The Yellow Turtle hosted a special screening of the short film “The Mop.” The film’s crew and cast were in attendance, including director Subhadip Mazumdar and actor Srabanti Bhattacharjee. Tagore International Film Festival and the Paradox International Short Film Festival recently selected the eight-minute film as a featurette. Mr.Mazumdar, an author-turned-director, spoke at the screening about the film’s motivations and how it was based on real-life experiences.

The Mop is a film with a timeless message that retells the age-old conflict that every woman faces, even in this day and age of increasing feministic liberties. Subhadip shot his second short film entirely in black and white, both as a tribute to old-school cinema and as a metaphor for our long-standing chauvinistic societal norms that continue to oppress women. Srabanti plays an anonymous woman who is made to feel like the titular ‘mop,’ caught between the ruthless nonchalance of the corporate world and the humiliation of her home. The movie emphasizes the importance of change and how it should emerge from the collaboration of two worlds: internal and external.

‘The Mop,’ a film filled with powerful imagery, walks a line that every woman can relate to, regardless of society or the world in which they live. Subhadip Mazumdar said, “I’m extremely fortunate that we got someone as evocative as Srabanti to play the lead role, and she’s fantastic here, and my film speaks to both men and women. Nothing compares to it if the film can arouse men’s emotions and encourage them to participate in this societal revolution. I believe cinema has a more primal connection with viewers, and thus portraying a message through the world of reels reaches more people,” he continued.

After the screening, the director and the crew interacted with the audience.

Priyanka Dutta