Bombay Rose
NetflixAfter a long run on the festival circuit, Bombay Rose, the feature-length debut written and directed by Gitanjali Rao, has finally found its home in the depths of Netflix. The animated film is reminiscent of Classic Bollywood, both in style and writing, largely focusing on a blossoming romance between Kamala (voiced by Cylie Khare) and Salim (voiced by Amit Deondi). The two meet in the market where Kamala sells her flower garlands and their love unfolds in daydreams, Salim imagines himself as a Bollywood hero rescuing Kamala, while Kamala imagines the pair as Indian royalty.
The film’s best story beats are in these imagined romances, as it is filled with plenty of other elements. Tara (voiced by Gargi Shitole), Kamala’s younger sister is heavily present in the film. She practices English with Mrs. D’Souza (voiced by Amardeep Jha), a retired actress who was a film star in the 1950s. An antique shop owner has feelings for Mrs. D’Souza. Tara also saves a deaf orphan from being arrested by the police for child labour. Salim is a refugee from Kashmir, Kamala is an escaped child bride, fleeing her husband with her grandfather and Tara. Salim is Muslim, while Kamala is Hindu. Kamala spends her evenings dancing in a bar where she attracts the attention of a villainous pimp.
The characters’ interactions with each other are quite beautiful, especially heartwarming scenes between sisters Tara and Kamala, and the loving glances shared between Kamala and Salim. But with Rao injecting so many different plot points, Bombay Rose’s story becomes very muddled and difficult to follow. Some of the plots of the side characters feel like interruptions and are too uninteresting to hold up amongst Kamala and Salim’s love, and the film gets lost in itself as it tries to explore too many themes. While child labour, child marriage, Hindu-Muslim relations, refugee status, and plenty of other issues crop up in Bombay Rose, the film simply glances over everything instead of honing in on one theme.
Despite these issues with its writing, Bombay Rose finds itself again in its stunning visuals and sound. Much of the music and sound comes from what is actually happening around the characters, capturing the busyness of the city. The film is made with individually painted frames, a blend between hand-drawn and computer animation. The city of Mumbai is brought to life in rich tones of reds and oranges, piles of flowers are seen in the crowded markets. In the real world, the animation is more sketchy and similar to watercolour paintings, and changes when Kamala and Salim are back in their imaginations. The animation and sound frequently deliver callbacks to Old Bollywood. When Kamala imagines herself as a princess, the animation style shifts to be reminiscent of Mughal paintings. The animation is painstakingly done and simply stunning, the unique style makes the film standout.
Though the story gets lost in all its narrative elements, Bombay Rose comes through as a tribute to migrants in the city. Gitanjali Rao ensures that the film keeps Mumbai’s authenticity, the animation and sounds bringing the audience into the streets of Mumbai, experiencing it along with all the characters. Bombay Rose is a beautiful ode to the city, with gorgeous and unique animation that will garner the attention of Bollywood lovers.