Film Review: Axone

Axone, pronounced “akhuni,” follows a chaotic day in the life of a group of 20-somethings in the Northeastern migrant community in a South Delhi neighborhood. A couple things to go over before I continue, as I’m sure most who read this might not even be fully aware. The title refers to a dish that is kind of like a stew made with pork and fermented soybean paste, and it is known for having a very strong, and to some, unpleasant odor. In fact, the name literally translates to “deep smell.” And the second thing, when I say “Northeastern,” that is a broad term that encompasses not only people from the isolated section of Northeast India, but also people from other East Asian locales like Thailand, Tibet, Myanmar, China, etc.

In the film, a wedding party is planned for the night, and a big part of that wedding party is planned for the bride Minam (Asenla Jamir) in their cramped apartment space. Her friends, Chanbi (Lin Laishram) and Upasna (Sayani Gupta), decide to bring a little bit of her home back for the celebration by making axone. They get all the ingredients, but as the day goes on, they face numerous complications, especially after the smell gets them kicked out of their apartment complex, and they’re forced to find a new place to finish cooking.

However, it’s not a film that is simply about the struggles of cooking a dish. It’s a film that explores the day-to-day experiences and microaggressions often faced by Northeastern communities, and the way they navigate their identity and their place in India. Axone is from filmmaker, Nicholas Kharkongor, who himself is from Northeast India, and that personal touch is very much felt throughout the film, informing all the little nuances, and complexities that come with telling a story about this community.

With Upasna, the film also dives into the complicated interpersonal dynamics within these circles. At one point, her friend, Zorem, tells her that some of their friends don’t consider her to be a part of the Northeastern community, despite her constant insistence to other Indians. She is from Nepal, and she is clearly not an outsider in the neighborhood. The film doesn’t go into this too much, but it does do a good job in bringing a different perspective even in exploring the way even the people within these communities might have their own different opinions about who is considered to be a part of their group.

The performances are very solid, mostly because they feel incredibly subdued and lived-in. In shining a spotlight on an often ignored group of people, the film brings many actors of Northeastern descent to the spotlight, and they are all terrific, and each bring something different to the table. Though, it also helps that the film doesn’t necessarily demand too much of them. It’s a lighthearted film, with a few drifts into drama, but it moves along at a nice clip, putting more emphasis on character than convoluted melodrama.

I couldn’t be more happy that Netflix is offering a platform for films like Axone (even if their lack of promotion is still frustrating), and I am very curious to see where Nicholas Kharkongor goes from here. I think Axone is a very important film, but what helps it is that is never feels like an important film while you’re watching it. While it certainly does explore heavy themes like racism in India, it explores it in a context that allows it to still be an endearing, kindhearted, and occasionally hilarious slice-of-life movie that also manages to be fairly accessible for people who aren’t totally in tune to the cultural nuances since the themes are so universal. I was very charmed by the film and its characters, and I was absolutely thrilled at seeing a side of India that I sadly haven’t really had much exposure to prior to seeing this, especially in Indian films. That is a really big part of why I love cinema – providing new perspective and point-of-view that you either haven’t considered or not even been aware of, and it’s nice to have that little reminder every now and again.