Coldfire review: Fiction comments on reality in this dystopian sci-fi drama

At a time when billionaires across the world are shuttling to the boundary of space, the vast difference between the haves and the have-nots hasn't been growing as rapidly in the past few decades as it is today. Actor Riddhi Sen’s directorial debut, the sci-fi short film Coldfire, comments on the desire of the rich to lead an exclusive life at all costs.

An adaptation of Nabarun Bhattacharya’s short story Coldfire, the film is set in Bengal in the year 2030. GB (Shomak Ghosh) is a salesman who pitches an exclusive product to business tycoon KP Sarkar (Kaushik Sen). The device is Coldfire, a private crematorium where one can celebrate one’s funeral without waiting to be cremated like common folk.

Intrigued by the gadget, Sarkar becomes consumed by the idea of an exclusive death. Although he is hale and hearty, the idea of his death and its presentation takes a hold of him.

The dystopian film depicts a world ruled by gadgets and artificial intelligence. Sarkar’s every minute and emotion are monitored by machines that tell him what to do. In fact, the machine is his companion and we do not see much of human interaction, not even between Sarkar and his wife.

GB, on the other hand, is a smooth-talking salesman who recognizes the desire for greater exclusivity amongst the elite and creates a product that appeals to their sensibility.

With scenes from the refugee crisis, people rummaging through heaps of garbage and wading through filthy rivers, the film presents the stark reality outside as opposed to the privileged lives some people lead. In a comment on the present-day viewers and their obsession with celebrity culture, we witness the staged media event of Sarkar getting into the Coldfire chamber in front of a riveted audience, while news about the refugees is sidelined.

The premise of the film is an intriguing one, as is its weaving of concerns from our current socio-political scenario and consumerist culture. The music creates the ambience of a futuristic world, with mechanical sounds that reflect the increasing dependence on technology.

However, the weaving together of the various themes needed more thought and finesse for its resonance to be fully realized within the narrative. In the end, we are left with a lasting image, together with the disturbingly fitting lines, “All the world’s a stage, and we are merely customers and clients.”

Coldfire was screened at the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival in January 2021 and at the Indian Film Festival Stuttgart in July 2021.