There is no doubt that directors Pip Gilmour and Leslie Shampaine stumbled upon a couple of worthy documentary subjects in Call Me Dancer. The film primarily follows a young man named Manish Chauhan as he chases his dream of becoming a dancer in India and abroad. Chauhan’s relationship with his eccentric instructor, Yehuda Maor, is central to the documentary; however, the film never moves beyond a superficial understanding of Chauhan, his admittedly charming family and his one-of-a-kind teacher.
We might not have known about Chauhan before watching this movie (although viewers familiar with the world of dance most likely knew about Maor’s considerable career beforehand), and the documentary does a fine job of impressing us with Chauhan’s talents. Still, at only 80 minutes, not including the credits, the film seemingly doesn’t have that much interest in examining its subjects on a deeper level. The only true insight into Chauhan as a person is through blunt and direct recollections of how he felt when he had less privilege and fewer opportunities as a dancer.
The film doesn’t go any deeper than a faintly intriguing but undeniably bland profile of the young man whose talent caught the eye of Maor. After hearing rumors of the incredible dance skills among the youth of India, Maor, an Israeli native, moved there hoping to recruit new talent for his dance company. However, he was initially unprepared for the high temperatures and general bustle of Chauhan’s hometown of Mumbai. In the documentary, Maor—who is a ballet master—is oftentimes a more interesting character than Chauhan, himself, which is unfortunate since Chauhan is the focal point of Gilmour’s and Shampaine’s story.
Maor—who is 70 years old when he and Chauhan first meet—is a real character. He’s brash, unforgiving in his training and respectably honest about almost everything. It’s amazing that Gilmour and Shampaine were able to even secure any interviews with a man who mostly dislikes attention and devotes everything he has to the dancers in his company. Maor has loved dance since he was a child first discovering Swan Lake. He was also blessed with the gift of understanding parents who did not quash his dreams, as well as a preternatural ability for learning the complexities of ballet. Both these things helped provide Maor with the opportunity to become a formidable influence in dance throughout the Middle East.
Chauhan has a similar story to Maor, but Call Me Dancer is far less interested in exploring his home life with parents who would much rather see their son pursuing a lucrative career (although Chauhan’s grandmother offers a sympathetic view alongside the tough love). Instead, Call Me Dancer only follows Chauhan through the motions of his career, bringing nothing but a flat and unadventurous spirit to his story. The end result is a series of pre-credit title cards that inform us of his most important achievements; an unimpressive way to end a remarkable story deserving of so much more.
Photo courtesy of Abramorama
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