TIFF ’23 Review: ‘A Match’ doesn’t sugar coat hypocrisy
‘A Match’ follows a young woman dreading her arranged marriage, while also demonstrating why she can’t defy her parents.
In many countries, women have been given the illusion of control and autonomy, but eventually the time comes when tradition takes over and their futures are once again decided for them. Being a rebel and rejecting the status quo can have severe consequences, including shunning by one’s family, shame for yourself and your loved ones, and being ostracized from the community. It’s a lot of guilt to carry for what is essentially a selfish act, even if it’s warranted. In A Match, a young woman dreams of a career, but her parents only wish is to find her a suitable husband before it’s too late.
Savita (Nandini Chikte) is in the last year of a sociology degree and is studying for her final exam, which she then hopes to follow with a job in her field of study. Her two best friends are on similar paths. However, even though their parents have indulged their educations, the ultimate goal is to find them a good husband so they can become dutiful wives and mothers. Savita has met many suitors, but they’ve all rejected her for one reason or another. Her parents are desperate, while she’s simply glad she doesn’t have to quit school. But a series of events puts all their plans in jeopardy with potentially no favourable result.
For outsiders, the matchmaking process may seem complex and a bit bizarre. Representatives for each family, typically older male relatives, make arrangements for a meeting. The prospective husband and several of his male relatives/friends/etc. come to the young woman’s home, where they’re treated as VIPs by her father and other male relatives/friends/etc. Eventually, she’s called upon to sit on display and answer a standard set of questions about her family, studies, abilities and height. Then the guests step outside to discuss before ultimately declaring they’ll let her family know what they decide via their envoys. Notably, the young woman is simply the object in a transaction between the men.
The hypocrisy is not lost on the characters, but they are also resigned not to break custom and risk hurting their families. Yet, in spite of these well-known conventions, flirtations and what might be considered dating still occurs amongst the young people without fixed marriages. However, they are not allowed to pick their own matches so falling in love generally only leads to heartbreak. The actors’ portrayals are interesting as emotions are not explicitly expressed, so their true feelings are hidden in their words or expressions. Thus, a stoic appearance is often concealing pain or heartache, while the exchange of sly, sideways smiles are the only public demonstrations of affection.
From a Western perspective, the girls’ circumstances are difficult to accept, but the film does an excellent job of trying to ensure audiences from all ilks can at least understand everyone’s positions –even if they can’t agree with them.
A Match had its world premiere in the Discovery programme at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Read other reviews from the festival.
Director: Jayant Digambar Somalkar
Starring: Nandini Chikte, Taranath Khiratkar and Sangita Sonekar
