Review: Momo Deal (2025)

In Momo Deal, Dheeraj Jindal takes an ostensibly morbid premise, the return of a deceased friend as a ghost, and frames it through the lens of light-hearted banter and urban whimsy. While exhibiting flashes of tonal ingenuity, it stops short of committing to the emotional gravity it initially hints at. Instead, it opts for a neatly packaged sentimentality that is as comforting as it is limiting. Yet, in this restraint lies a quiet charm. The short film delivers a genuine reflection on friendship and grief, wrapped in humour and warmth.

The story opens with the funeral of Mahima (Anushka Kaushik), whose death has left her best friend Naman (Akashdeep Arora) unable to weep. One night, while drinking on the rooftop, Mahima returns in spectral form. Her intention is not to haunt or terrify but to cajole, joke, and revisit the good old days in the company of her best friend. The duo roam around the streets of Jaipur at night, recalling memories, sharing inside jokes, and circling the unspoken question: how do we find closure when grief refuses to follow a script?

The film’s core conceit, a ghost who seeks not revenge but emotional fulfilment, is handled with tenderness, resulting in a narrative that is pleasant, witty, and easily digestible. The filmmaker resists pushing the idea into deeper or darker territory. So, instead of probing Naman’s internal state, such as his inability to outwardly mourn, his guilt, or his relationship to memory, the film merely hints at its capacity for marrying sentiment with subtle social observation. The conversations between Naman and Mahima are laced with easy humour, which, while pleasant, risks undercutting the narrative’s more resonant undertones. Once the rapport between the two friends is established, the narrative captures their bond as realistically as possible. They laugh, fret and fume like real-life friends do, with all their strength and misgivings. 

Anushka Kaushik is a delight, imbuing Mahima with a radiant, mischievous energy that makes her ghostly return feel like life continued rather than was disrupted. Akashdeep Arora plays Naman with quiet restraint, though his grief sometimes feels muted by a reluctance to explore its deeper textures. Both actors manage the delicate touches that their character requires, and mostly manage to pull it off. Their performances leave the film with a gentle lingering note of hope and connection. Visually, the film carries an understated polish. The city at night offers a vibrant backdrop, and Shrish Tomar's cinematography favours a clean, almost advertisement-like gloss over an evocative atmosphere. 

Momo Deal promises a dish of bittersweet reflection on our lives and the fleeting connections that define them. The result is a short film that engages, even amuses, but leaves one wishing for a bolder emotional payoff.  But within its lightness lies a certain charm. The tale gently reminds us that grief can also be navigated through humour, shared memories, and the enduring warmth of friendship. In its own modest way, it lingers, like the aftertaste of a good momo, simple and comforting.

Momo Deal is now available on Royal Stag Barrel Select Shorts’ YouTube channel.