When do we know what our true sexual orientation is? Can we really know our sexual orientation without even experiencing it? The two boys, Mihir and Sarang, explore their doubts around sexuality, only to end up with even more confusion and rage fueled by adolescent jealousy.
For a summer vacation, the reunion of elders in families and adolescent cousins can be interesting and fun. As the elders in the family sip a couple of beers and humm the classics of Bollywood songs, the children continue their hush-hush banter at night. Menaka, who seems to be at the verge of her teenage years, just like Mihir, shares her anecdotes of romantic pursuits in the presence of all, without any filters. She then calmly asks Mihir if he has a girlfriend. He shies away, doesn’t answer. We don’t know Mihir’s relationship status. But, we know that he might be homo-curious or hetero-curious, or even bi-curious! It’s a tricky thing to affirm any identities for sexualities– which aren’t bound by rigid definitions, especially at the teenage, the age of self-discovery through exploration and experimentation.
The camera focuses mostly on Mihir and Sarang. The cinematography by Linesh Desai and editing by Anagh Mukherjee closely follows the two characters with many mid-shots, making the story less about the world, and more about the individuals and their sexual doubts. Editor-Director Ambiecka Pandit poses an important question about transgressing the sexual boundaries. It is a given that one shouldn’t cross the boundaries but one also has to explore beyond the gender boundaries set by the society/themselves, isn’t it? How do we do this without sexually offending others?
Mihir takes the initiative of advancing the sexual desires. He touches the genital area of Sarang in a swimming pool. Sarang gets uncomfortable and leaves. But, Mihir still persists at home too, albeit mildly, in a non-offensive manner. Nothing springs up. Perhaps, the minor spark of gentle smirk between Mihir and Menaka made Sarang insecure, he too now advances his desires. It backfires. Mihir is not interested anymore.
Finally, Sarang makes the aggressive decision to hop on Mihir and gently kiss him on the neck on a beach. It backfires, once again, and becomes a scene in front of the elders. The enraged Sarang spits on Mihir, who is already humiliated for the reasons only you, I and they know.
Ambiecka Pandit’s Under the Waters is a question-packed adolescent and innocent desires of sexuality slowly advanced into insecured jealousy and aggressive rage. I love the way the film ended. In fact, it’s not an ending– just like any story. The ending of this short film can be the beginning of a story of two mildly-dysfunctional families torn by the sexual desires of their children.
Under the Waters is now streaming on MUBI.
