Ballad of the Mountain review: A soul-crushing, nostalgic and profoundly overwhelming ticket to childhood

In this review, cinematic_beacon aka Rhea, shares her thoughts on Tarun Jain's short film Ballad of the Mountain!

Almost in tears by the end of its runtime, Ballad of the Mountain is your nostalgic, profoundly overwhelming ticket to childhood. Steering away from the conventional ‘bullied turns bully’ trope, it’s one of the most emotionally fulfilling and morally righteous short films I’ve watched this year. Tarun Jain has gone straight for the jugular and shattered my soul in the best ways! 

Set in northern India, we see a young girl, aloof and alone, take care of her sister in the absence of her labourer parents. Being an outcast, she’s constantly bullied by her classmates and picked on by school teachers. Somewhere hidden, she has a lot of pent-up angst against everyone who has wronged her, but how she deals with the idea of seeking revenge is worth examining. Instead of resorting to anger, violence, or anything remotely harmful, her life is governed by a simple mantra- “They’ll be able to see how big and unthreatened I am by the size of my dreams.” Atta girl, go show them!

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In this film, she doesn’t take the high road or prove to be the “bigger person.” Instead, her most admirable trait lies in the way she reacts to the bullying—calm, unmoved, broken, but strong. Instead of becoming the bully herself and putting people down, she sees the bigger picture. This girl builds a paper plane, set to fly away one day is destined for excellence. By this, I don’t mean to convey that aggressively responding to a bully makes you a weakling. Rather, I’m trying to say that becoming a tormentor to prove a point doesn’t make you any different from your perpetrator. The protagonist made a choice, and might I add a mature one. I’m a big fan of hers. 

And speaking of Diya Bisht, this little girl has given the performance of a lifetime, although her career has just begun. Her face emotes so well, but her silences are tenfold more powerful. How she’s able to tap into emotions like grief, sorrow, and helplessness while also pulling off hope and courage is simply unbelievable. Sitting in that theatre, I felt proud, as well as honoured to be able to witness such prowess and mastery. Props to the director, Tarun Jain, for directing her so well! Everything about her screamed secure vulnerability. 

Another aspect I will never forget about the film is its sound design. Oh, each rustle, droplet, and footstep was captured by the team so accurately that a beautiful layer of complexity was added to the visual storytelling. The stills of both sisters going to school will always be my absolute favourite. It felt so susceptible, yet it managed to give off the ‘big sister bodyguard’ vibe all at the same time. I’m so happy with the way this project turned out. I kid you not, this was perhaps just the second film I was watching at MAMI, and it already triggered so many suppressed memories. 

Tarun Jain, thank you for taking this story beyond its surface level issue. You turned Ballad of the Mountain into an inspirational, introspective film that I will always cherish and remember. The imagery of the mountains subtly juxtaposed with the metaphors of flight, freedom, and learning, were touching.

Ballad of the Mountain had its Indian premiere at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival this year! 

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