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Anuja is a short but poignant tale about a bright young girl with excellent grades who, instead of attending school, works at a clothing factory alongside her elder sister to help make ends meet. When an opportunity arises for a fully paid scholarship to a boarding school, little Anuja faces a difficult choice, leave her sister behind for a better future or take a new job at the factory to earn more money.
Written and directed by Adam J. Graves, Anuja stars Sajda Pathan as the titular protagonist, while Ananya Shanbhag plays her older sister, Palak. The film opens with a touching moment, with Palak narrating an old tale to Anuja at bedtime in their rundown home. The two are orphans, surviving without adult supervision and relying on meager wages from a sweatshop to get by.
Just a little over 20 minutes long, Anuja offers a fleeting but heartfelt glimpse into the struggles of orphaned children forced to fend for themselves. The sibling bond between Anuja and Palak is captured tenderly, from bedtime stories to working side by side, they are inseparable. Despite their dire circumstances, they find small moments of joy, like sharing a packet of jalebis. The cinematography portrays their poverty with stark simplicity, avoiding excessive dramatization.
Palak wants her younger sister to pursue an education and escape the cycle of underpaid labor. However, Anuja is too young to fully grasp the long-term benefits of financial independence through education versus the immediate security of a higher-paying factory job. For Anuja, it’s a choice between future dreams and present duties, although in an ideal world, a child shouldn’t be in a position to make such decisions.
So, what will Anuja choose? Unfortunately, the film ends on an abrupt cliffhanger, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions, a decision that may feel unsatisfying to some.
Rating: 3 on 5. Watch the film on Netflix.