Review: Bukky Vanavar (The Leftovers)

Few feature film debuts have been as successful as Amal Prasi’s. Bukky Vannavar (survivor) He does.

Produced by a team of alumni of Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam, this Malayalam independent film could not originally be released in theatres but instead premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala.

Since receiving the backing of acclaimed director and college alumnus Rajeev Ravi, it has screened independently in the Ernakulam area, and is surely and steadily expanding its distribution, currently premiering in Australia as part of the online program of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023.

Hopefully, this film goes a long way as it has a poignant, brutally honest story that far surpasses its Rs 12,000 budget.

Review: Bukky Vanavar (The Leftovers)

Language: Malayalam
Duration: 88 minutes
Director: Amal Prasi
Mould: Salmanul Faris, Aneek Bose, Lajeesh Mani, Faiz Muhammad, Ansu Sabu, Rehas Muhammad, Anandhu Madhu, Mirshan Khan
Writers: Salmanul Faris with Amal Pras

rest of animals The story of a food delivery boy in Kerala struggling to keep himself afloat, an unnamed representative of India’s ‘leftover’ youth who resigns to gig-economy jobs while waiting for a posting in the public service. Sidelined for office jobs and too poor to travel abroad, he eventually gives up due to the lack of opportunities offered to underprivileged youth like him, with a quiet but heartbreaking climax.

The film, without ever descending into ‘struggle-porn’, acutely portrays the difficulties faced by underprivileged graduates, and delivers a high level of social realism that could rival the films of Ken Loach.

Despite its 88-minute duration, the film moves slowly, indulging in long observational scenes that often take place without any words. However, these scenes never overstay their welcome, conveying the monotony of the delivery boy’s life without becoming boring in themselves.

Salmanul Faris is superb in the unnamed lead role, which he co-wrote with Prasi based on his own experience as a delivery boy. Expressing silent anguish instead of loud proclamations, he delivers a restrained performance that penetrates your soul.

Rather than intimidatingly push the message, the film prefers the mundane, gradually opening your eyes to the perspectives of the young and unemployed. Faisal Razi’s music is delicate, subtly enhancing the power of Faris’ performance, and Rahim Ibn Rashid’s cinematography thoughtfully uses Roy Anderson-style static shots to establish us as viewers.

Although the team has no formal cinema training, they still succeed in strong, detailed filmmaking; an extremely wide shot in the middle of the film rest of animals A roadside billboard is shown advertising the luxurious apartment above the protagonist’s, highlighting the contrast between our protagonist’s squalor and what the rich enjoy. Another scene uses a Dutch-tilt angle and the metaphor of a broken-down bike to depict the stagnation of the delivery boy’s life.

Movies The masterstroke is a long three-shot of a university hostel room, with our protagonist sitting in the corner in wordless discomfort while his friends debate heatedly on the lack of opportunities in India. This turns into a funny but poignant shout-out as our delivery boy watches helplessly, and the debate fails to reach any resolution, a bitter reflection on the complexity of social progress.

rest of animals It is a powerful, immediate expression of the anger of young, disenfranchised Indians that has never been voiced; it is the story of a frustrated and aggrieved generation grappling with the way it has been treated, and it resonates long after the show is over.

This is simple, straightforward film making. It’s a far cry from the budgets and star-power of its contemporaries. ZvigatThis is a reminder that you don’t need to say a lot.