NewsBytes Recommends: Suicide prevention film 'Not Today'—raw, honest, impactful
What's the story
The Hindi film industry boasts projects about nearly every possible subject: mature romances, teenage love, generational conflict, and spy stories, among several others.
However, full-fledged films surrounding suicide prevention are hard to come by, likely due to the stigma around it.
This is where Aditya Kripalani's Not Today comes into the picture.
Sharp, focused, sympathetic, and well-performed, it's an extremely gratifying watch.
Story
The story of 'Not Today'
The story of this taut, no-nonsense film revolves around Aliah (Rucha Inamdar), who dreams of making something out of her life.
She takes up a job at a suicide prevention center, but her first call, to Ashwin Mathur (Harsh Chhaya), shakes the ground beneath her feet.
Turns out, Mathur is a suicide prevention counselor, too, and is attempting to end his life.
#1
Doesn't waste any time, dives right into the matter
Right from the first frame, I was pulled into the film, and despite its somber and dark themes, it didn't leave me uncomfortable, upset, or melancholic.
With such stories, it's a massive challenge to balance the tone correctly in a way that the focus remains unwaveringly razor-sharp and yet the movie doesn't enter the "mournful" zone.
Not Today effortlessly excels here.
#2
The characters are well fleshed-out, the dialogues pregnant with depth
The crisp film is dialogue-heavy and focuses only on the aforementioned characters.
Aliah and Mathur never meet in-person and only connect over phone, and yet, come across as real, raw, unfiltered, and extremely believable.
As a Muslim woman, you can imagine Aliah being "othered" while Mathur, too, is marginalized because men are barred from expressing emotions.
Thus, these two connect over their shared trauma.
#3
Doesn't judge or mock its characters
Another aspect that sets the film apart is its treatment of pain.
As the two characters unpack their lives and we become privy to their pain, our hearts beat for them organically, and the film doesn't have to use the crutches of deafening background score or needless melodrama.
You can sense that the movie doesn't judge its characters, but rather, treats them with sensitivity.
#4
How one can be dangerously lonely even amid crowds
Mathur stands dangerously close to the terrace railing, teetering between life and death.
You can see firecrackers and fairy lights in the background and the metaphors hit you instantly—the hollowness and sorrow in him painfully contrast with the glimmer of his surroundings.
Mumbai's bustle then acts as a microcosm for the world: sparkles abound outside, while loneliness corrodes us from within.
Conclusion
Watch the heartfelt, gentle film on YouTube
Not Today evokes emotions without grinding the characters so mercilessly that they are rendered superficial, and the performances, writing, and honesty make it engaging.
The tension keeps simmering on the surface and toward the end, turns into a volcano as we see Mathur determinedly cling to the railing—will he, won't he?
To find out what really happens, stream the film on YouTube.