Celestial Despair

Set in the dusty city of Ranchi, Celestina and Lawrence is a film governed by unkept promises and incorrigible desires

- Apeksha Priyadarshini

A fluorescent light illuminates the fishbowl, bringing the colours of its plastic flowers and dancing fishes alive. As the water babbles, the two trace their fingers across the bowl in awe. “Why don’t we find such fishes in our ponds and rivers?” Celestina (Ankita Kerketta) asks. “These are imported fishes,” says Lawrence (Salib Minj). “Don’t they feel trapped?” she wonders. “No,” he says confidently. “It’s been two years; they look happy to me.”

“If we put them in the dam’s water, will they survive?” she inquires. Lawrence smiles. “Won’t they be eaten by the bigger fish?” “Maybe,” Celestina says, “But they will at least get a larger place to swim!”

Celestina and Lawrence, directed by Vikram Kumar, is a film governed by unkept promises and incorrigible desires. Although set in the dusty city of Ranchi, glimpses of Jharkhand’s towns and villages also find their way into its backdrop. This Nagpuri film is a heartwarming ode to the land, its people and the losing battles that are being fought valiantly by them on various fronts. Celestina and Lawrence’s haunting background score by Adrian Copeland and Andy Cartwright add to the lingering sense of love and loss in its visuals.

The film’s narrative is divided into three parts—the first traces Celestina’s journey; the second part follows Lawrence; the third part is on the serendipitous crossing of their paths.