Goldfish

What happens when your estranged, abusive parent grows old and needs your help? This is what the daughter, played by Kalki Koechlin, has to confront when she is called home by her mother's friend. Though she hasn't spoken to her mother (Deepti Naval) in years, she is suddenly responsible for her. Her dementia makes her vulnerable, and the daughter has to grapple with the fact she must put her in a nursing home, despite her unexpected emotional responses and sense of guilt. As she sees her mother's health decline, her responsibility for her act as a catalyst for many moments of personal reckoning in this thought-provoking story.

Goldfish does what few movies have done - it places us in the mind of the unloved daughter forced to live with a parent with dementia.

It will be disturbing for many who choose to watch, particularly those with a lived experience of dementia. But there is no doubt of how impactful it is - it is a beautifully crafted film with powerful performances that will stay with you.

Goldfish is a thoughtful exploration of memory, identity, and familial responsibility.

Pushan Kripalani approaches the story with patience, letting emotions unfold naturally. The cinematography favors close, intimate shots that emphasize the characters' internal struggles, while the muted color palette reflects the film's introspective mood.

Deepti Naval portrays Sadhana with quiet intensity, capturing the unpredictability of memory loss. Kalki Koechlin delivers a restrained but deeply expressive performance, allowing frustration, guilt, and tenderness to coexist. The supporting cast, including Rajit Kapur and Bharti Patel, enriches the film's world with understated yet significant roles.

By successfully avoiding dramatic twists, this nuanced and deeply felt portrait of love and responsibility, explores the challenges of being a care-giver within an equation that's heavy with the weight of unresolved emotional baggage.

The movie was captivating, the actors did a fabulous job. Although the topic was known and it could get dreary, the storyline and the director made the story unfold in a manner that kept me engaged the entire time. The complex and estranged relationship between the mom and daughter and how dementia creeps into it and shapes their relation is very interesting.

Kudos to a script well written and well chosen. Kudos to Amit Saxena for his first production and taking it to this level of success. I personally think that the movie deserves some awards for cinematography and Deepti Naval for her amazing acting.

Should you treat your parents the same in their last years as they treated you in your first?

Goldfish is the story of the troubled relationship between a daughter and her mother.

The mother is played by the evergreen and my favourite, deepti naval. And the daughter is played by the versatile, kalki koechlin.

The mother is suffering from dementia, she is slowly forgetting things, words, places, people, and how badly she treated her daughter growing up.

Among all this, after the death of her husband, she has found love again, and she loves him so much that she has willed her home to her love instead of her daughter!

The film is also the story of living in a good neighbourhood and having loving neighbours who take care of each other.

There's even a scene set in the bathroom, where the whole neighbourhood got together to help the character of deepti naval.

What i liked the most in the movie was its cinematography, which was done by the director, pushan kripalani.

The pacing and the screenplay in the film could have been done better.

Overall the movie was good and the end left you with a question which i asked in the beginning.

Watched this with the director, producer, writers, and star cast: deepti naval, kalki koechlin, and rajit kapoor at the india habitat centre, delhi.

Great story...excellent star cast and superb acting. A treat for every viewer!

Loved the pace of the movie. The relationship between mother and daughter and their dialogue delivery...the directors eye for the detail. Supporting actors and their relationships kept the audience engrossed and attentive throughout.

Each relationship shown in the movie was very unique, strong and was beautifully portrayed. Subtitles helped.,

A must see for all age groups in today's challenging medical environment and the of love depicted between children and parents.

Hats off to the producer Amit Saxena for investing in the theme..