From an aerial perspective, we observe three men swimming the length of the mighty Brahmaputra. As they reach the bank, they put on their clothes and continue with their daily routine. This becomes a metaphor for the various characters in debutant Shrutismriti Changkakoti‘s Before Spring, an Assamese film, where individuals have to face their own vulnerabilities and find the strength to move forward. Premiered at the recently held Jio MAMI film festival in Mumbai, the film builds a narrative through delicate moments and explores the wonder of the ordinary. Before Spring film review
In a simple and unspectacular way, the universe that the filmmaker creates allows us to traverse it with its peaceful pace, the gentleness and benevolence of its characters, their care for each other, and their interest in the world they are living in. The film captures the essence of human connection and the power of affinity, reminding us of the importance of adapting to change in our daily lives. Through its subtle storytelling, it appreciates the beauty in the small moments that make up our existence. As the young and elderly people negotiate with their lives, the atmosphere and feel of the story are conveyed through their arrestingly quiet, restrained manner.
The story of the film is set in a small town that is connected to the city by a river, where we come across men and women of various age groups who lead different lives, each of them fighting their own battles. Dulu (Himbarsha Das), a schoolgirl from an affluent family, is casually dating Jun (Abhijit Roy), a poor boy from another school who has failed twice in his class. Majoni (Upasana Priyam), a young girl preparing for her board exams, develops an affection for her tuition teacher, Pradeep (Monuj Borkotoky), despite the significant age gap. This is causing her to be distracted from her studies and making it difficult for her to focus. A married woman (Kanki Bordoloi) goes to the city to work in a small organization in Guwahati and supports her family because her husband, Monikanta, is not able to financially contribute to the family, and so there is tension between both of them. Their daughter Rekha's (Ranjita Boruah) peace of mind is affected by the chaos at home, and so her boyfriend becomes a source of comfort for her. Situations take drastic turns, and coming over those stumbling blocks does not seem easy. When Pradeep stopped coming for the tuition classes, Majoni set out to discover the reason, only to be shattered by the harness of reality. As Dulu stops meeting Jun after he has failed his exam, the young boy realizes that their bond is not as strong as he thought. Monikanta discovers that his wife is happy in the company of another man, and he becomes concerned about the future of his daughter.
