Synopsis
Levish is story of a teenage girl, Babli who lives in a remote village. She has one wish – to own a pair of jeans. Granted that the wish may look very easy to many of us; to Babli, owning one is almost a fairy-tale given her situation. While this short film talks of poverty, betrayals, superstition and dual standards of the society towards women, Levish also has underlying sweetness of brotherly love and care.
What works
Levish is a charm. It has many strengths and hardly any weaknesses.
First of all, the actors have performed exceedingly well in Levish. Audience may actually hate the male characters for their duality. And the same audience may root for the protagonist.
However, even the best of the performances cannot hold a short film on its own. And here the music and cinematography extend their able support. The genuineness of music and scenic beauty captured by cinematography are further complemented by the raw and simple village ambience in Levish.
Last, but the strongest pillar in Levish‘s foundation is its story. The short film easily has one of the best stories I have watched lately in an Indian short film.
What could have been better
In our opinion, the scenes involving Babli’s father could have been done better. But then there is nothing obnoxiously wrong with them. It is just that Levish otherwise is so well-done that these few scenes seem incongruous in acting or editing.
Verdict
A must watch! Watch Levish for a gripping story, touching end, good performances, beautiful cinematography and fitting music!
AglaPlay Verdict: A must watch AglaPlay Rating: 4.5/5 Language: Hindi Duration: ~20 minutes Writer-Director: Manas Nanda Cast: Aarohi Shyam Choudhury (Babli), Shreyan Ganguly (Chhotu), Arun Dutta (Uncle), Nandini Banerjee (Mother), Dhiman Chakravarty (Father) & Others