Tribhanga: Skip it or stream it? Or … watch it for Kajol?
Despite Kajol’s overacting and a feeble attempt to justify three quarters of the script and the main point in the story, Tribhanga will still leave an impression on you.
If you are a mother watching it, you will be scared and find yourself tracing back time to see if you made any mistakes, or if you ignored something that was right before you. If you are a daughter, who might hold grudges against your mother, you might find yourself looking at everything from a different perspective.
Problematic areas
The problem with White Tiger and Tribhanga is the same. The trailer raised expectations, making you anticipate a story with major twists and turns or drama. However, this is not the case with both films. The film unfolds at a leisurely pace, introducing us to a few unforeseen events that reveal the secrets in the plot, but we never really hit that promised point of climax.
I have to give credit to the makers that the story keeps you hooked, wanting to discover a backstory that would truly pique your interest, hoping that your curiosity will be satisfied with a momentous plot reveal. This promise, that feeds on your curiosity, is also a curse on the eventual (success?) of the film, because you’re expecting chocolate when all you get is a whiff, and not a satisfying bite of the real thing, nothing you could sink your teeth into, really! In the end, you are sitting there, contemplating; is that how everything is solved – Irritating much?
Kajol’s overacting is another disappointment in the film. She is such a fine, talented actress and you are (thankfully), treated to those glimpses at scattered places in the movie. But in order to portray Anu, a character who is bold, bitter, unabashed and empowered, the fine line between being outright bold and being plain irritating and a downright nuisance, was blurred too often. Also, the perpetual use of bad language and the F* word was not really needed.
Spoiler alert here…
The entire journey of the viewer turned a bit fruitless and in fact undermined the heart of the story when Anu (Kajol) got a wakeup call from own daughter, complaining to her how she (Anu) was responsible for not letting her child lead a normal life.
Some of those complaints were justified to an extent. But complaining of being an illegitimate yet privileged child whose mother probably sacrificed a lot to protect her, does not compare to being sexually molested by your stepfather and your mother not recognizing it despite your suicide attempt and your outward behavior, are in no way equivalent.
Give it a try
Now, why should you watch it?
It is a family drama. The story with its themes of sexual abuse, single motherhood, strong women and relationships has an old familiarity to it. But there’s a something new as well, probably because of how the subjects have been treated in the script, and how the character of the mother has been portrayed.
Nayan jee, who is responsible for whatever has happened in her children’s lives, is surprisingly, not overwhelmed by guilt. It has not stopped her from pursuing her own dreams and getting on with life.
still from Trinhanga (source: Netflix)
If you want to watch an emotional family drama with some thought-provoking themes, and have run out of all other options, it’s not bad for a one time watch.
I do suggest watching this one with your daughter, mother or sisters… it will make you stop and think about your closest relationships and your responsibility towards those who matter in your life
