Chaar Diwaari Jennie Kermode performance
Finding a furnished, seemingly good-condition apartment in today’s Mumbai at an affordable price might be considered fantastic enough to explain why Syed Shadan’s latest short film landed a spot at the Fantasia International Film Festival. After all, this lean, efficient little film manages to pack in horror, comedy, and genuine scares before the credits roll—a high-concept piece delivered with undeniable skill.
But the unnerving atmosphere hinted at by the film seems to follow the real-life hunt for affordable housing in the city.
The reality of securing a place, however, often involves more than just checking rent prices. For one tenant, Abhinav Jha, the experience brought a distinctly unsettling dimension. When questioning the low rental price, he was persuaded that the discount was simply due to a visible stain on the wall.
The apartment itself seemed to tell a story of past occupants. Jha was informed that the various items scattered throughout the space were merely things left behind by previous tenants—clutter accumulated from those who had grown tired of their belongings. Yet, as he observed the room, sharp-eyed viewers might notice something more specific: a child’s toy sitting on the dresser.
It is a poignant detail, this observation. People often discard bits and pieces they no longer want, but rarely items belonging to their children. The presence of such objects in a space intended for habitation raises immediate, uncomfortable questions about who lived there before, and what secrets those lingering possessions might hold. It makes one wonder where the mind may return when viewing an apparently simple rental.
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