Happy Birthday Mummyji is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language drama short film written and directed by Shefali Shah, who stars as the single character in the film, and produced by Sunshine Pictures.
| Happy Birthday Mummyji | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Shefali Shah |
| Written by | Shefali Shah |
| Produced by | Lalit Prem Sharma |
| Starring | Shefali Shah |
| Cinematography | Eeshit Narain |
| Edited by | Antara Lahiri |
| Music by | Prasad S. |
| Distributed by | Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 14 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Plot
editThe story of a woman who is recognised by her relationships with other people, preparing a birthday party.
Production
editIn 2020, Shah decided to experiment with writing and directing in two self-starring COVID-19-based short films, Someday and Happy Birthday Mummyji.[1][2] In Someday, which marked her directorial debut, she played a frontline healthcare worker who returns home for a seven-day quarantine due to the pandemic and spends time interacting through a door with her elderly mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease.[3] Shah wrote the script of Happy Birthday Mummy Ji drawing upon her own life experiences and believed her central character in it "represents all the women you know".[2]
Themes
editA single-character film,[4] the film addresses themes of loneliness, female desire. Shah said about the film: "I believe it is a story from my life, my friends, my mom's. It is perhaps the need to tell that we have reached a point of desperation and would just like to let go."[5]
Release
editThe film was released on 23 July 2021 by Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.[5]
Reception
editCritical response
editThe film opened to positive reviews and attracted some notice for a masturbation scene played by Shah.[6][7][8]
References
edit- ^ Shah, Shefali (17 December 2020). "Everything I consumed on screen as an escape from 2020 helped me evolve into a filmmaker, writes Shefali Shah". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 21 March 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ a b Cyril, Grace (23 July 2021). "Shefali Shah says Happy Birthday Mummy Ji is inspired by her own life. Interview". India Today. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ "Wasn't sure if I had it in me to direct a film: Shefali Shah on 'Someday'". The New Indian Express. 21 June 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
- ^ Majumdar, Mayukh (21 September 2021). "We can pretend that women don't have sexual needs but they do - Shefali Shah". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
- ^ a b Daliya, Ragini (23 July 2021). "Shefali Shah on her short film Happy Birthday Mummyji, turning director, and the plight of hands-on homemakers". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
- ^ Roy, Priyanka (1 August 2021). "'This is what I've dreamt of'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ "'Someone asked me if I committed suicide': Shefali Shah on 'masturbation' scene in 'Happy Birthday Mummy Ji'". Free Press Journal. 21 September 2021. Archived from the original on 24 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Parasuraman, Prathyush (23 July 2021). "Happy Birthday Mummy Ji Review: Shefali Shah's Directorial Debut Is Luxe Footage Papering Over A Thin, Barely Fleshed Idea". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2023.