‘Shades of (Baby) Pink’ movie review: A heartwarming take on love and longing

Telugu short film ‘Shades of (Baby) Pink’ by director Neelima Gudavalli explores family ties, separation and longing through the lens of emotional intelligence

Shades of (Baby) Pink, a 32-minute Telugu film streaming on ETV Win, is at once personal and universal in how it portrays the theme of love and longing between parents and children across generations. Written and directed by Neelima Gudavalli, a data scientist, it takes a measured approach in depicting emotional complexities, without being too melodramatic. The film also accords all its principal characters equal respect and never judges them by career choices that necessitate long-distance family ties. As it is, several young parents grapple with enough guilt about the choices they make.

The story is simple. A couple (Krishna Manjusha and Suchith) working in the United States are on a short visit to India and when they leave, it is not easy for their five-year-old son who is in the doting care of his grandparents. The child shares an easy relationship with the grandparents, but can they fill the void left by the mother? Top angle shots (cinematographer Nimish Ravi) of a child asleep between his grandparents, only to wake up at night and make his way to his parents’ room, establish the bond and the child’s bond with his parents.

Later in the film, a world map is used as a tool to explain the distances that separate the boy from his parents. When the child processes the information in his own way to bridge the gap, his emotional intelligence comes into play. Child actor Yashvasin Madala brings in the warm fuzziness and vulnerability required for his part. Srinivas Bogireddy and Jayalalitha as the grandparents are adequate in their empathetic portrayals. A scene featuring Krishna Manjusha on a video call shows how she quietly, eyes brimming with tears, understands the child’s plight. The film also makes a subtle comment on how the elderly yearn for their family.

Shades of (Baby) Pink has won awards at a handful of national and international film festivals, notably Best Drama and Best Debut Director in the Cannes Shorts section (2021), a special mention at the 12th Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival 2022, and Best Child Actor at the 10th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival, among others. The film was also screened at BISFF (Bengaluru International Short Film Festival) and Chicago International Indie Film Festival.