The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) held from November 3- November 6 reviews the movie
The undying dream project of Bendang Walling (Director) and Aakum Den (Editor cum APO) under the aegis of OFF ON Production Pvt. Ltd. screened their short film with the mentors and film fellows in the recently concluded DIFF. Here is my journey with the film along with my film fellows and mentors.
Bendang Walling’s finely crafted film ‘Blissful’ is about a boy who wants to own a bicycle. The film stays clear of the usual practice of extracting the boy’s ‘cuteness’ and delves into the boy’s desire with the sincerity the subject deserves. In doing so, the film takes us through an unpredictable journey with the boy. Filmmaker Anupama Srinivasan found the film full of surprises, never falling into the predictable trap. Filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni admired the film for not sentimentalizing the subject, as some children’s films do. Bendang Walling’s clarity about the subject of his film is praise worthy. It is his first film but it does not look like a first film. ‘Blissful’ is a well rounded film which exudes great control and clarity about its subject.
‘Blissful’ as a film encompasses the idea of human desire in the most innocent way. The film’s protagonist (Adang) is driven by his desire for a bicycle so that he, too, can experience what it means to own a bicycle, like his friends do. The sheer joy that he associates with the attainment of the bicycle is much more than owning a physical commodity. It’s also about being accepted and included by his peers. Never does the film let on that Adang is sidelined for lack of owning a bicycle. In the end when he does get one, however dilapidated it might be, his friends’ reaction is what warms our hearts and steals the show.
-Mehak Jamal, a filmmaker from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
