Shimmy is a short film written and directed by Disha Noyonika Rindani, brought to you by Amazon miniTV and Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment and starring Pratik Gandhi and Chahat Tewani. The short is 23-minutes long.
– Shimmy review does not contain spoilers –
Shimmy starts with just that – shimmying. As the kids in a school shimmy out some dance moves taught by their teacher, Raima is unable to participate. It seems like she’s uncomfortable about something but when we get to know what it is in a few minutes, your heart melts for the girl. However, what melts your heart more is Raima’s father, Amol, and the fact that there are still good people in this world.
Clocking in at 23 minutes, Shimmy is a little slice-of-life short that is simple yet so full of meaning that it transported me back to my childhood. It’s a problem every woman faces – well, not exactly a problem per se, but the first time is always super awkward. However, Raima isn’t just some girl. Regardless of her awkwardness, the 11-year-old faces the difficulties that come with her age with grace and surprising maturity.
She, however, isn’t the only person worth giving a damn about in Shimmy. Amol, too, is a real winner. Sure, he’s a little awkward and trying to figure out life as it comes his way, but he is willing to learn and grow along with his daughter. It’s shocking to fathers when their little girls grow up, it’s an adjustment for sure. But Amol, too, faces the challenges with a little awkwardness but surprising grace.
What touched me in Shimmy was the fact that the short is presented in such a simple and no-nonsense manner. Raima and her father’s problems are not screamed from the rooftops. Rather, it’s evident in their everyday life and how they face the challenges that come to them. Although we only follow them throughout the course of a day, yet a lot is made clear in such a short runtime. You relate to both these characters in such heartwarming ways.
As I said, the movie is a quick watch but one that will stay with you because of how real it is. There is no drama or shimmery sets. It’s just life every day. Whether it be Raima’s messy room or Amol making milk for his daughter after school – we have all literally been through this in our childhood.
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Another thing of note is how wonderfully mature Raima is. Although she is so young, she is always trying to keep her father’s feelings in mind. If there’s something that will hurt her father, she is not doing it. And same goes for Amol. We love an understanding, mature and open-minded family! Although it’s a rather hard day for the duo and more might just follow, the last scene makes it clear that they’ll be able to overcome these obstacles together.
This is a short movie; thus, I will keep the Shimmy review short as well. Pratik Gandhi, whom we last saw in Scam 1992, stars with co-star Chahat Tewani to melt our hearts with a story as real and important as this one. One might think of the topic as no big deal, but as a woman let me tell you that it is. Both leads are fantastic, and Chahat, especially, shines in her role of the scared, confused but fierce Raima. She’s the star here.
Summing up: Shimmy
The title of the short, Shimmy, is rather confusing at first. But when you get to know why it is named as such, it makes so much sense! Actually, I think it’s the perfect subtle nod to our protagonist’s problem that no one will probably be able to guess. Shimmy will definitely touch your heart, and at 23 minutes, it’s a must-watch.
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