“Dosh” might translate as “flaw” or “fault” in Hindi, but Radha Mehta’s short is close to being flawless.

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Karishma (Renu Razdan) is a hard-of-hearing mom. She has a young boy, a mother-in-law who has no problem throwing that “dosh” label around, and a bi-polar husband who thinks he is singularly polar. Karishma yearns to unconditionally love her family. She wants to celebrate Diwali. Sing. Dance. And like a lot of moms? Karishma simply wants a moment of pure, unbroken silence.

Tragedy of course hits. But as is often the case in narratives such as this one, good things arise from those troubles. After you work at it some. Dosh might look slick and bright but Mehta definitely showcases those shadows.

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Mehta also beautifully shows this story of patience in a pattern as intricate as Krishna’s henna. Mehta sets the scene, introduces Karishma and Ram (Nikhil Prakash), breathes in a dream, swims up some sorrow. The entire short is quick, and real, and relatable. Dosh deserves to be seen.

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I’m a sucker for dance sequences outside of the musical genre. Both the dance-off in Noah Hawley’s Legion, the beautiful expose in the finale of Netflix’s Giri/Haji are two recent hits. Here, Karishma is able to enjoy herself – and express the weight of her imposed dosh – in a beautiful dance… while waiting for the laundry.

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Radha Mehta presents a real voice in indie filmmaking that focuses on character’s lives – not faults. I’m looking forward to seeing what Mehta dances up next.