Movie review: The ambitions and plotholes of ‘Gauthali’

Kapil Rijal's new film, 'Gauthali,' tackles significant social issues such as patriarchy and mental illness, centering on a young protagonist forced into marriage against her will. Gauthali, who is preparing for her SEE exams, is married off at her grandmother's insistence to an autistic man. The grandmother's motivation stems from a desire to fulfill a perceived religious duty before her own death, highlighting a clash between personal aspirations and societal/superstitious conventions.

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Gauthali, two years out from appearing for the SEE exams, is married off by her family, at her ailing grandmother’s insistence, to what turns out to be an autistic man.

However, the film falters in its execution, resulting in a mediocre viewing experience marred by plot holes and a lack of conviction. While the movie aims to depict a story of suffering, cruelty, and eventual triumph against adversity, the narrative struggles to convince. Gauthali's character, despite her initial desire for education, remains largely unconvincing. The story progresses rapidly, relying heavily on explicit dialogues rather than nuanced character development. The emotional weight the story attempts to convey is often amplified by heavy-handed music and melodramatic sound engineering, suggesting the narrative itself falls short.

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It is a shame, then, that having chosen to portray issues of such importance, the movie turns out to be a mediocre viewing experience, somewhat unconvincing and marred with plotholes small and big.

Director Rijal demonstrates an understanding of patriarchal structures and their role in perpetuating the difficult conditions faced by many women in Nepal. He effectively portrays the societal ills that Gauthali experiences, including the blame, abuse, and subsequent expulsion from her home after a stillborn child. These moments are described as realistic and believable, offering glimpses of the film's potential.

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Why is it the case, then, that the makers only allocate no more than a few scenes at the very beginning in establishing this motivation through riveting dialogues such as “Gauthali will take the exams” (said by Gauthali herself)?

Despite these strengths, the film's overall impact is diminished by its storytelling approach. Rijal seems to believe that an unrelenting portrayal of negative events is necessary to make the account stirring. However, this approach, combined with a lack of refined narrative and storytelling, weakens the film. The most implausible plot point identified is the manner in which Gauthali discovers her husband's autism, which is presented in a jarring and unconvincing way.

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Most moving of all is unfortunately the realistic and believable fallout, blame, abuse and subsequent expulsion from home that Gauthali faces at her baby boy being a stillborn.