SEAL : A Virgin Tale of Heroism (Short film review)

SEAL

Directed by : Gaurav Mehra

Cast : Saurabh Goyal, Preety Sharma, Uday Atroliya, Shehnaaz

The mainstream Akshay Kumar starers like “Toilet: Ek Prem Katha” and “Padman” are in a frantic dash to educate us about the shortcomings of the country. So is Mehra’s “Seal”, wherein we are initially introduced to chemistry between a newly married couple, eventually leading to unraveling of something that inspires the man to defeat a lifetime of patriarchal conditioning. Mehra has tried to break the long lasting stereotypical condition by allowing a single, endearing awkward scene. Unlike the path-breaking, progressive heroes, the man is a simple, bourgeois person who not taking the way of unleashing the speeches of his elders on their outdated views turns from a stifled son- a product of his patriarchal environment to a caring husband or a partner he barely knows about.

Being labelled as ‘homemaker’ in a new house is not the complete acceptance, but the acceptance starts from the very first night where she needs to pass the test. “Seal” is the story of such a newly wed couple where the husband seems infatuated by his new wife but his parents have completely different concerns. Does she pass the test? The short film attempts to call out regressive and demeaning practices that are often enforced in the name of tradition. What the husband does to make her stand out in his parents’ eyes and to save her from the toxic traditional way of testing is what makes him a hero. The director turns his parents into villains but presents a sweet innocence between the couple who possibly could write their own tale from beginning to forever themselves. How he stands for an unknown girl, certified as her wife is yet courageous and makes him the virgin hero who would not change her world but protect her world. The oft abused women’s rights and man’s support has found some cinematic validation.