In 22 minutes of its playing-time, Shimmy says more about gender stereotyping than most movies do in two hours. It is a little gem sparkling with an inner glow, as it introduces us to a single father and his growing daughter played with winsome sincerity by Pratik Gandhi and Chahat Tewani.
With arresting austerity, the short-film directed by Disha Noyonika Rindani (who is clearly a talent to watch) tells us a universe of truth about the father’s determination to not allow his daughter to miss the absconding mother. Gandhi will be both father and mother to his child. He will cook for her and drive her to school and make half-joking silly comments on the boy he sees talking to his daughter in school.
Having gone through most of all this, I can vouch for the unallowed sincerity and lived-in emotions of Shimmy.
The real drama kicks in when the daughter needs to buy her first brassiere. Here is where it gets tricky for the father who is embarrassed at the prospect of being seen in the lingerie section. I remember standing on a freezing windy New York street while my daughter was inside a Victoria Secret shop, until a salesman saw me and insisted I come in.
I feel for you, Pratik Gandhi. Every moment of his hesitation and determination to overcome his embarrassment is real.
At this point, this shimmering short-film with long legs pulls out its most precious card. The lovely Bhamini Oza Gandhi appears as a Guardian Angel, a salesperson at the lingerie shop who immediately senses the problem and takes charge of the girl. By the end of the bra-shopping stint, the father is more confident, not only about dealing with his daughter’s adolescent problems, but also about his own future as a single parent who needs companionship.
Shimmy is an important work on gender stereotyping. It brought back fond memories not only from my own life but also from that wonderful short-film Arrey Baba in Marathi where another very accomplished actor Sandeep Kulkarni played a rural widower dealing with his daughter's first menstruation.
Shimmy is set in the city. But trying to live up to your child’s expectations is a universal issue. Without trivialising it, Shimmy keeps the proceedings bright and relatable. No parent should miss it.
Image Source: Instagram/pratikgandhiofficial, youtube/amazonminitv
Image Source: Instagram/pratikgandhiofficial, youtube/amazonminitv