Varun Grover's short film Kiss turns cinema into a mirror for introspection
Directorial debuts are special, where you have an artist finally getting a chance to say something close and important to them as a person. That Kiss is lyricist and writer Varun Grover's first film (he made this before All India Rank) informs the viewer of the subject matter that has mattered to him at some point. (Also read: All India Rank movie review: Varun Grover makes a tender, crowd-pleasing directorial debut)
The titular kiss here is between two men. At first, we only hear the sound of the sloppy lips against one another. This is unnecessary, as per the members of the censor board (Shubhrajyoti Barat and Swanand Kirkire). These two middle-aged men discuss with the young director Sam (Adarsh Gourav) about the point of keeping this scene. 'Kyu ka jawab koi artist kya dega, sir (Why will artists explain why)?' he asks.
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But there's a catch, as the three men rewatch the scene again to record how long this kiss lasts. For each one of them, the time stamp is different, ranging from 28 seconds to above 2 minutes. Why is this happening? Kiss then takes the opportunity to seek an answer to this very question, revealing how each one of them is bringing their own subjectivity into the way they observe, process, and express.
Kiss is a film about censorship, which wants to interrogate the faces behind the regressive and draconian rules that curtail artistic expression. The ones which infantilise the audience with huge 'smoking kills' warnings and cutting scenes of films that are meant for adults. Kiss is also about cinema becoming a sort of medium for catharsis and introspection. We come to films with our own prejudices and opinions. The point is whether the darkness in the room allows us the space to unlearn and unpack some of those deep-seated notions of love and life. Packed within 15 minutes, Kiss pulsates with ideas and questions that might feel a little overpowering for its own sake, but the sincerity sticks.
It is this sincerity and concern that makes Kiss stand out amid the disarray of the current crop of films that is being produced by the Hindi film industry at large. Take, for instance, the emergence of the hypermasculine figure in all his casual rage and unchecked violence. It is all in the service of rage, sidestepping nuance and empathy so casually. The man will kiss and the man will kill. That a short film like Kiss is about men making love is a step taken ahead, daring to ask (and yield) what might be the dichotomy after all. I have a feeling Varun Grover has more stories to tell.
Kiss is available to watch on Mubi India.
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