Rating: ★★★★

 

Note: As a non-native speaker, I do recommend turning on YouTube subtitles for this one to ensure you don’t miss any important dialogue.

Running at only 6 minutes, Pocket Mummy manages to deliver an important message quickly, whilst still engaging audiences in its narrative and characters. I liked the fact that it was only set in one location and featured three actors, because it adds to the film’s simplicity. There was no need for it to have lots of extras and scenes because I feel it would take away from the film’s overall message.

The dynamic between the two characters is very convincing and realistic. Madhoo and Parzaan Dastur are incredibly talented and bring to life this story of mother and son. Madhoo is a doting mother who is proud of her son, whilst Datsur is a working man who wants his independence yet is still very reliant on his mother’s caring nature, even if he doesn’t always realise it. Their performances make you think, and I’m sure some people will be able to see elements of themselves within the characters, for good or bad reasons.

This is the first of Nitesh Ranglani’s films that I have seen, and I am keen to see more in the future. He is a talented filmmaker who, certainly in this case, is passionate about telling a meaningful story to his audience. I can see that a lot of care went into bringing Datsur’s script together, and everyone involved has created a wonderful little film that’s a joy to watch. I’m so impressed with what they managed to achieve in only a few minutes, as they’ve just proved that a film doesn’t need to be very long to be effective. It’s also nice to see a genre that I wouldn’t normally watch, as it allows me to broaden my horizons and learn more about that type of cinema.

Pocket Mummy is one of those films that tugs at the heartstrings, and reminds you to be grateful for what you have and those that care about you. I’m not ashamed to admit that the final moments made me tear up a little!

Thank you so much to Nitesh Ranglani for getting in touch with me, and expressing an interest in Short Film Saturdays! If you would like to watch the film, I have added the link down below, as well as links to the social media profiles of the production company.

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