Director: Sripal Sama
Writers: Saipraneeth Gouravaraju and Sripal Sama
Cast: Kaushik Ghantasala, Keegan Guy, Satya Yamini, Megan Barlow, Elester Latham, Candido Carter, Scott Young,
Runtime: 88 Minutes
Available in: Theatres
I’m sure all of us must have had a telephone conversation with a customer support executive at one point or the other. The context, tone, and purpose of the conversation might vary but a robotic coldness in the employee’s voice at the end of the call is perceptible, although its degree is, once again, a variable. It’s a peculiar human interaction to examine. When they ask, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” You know that they don’t mean it but are trained—or say, programmed—to follow a specific flow to the conversion. That’s why the “Thank you and have a good day” at the fag end of the conversation always tends to be hasty. Because they have to get done with this call and switch to another call to resolve another issue faced by another consumer. It’s work; hectic and mechanical, devoid of any human touch, ironically, when the purpose of the role is to help a human. And the standout quality of Sripal Sama’s film, How Is That For A Monday?, is how it manages to beautifully address this mundane, odd equation we share with people in service-oriented roles on a daily basis. It’s unlike anything I have seen so far. It’s such a simple and often overlooked facet of everyday life that it’s surprising to see it being addressed in a film. And HITFAM is not just about these little things, it also addresses major themes like race, identity, and empowerment. The way it brings the personal and broader elements together so organically and effortlessly is a thing of beauty.