Movies that are raw and real tend to strike a chord with you on one level or another. Kajol’s Tribhanga is one such film. It’s unafraid to get messy as it deep dives into our imperfection as human beings and the consequences of the choices we make in our lifetime. The film opens up with Nayantara aka Nayan Apte (Tanvi Azmi) who is a prolific writer and a woman who was ahead of her time talking to a journalist who is documenting her life and her relationships in her autobiography. Through various flashbacks, we see how her passion for writing was all-consuming to the point where she made choices that completely altered her life as well that that of her children. Her daughter Anu (Kajol) is now a successful actress, who is tough on the outside and filled with rage that stems from the bitterness she has towards her mom. We then meet Anu’s daughter Masha (Mithila Palkar) who is nothing like her Aai (mom) or Aaji (grandmom) who are both rebellious and audacious women. Masha seems to have it all figured out and seemingly lives a happy life until a life-altering event causes the women to unravel their true emotions and relive the moments of their lives that shaped them into who they are today.
Simple but deep
The storyline may seem deceptively simple on the outside but it’s the layering of express and unsaid emotions, the fears, and the pain that brings to light the lives of three women and how their choices have affected one and another to the point of making life-altering decisions. As humans, our experiences and choices others make affect us in unexplainable ways both in good and bad ways.
Unapologetically messy and bold
One of the great parts of Tribhanga is the treatment of the characters. Director Renuka Shahane doesn’t try to sugarcoat our imperfections. It shows how Nayan was unapologetic about her desire to write, about wanting her freedom to be unconventional, she didn’t want society to box her in. Anu is similar in a sense. She is bold and doesn’t care what other people think of her. All she wants to do is be there for her daughter in the way her mother wasn’t there for her.
Script + acting went hand-in-hand
The extremely well-written storyline needed story performances to bring it to life as it’s not a film that filled with suspense or action. Tanvi Azmi, Kajol, and the rest of the cast do exactly that. They brilliantly bring the story to life and you are reeled into the film from the get-go. Tanvi Azmi is particularly brilliant and she plays her imperfect character with perfection.
WATCH OR NOT: Tribhanga is a really good watch. It’s a deep and serious film so if you’re looking for something fun then maybe come back to this film later. However, it real, honest, and crazy – that’s the beauty of it.
