In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones is a unique TV film with an even more eclectic name. The story follows a fifth-year architecture student and his friends as they prepare their thesis and aim to graduate.
Written by Arundhati Roy, this movie is sassy, funny, intellectual, and comforting in a way that many other Indian films are not. By the time the curtain drops, you’ll likely be left with this feeling of nostalgia and warmth for the time that once was. As stated in our review of In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, the story is a love letter to the youth and their spirit.
But many who have seen this film often wonder: what is the significance of its title? What does it even mean?
Let’s break things down.
What is the Meaning of In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones?
Set in a premier national architecture college in Delhi, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones primarily follows its protagonist, Anand Grover (who is also called Annie), a fifth-year student who has already failed to graduate four times before.
The thing about Annie is that although he has potential and comes up with excellent ideas, his designs are often knocked down and disregarded by his principal, Y. D. Billimoria (or Yamdoot).
The very fact that the authority figure is called Yamdoot (the agent of death) highlights the tension that exists between Annie and the principal. After all, Annie has all these seemingly insane — yet genuinely smart — ideas about what the future of development should look like in the country. However, Yamdoot, who represents the “old guard,” never sees the impact Annie’s concepts could have.
As the meme goes, “Modern problems require modern solutions.”
But Yamdoot’s philosophy is a far cry from that outlook. In today’s capitalistic society, where profit and revenue take centre stage, Annie’s work makes space for socially uplifting factors — things that all sections of society can actually benefit from.
Now that you have this context, let’s discuss the meaning of the film’s title.
“Give it those ones” is just another way of saying someone is doing what they always do.
So, the title makes it clear that Annie is a different kind of architect in the modern world — one for whom common-sensical ideas of inclusivity take precedence over the needs of the rich, a demographic that already gets catered to enough by those in his profession.
Now, most of the film looks at the issues he and his friends face as they try to explore different ideologies through their work. For instance, while Annie develops a plan that would allow faecal matter from rural populations to be used as compost for trees along train tracks, Radha questions how architecture can help — or deny — a community the opportunity to thrive.
Evidently, these are fresh ideas that are not common practice but could be greatly beneficial if implemented correctly. However, Annie and his friends are often critiqued for their “abandonment” of reality in the pursuit of virtue by their teachers, the very people who should, at the very least, be championing such ideas.
Otherwise, what is the significance of education in India?
Are universities and colleges just part of another system that is kept in place to simply prepare people for the job market? Or should these institutions be at the forefront of innovation that enables a positive transformation in society?
Thus, the title, at least in spirit, sets the tone of the film by including the colloquial phrase “give it those ones” and disregarding norms and preconceptions in favour of bold and exciting ideas.
