Short Film: She Decided Enough is Enough (India, 2015 [?])

A Wasted Life goes Bollywood — but without the song and dance. Our Short Film of the Month for November 2016 was written by Anamik Thakur, and directed by Sanjay Mathew. There was a Sanjay Mathew playing Sanjay Gandhi somewhere in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001 / trailer), but we aren't sure it its the same Sanjay Mathew.

OK, we don't know much about this short, which we stumbled upon totally by accident. On one level, it is a third or fourth cousin to I Spit on Your Grave (original: 1978 / trailer & remake: 2010 / trailer) and any number of films in which the woman has finally been pushed over the edge by the patriarchal and innately misogynistic nature of many a society — including ours. Yep, you don't have to be an angry white man to feel yourself losing to those you see as inferior (when, in fact, it's you who are inferior). Lot's of men everywhere feel like the US American angry white man (in short: loser) — in India, too. But watch out, loser, if you push those better than you too far, one day they might bite back. (We wish.)

The blog Travel is among the few who have seen this Hindu short film, and as they say: "She Decided Enough Is Enough is blaring and stares right in your face. It has no subtle scenes or sugar coated dialogues. It questions 'Why don't women speak up at the right moment?' They don't because they are fearful of the circumstances. They are scared that if they speak, it would create havoc in their life and that of the people around them. So they shut up and endure all the humiliation. But, this story is about Tanu (Manisha Kelkar), who dares to speak. What then are the consequences? Hell breaks over. [...] This is a story about a woman who is fiercely independent and stands up against the tyranny of men who think women are nothing but sex toys, and are to be used to get ahead in life. There are men who don’t like successful women and would do anything to pull them down, insult them and assault them. Tanu raises her voice but, what does she get in return? Nothing. She loses everything. This is how our society is, it never favours women."

Subtle, the movie is not — nor, for that matter, is it really all that bloody — but it is angry and wants to be heard. (That sure won't happen. To paraphrase Mark Twain, history might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme a lot) And in the end, as virtually all countries share the flaw that only women can lose their honor and not men, the anger is justified.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, history might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme a lot.