not judge its characters
Though the film features a high-volatile war of wards between Renuka and Mangesh, it does not necessarily try to paint Mangesh in a negative light. The short does not judge him or allow us to make any pre-conceived notions about him, and understands that Mangesh is not an "evil" person, but a product of his circumstances, a result of his hetereonormative environment.
A fresh, seldom explored narrative
The film's premise, just like its title, is fresh and unique. More often than not, same-sex love stories focus on college-goers or on adolescents who are just discovering themselves. However, in My Mother's Girlfriend, Fulara asks us to think about people in their middle-age, the ones who had never had the "permission" to love someone they really wanted. Desires shouldn't be bound by age.
No easy solutions in films, or in life
Another appealing aspect about the short is how it does not show the miraculous transformation of Mangesh. By the time the curtains are drawn, we can sense that he is pondering over his mother's relationship with Sadiya and will give it deep thought, but hasn't magically changed overnight. Naturally, in real life, nobody changes after just one conversation and the film mirrors it.
Stream it on Mubi soon
My Mother's Girlfriend is succint and yet is able to tell a complete story in its brief runtime. Devoid of any artificiality, it flies high due to the acting prowess of its ensemble, especially Sushama Deshpande, who you warm upto within minutes. With the Pride Month knocking on our doors next month, no better time than now to put it on your watchlist.
