Kiran Sashte directorial ‘Laadu’ can be described as a short film that in a very short duration compiles the most precious memories of life. Memories of a teenager named ‘Ladu’! The storyline of the film can be summarized in one line as, Ladu visits his ancestral home in Konkan which was closed for many years. But this visit isn’t an ordinary one! This visit is more than just a visit, but a revisit to Ladu’s numerous childhood memories!
At the centre of these memories is Ladu’s beloved grandmother. After her death Ladu’s parents wish to sell their ancestral house & never return back to the village. But Ladu’s childhood is still pretty much alive inside the house, so is his grandmother’s presence! A box full of marbles, the sweets hidden by the granny & the lamp in front of the little temple inside the house, all of it is still in existence. Behind locked doors & in a messy dust filled house Ladu keeps searching his childhood along with his granny!
To make the experience lively Kiran Sashte has treated the film as a mystery film. But once Ladu enters the house, the conversations between Ladu & his granny makes the film full of emotions. The emotional connect between Ladu & his granny is established perfectly through many little incidents like Ladu’s insistence to his granny, the two of them eating ice balls & searching match stick to light the lamp in the little temple. Director’s vision is capably assisted by Sunit Gurav’s camera work & Kartavya Mokal’s editing. From the very first frame of the short film, Prashant Kamble’s background score grabs the audiences by their heart! There’s a soulful lullaby written by Rahul Salve that highlights the delicate moments of Ladu & his granny’s meet. Ajit Ketkar has composed it melodiously.
In the success of ‘Ladu’ actors Shubham Patil & Varsha Dandale too deserve a huge share. Varsha Dandale’s granny makes us wish we too had a granny like her.
‘Ladu’ doesn’t have a conventional story as such but through Ladu’s world of memories & the simplicity in it the short film stands out!
- Santosh Pathare
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