Sharmila Biswas makes three powerful short films

Odissi exponent’s films combine dance and music with a strong narrative

As part of Sangeet Natak Akademi’s ‘Antarang’ digital series, Sharmila Biswas premièred three poignant stories, ‘Departure… moving on,’ ‘Upeksha… disregard’ and ‘Apeksha’. “They were compositions to explore disunion,” said Sharmila. They are not films on Odissi, but dramatised stories with mime, abhinaya, music and monologue, and essentially solos featuring Sharmila. Her presence is stark, dressed in plain, unstarched cotton saris, and most often unadorned. She is not a glamorous dancer, choosing instead to remain subservient to the dark emotions in the air. Understated, absorbing and artistic, the films take you over 45 minutes into diverse worlds, populated by women with different aspirations. The context is set early through a narrative, which is either a running introductory text, or a monologue by Sharmila, done quietly, without distracting from the portrayals. Silence is used as a tool that becomes powerful.