Director's statement:
This short film came from photographs taken by my father. Years ago, in the city of Jamshedpur, the Subarnarekha river had a life of its own. People travelled between its two banks on traditional wood boats that ran on loud motors. The river was lush with colourful saris, green vegetables and sparkling fish that vendors carried in their baskets into the city. And then the concrete Dobo bridge was built. Travelling became simple and the natural beauty of the river gave way to concrete apartments on both banks. ‘Domestic Bliss’ tells the story of two lovers stuck not just between these two banks but also between the concrete of modernity and the simplicity of tradition. The film will paint them as puny little characters in the middle of an ever changing world. While Baha tries to move on while holding on to her roots and build her own world, Bikash can only dream of touching the concrete that belongs only to the rich. We will see the contrast between the greenery of the river and the grey drudgery of the city. We will watch the two lovers tear away from each other as Baha finds independence by holding on to her own culture, while Bikash loses his way, trying to replace the skill and pride of his ancestors with the hollow dreams of a capitalist society.
