Sir

Ratna works as a maid in a flat in Mumbai. She came from a village; she was widowed young and her family expects her to return. She has a plan of her own: she is learning tailoring and wants to be a fashion designer. Ashwin, whose flat it is, called off his wedding and lives alone. The two are in the same home, in different rooms. They begin to talk. Something forms between them and both know it is not possible; the matter is not feeling but class. Rohena Gera writes and directs. Tillotama Shome plays Ratna and Vivek Gomber plays Ashwin. The film was shown in Critics' Week at Cannes and won an award there. What is most striking is the detail of the domestic order; who sits where, which glass is used and how the doors close are shown directly. The matter it treats is not romance but the relation of service itself; the narrative never carries the two onto equal ground. Ratna is not built as a victim; she has her own aim and makes her own decisions. The narrative criticises Ashwin as well; the man's good intentions do not change the arrangement. The ending is contested; the narrative opens a door and gives no answer. Who it is for: viewers who like Indian independent cinema and drama built on class. Who it is not for: the pace is slow, little happens, and the ending is uncertain.