Alaav film review: A piercingly honest and uncompromising portrait of caregiving

Alaav blurs the line between documentary and fiction in its depiction of the selflessness that is required in caring for an old parent.

Alaav (Hearth and Home)

Cast: Bhaveen Gossain, Savitri Gossain, Aneeta Kanwar, JiJi Bhattacharji

Director: Prabhash Chandra

Star rating: ★★★★

Alaav played at the International Film Festival of Kerala.

One of life's inevitable truths is that our parents will become old and they will pass away. It is a truth I am scared of, and do not want to think about at all. The affecting feature film Alaav, directed by Prabhash Chandra, made me sit with that reality with a lens so uncompromising and astute that I almost wanted to look away. It is a feature that blurs the line between documentary and fiction, telling the story of an old man caring for his 90-something-year-old mother all by himself. (Also read: Ebb movie review: A provocative film from Jeo Baby that takes aim at relationships and male hypocrisy)

The realities of caregiving

The action unfolds largely in the absence of it, as Chandra firmly positions long sequences of Bhaveen Gossain taking care of his mother, Savitri. He feeds her, sits beside her on the bed and eats by himself, and asks her if she remembers his name. During the day, he also takes out time to practise the sitar, faltering on some notes and then starting afresh. The film suggests that taking care is a form of sadhana in itself; it requires an unwavering sense of commitment and discipline that not everyone can face.

Alaav is a film that never tells Gossain to hurry up and get going. It never instructs him to do his job well, or in a manner which it might always come across as pleasing and self-fulfilling. Because, in the quietest and most unflinchingly honest moments, Alaav carefully watches over the detachment that this middle-aged man has to live with. He wants to take care, but he also does not know any better. It is just his responsibility, yet there is also devastation.

This is a film about the love that remains, the one that stays between parents and their children. Alaav demonstrates with utmost clarity what it truly means to take care of and be responsible for one's parents. It is a love letter to caregivers and the magnitude of heart they have to offer. You stay with Bhavain, and you feel for him, truly and deeply. Alaav ensures it is never merciless towards him, that it never exploits his story behind closed doors. It is an indelible, deeply moving film.