Bobby Beauty Parlour
Director: Shashwat Dwivedi
Cast: Adrija Sinha, Parul Rana, Preeti Kochar, and Saksham Raj
Rating: ★★★★
Truman Capote famously described short stories as "the most difficult and disciplining form of prose writing”. I think the argument is valid because, unlike in a novel, in a short story, the writer has but a few pages to introduce the premise, hook readers, build the world, and deliver a conclusion (if any). It is a far more challenging thing to do in 20 pages than in 400. For the same reason, short films have also intrigued me far more than features. If a story can make me feel the right emotion in under half an hour, it’s a job well done. Bobby Beauty Parlour passes that test beautifully. Shashwat Dwivedi’s bittersweet ode to small-town aspirations and friendships is poignant, relatable, nostalgic, and tragic, all in the space of 20 minutes. But most importantly, it is a timely reminder of what cinema can do when left unchained.
The premise
Set in the eponymous Bobby beauty parlour in Noida, the film is the story of two teenage friends. As Manu (Parul Rana) prepares to leave the city for her engineering studies, Eelu (Adrija Sinha) is heartbroken. She is torn between being happy for her friend and feeling left alone in a city she does not want to be in. As someone who grew up not far from where the film is set, Eelu’s dread of remaining stranded in her hometown is all too real. But of course, one does not need to be born or raised in any particular part of India to relate to this. In a country that treats ‘getting out’ of your hometown as an achievement (going into the socio-economic reasons behind that would need a whole other article), not doing so can be deemed a failure, too. Bobby Beauty Parlour is a sweet, 20-minute glimpse into this final day of revelry between two friends whose friendship will probably never be the same again.
What works
The film is anchored by director Shashwat Dwivedi’s ability to ground the film in reality and keep it ticking. The emotions are real, the dialogue is very natural, and the narrative flows easily. The film keeps you engaged and makes you feel as if you have watched a well-rounded story, the ultimate achievement for a short. The performances of the two young actors is commendable too. You see past them and into the characters they play. Their ability to tap into the audience’s mind and make the characters relatable and likeable in such a short span is commendable.
{{/usCountry}}The film is anchored by director Shashwat Dwivedi’s ability to ground the film in reality and keep it ticking. The emotions are real, the dialogue is very natural, and the narrative flows easily. The film keeps you engaged and makes you feel as if you have watched a well-rounded story, the ultimate achievement for a short. The performances of the two young actors is commendable too. You see past them and into the characters they play. Their ability to tap into the audience’s mind and make the characters relatable and likeable in such a short span is commendable.
{{/usCountry}}A shoutout to Janhavi Asthana, the film’s resident all-rounder. She is listed in the credits as producer, DOP, writer, and makeup artist. Apologies if I missed a credit or two. But it is clear that her creative imprint on this film is significant. For the cinematography alone, she deserves applause. By keeping the shots tight and focused on the two protagonists, she invites you into their world. The film also has a more real-world, cinematic feel that even major studio features today lack. For a change, a film feels like one, and not like an Instagram Reel.
The verdict
How many friends have you lost in the last 20 years? Friends who were more than family. Friends who swore to be with you forever. Friends who knew you inside out. Friends, without whom you could never imagine a life. And none of those ‘estrangements’ was dramatic. Life just caused them to drift away. In 20 minutes, Bobby Beauty Parlour will remind you of them all, the times you spent together, the fun you had, but also the longing you feel for them even after all these years. It will also remind you of that house you grew up in or the city you once called home, the one you couldn’t wait to ‘escape’ and now look back at with nostalgia. This film is adolescence in a bottle. And like adolescence, it is bittersweet, swinging from carefree happiness to shrill argument in a matter of minutes. But most importantly, this short, sweet film is an example of how simple storytelling can still make you feel.
Presented by Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap, Bobby Beauty Parlour is streaming on YouTube.
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