Garima review: If a female cop isn’t safe, then who is?

Writer-director Parivesh Singh’s short film delivers a poignant tale of workplace sexual harassment. Young Ishika Jha’s stellar performance as the abused cop is deeply moving.

Rating: ( 4 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

A young woman has come to a Gwalior police station to complain about alleged harassment by her landlord. The old man rubbishes the allegation, proclaiming his innocence and proudly claiming that she is like his daughter. Garima (Ishika Jha), the young cop listening to the arguments, slaps the old man and declares, “Maa ka thappad samaj ke kha le.”

Whoa, never before have we heard such a line. This is a slap in the face of all sexual predators. With cops like Garima, women in this locality ought to feel safe. But here’s the irony: for a woman who isn’t afraid to rough up rowdy eve-teasers in the vicinity, she herself cuts a frightened figure when facing sexual harassment at the hands of her reporting officer, SHO Raghu (Adesh Bharadwaj).

In a later scene, Garima is waiting at the bus stop. There is another young lady- a civilian – at the bus stop. It’s dark, and Garima is waiting for her bus to arrive. Suddenly, from a distance, she spots Raghu riding toward her. A petrified Garima gingerly takes a few steps back, trying to hide behind the civilian and a rod. Eyes facing down, she hopes Raghu will miss her, but the evil man parks in front of the stop and shouts for Garima to ride pillion.

As a viewer, you feel perplexed: this woman is strong – why is she taking all this? She can and must hit back. Garima did raise her voice, but it went unheard. Though frustrating, writer-director Parivesh Singh’s short film brings to light the global issue of workplace harassment. The larger message is clear: if a cop doesn’t feel safe at her workstation, what hope is there for ordinary citizens to end this menace?

Singh is mindful that Garima’s story isn’t perceived as generalizing the working environment in the police force. Let’s remind ourselves, though, that there have been a few real instances of women cops facing harassment at work. Singh’s story is fiction, but it’s bound to resonate with every person-man or woman-who’s faced any kind of workplace harassment.

Timed at 54 minutes – maybe a trifle too long for a short film, every moment in Garima hooks you. It makes you empathize with the woman who isn’t willing to compromise on her garima (dignity) but is rendered helpless. It’s not a systemic malaise, but poor Garima finds herself at the mercy of a man abusing his authority, changing colours when the matter is brought to his superiors. Parivesh Singh’s fine writing, astute direction, and an able cast go a long way in building an emotional connect with Garima and her story.

Ishika Jha is mightily impressive in this very difficult role. The Delhi girl did theatre in Bangalore, and that experience shows in an emotionally gripping act.

The MP tan seems a little heavy, but Jha stuns you with her intensity, her body language encapsulating that child-like fear brilliantly whenever Raghu is around. That tanned look of the MP cop, the gorgeous eyes, and diminutive frame partly rekindle memories of Sanya Malhotra in Kathal. Jha leaves you with a sense of helplessness and sadness, yet you marvel at her precocious talent.

Though pure evil, seasoned actor Adesh Bharadwaj impresses as the abusive cop Raghu. He is Hitler-like in his station, but cuts a calm, innocent figure in front of his big bosses. Such men have learnt to abuse authority and yet thrive all because they carry that fear factor. 

Young Archie Singh, who plays constable Shalendra – the lone colleague who empathizes with Garima and at times protects her from Raghu’s evil eye – is convincing. However, one is more frustrated with the Shalendras who, rather than taking a strong stand against an abusive senior, offer lip service by merely saying, “Leave the Raghus to their karma.” It’s often this attitude that lets men like Raghu operate with impunity. Also a reflection of a society that is either too scared or chooses to be ignorant. Young Singh, though, is another fine talent here.

Short films in India come with constant challenges, but within their limited resources, Singh offers a compelling, poignant tale. It may not be strong on technical aspects but is rich in emotional connect. Singh and his cinematographer finely capture Garima’s fear- especially through her eyes. Ah, sexual crimes against women and children sadly continue to rise. Garima portrays workplace harassment and leaves you teary-eyed, raising a silent voice against it.

Unlike the Mardaanis or Delhi Crimes, a short film like Garima faces challenges in securing a platform. The filmmaker and producer AGP are eyeing a festival release. Given its quality and intent, we hope Garima will eventually be heard by a larger audience.

Watch the video review below.