By Neeta Vallab
Our resident 'Zulu Gujju', Neeta Vallab reviews a film that unveils the 'muddled, unfortunate history' of this rarely talked about diaspora.

For all the ambition of this painstakingly detailed period drama, The World Unseen fails to satisfy in its exploration of the relationship between two women during the apartheid 1950s in South Africa. This is writer/director Shamim Sarif’s theatrical debut, an inspired, but rambling adaptation of her acclaimed novel.

The film’s central theme focuses on the unexpected attraction between Amina (Sheetal Sheth), a free spirited young café owner and Miriam (Lisa Ray), a subservient wife and mother. Their world is stifling and oppressive. White policemen taunt the non-whites. Omar (Parvin Dabas), Miriams’ philandering husband, does not miss an opportunity to put Miriam in her place. And while trouser clad Amina manages overcome some of the rigid expectations of the time by owning a cafe with Jacob a “mixed race” man, we learn that Jacob’s cautious pursuit of Madeline, a white woman will hardly be realized. These subplots, while ripe for development within a novel, detract from the central relationship

In the midst of this bleak canvas of social repression, the relationship between the two women barely breaks through. Their first kiss comes clumsily during a driving lesson. Their subsequent interactions sputter along. Sheethal brings an ease and comfort to the role, but there are too few scenes where the two women interact meaningfully. The longing, anticipation, ache cycle of forbidden love barely plays out. Lisa Ray gives a gem of a performance, making Miriam, with all her struggles and triumphs a character with a full arc of development. It is no easy feat, given the sparse character development of Amina and the two dimensional portrayal of Omar.

Still, there is something here for those interested in the South African Indian experience, and it’s muddled, unfortunate history of repression through race, gender, class, and sexual orientation. The communities here rarely make their way to the big screen, and if nothing else, the movie serves to acknowledge those experiences.

Images Courtesy: 'The World Unseen'