SHORT FILM STARRING DU GIRL MAKES IT TO CANNES
Antara Rao, a student of Jesus and Mary College, stars in Asthi (Ashes), which explores the motherdaughter bond
Meera runs off to Haridwar alone to immerse her mother’s ashes in the Ganges, but can’t seem to let go of her mother. What follows is a journey of conflict and sadness in this 14-minute-long film, Asthi (Ashes), as her mother’s soothing voice echoes and old memories resurface. A surreal conversation begins with the ashes as Meera travels the lanes and the banks of the sacred river. Exploring the bond of mother-daughter relationship, the short film has made it to the Court Metrage (Short Film Corner) at Cannes Film Festival 2018. Interestingly, actor Antara Rao, who plays Meera, is a second year Delhi University (DU) student.
Euphoric about going to the prestigious film festival, Antara says that the film, written by her sister, Lavanya Rao, and father, Dinkar Rao, who also donned the director’s hat, was “challenging” and “emotionally taxing”. However, its selection for a screening in the French Riviera has validated her hard work.
From immersing herself in the river in the chilly month of January to getting into the skin of Meera’s character was no easy feat for this 20-year-old Delhi girl.
“I had to observe the streets with a sense of detachment. She (Meera) goes everywhere with her mother’s ashes, not knowing what to do. I thought it was a challenge to question traditional ideas of what is supposed to happen. She doesn’t want to let go of the ashes, which is a novel concept as one just assumes that once somebody dies, they are cremated. But it made a lot of sense to me that she was questioning it. After all, it’s the last physical proof of her mother, and she wants to cling to it,” Antara says.
“[During the shoot] I had to think of my mother. When I went into the river, it was very overwhelming,” she adds.
The second year Economics student from DU’s Jesus and Mary College has always been “fascinated” by theatre, and acting is something that she plans to “pursue full-time”.
“[In DU] I have been actively involved in theatre, debates, and public speaking
activities. The education I have received in the past few years has given me guidance on how I deal with things around me and approach arts... I was interested in acting because storytelling is something everyone relates to. [It involves] understanding a character that is very different from you, so that you could experience emotions that you probably wouldn’t in your context,” she says.