Lizard On The Wall lacks focus

WHEN the novel Inheritance by Balli Kaur Jaswal debuted in 2013, it was hailed as one of the best first efforts by a Singaporean author in recent years. Well-plotted and lucidly written, it tells a story of a Punjabi family caught between tradition and modernity as Singapore rapidly progresses from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Harbeer the patriarch is a first-generation immigrant from India who has to raise three children and a nephew after the death of his wife. His first son Narain struggles to hide and then later come to terms with his homosexuality. His daughter Amrit suffers from bipolar disorder that has her running off frequently to have sex with strangers. The second son Gurdev is perhaps the least disappointing to Harbeer - Gurdev is straight and married with three children. But Gurdev finds himself constantly vying with his cousin Karam for Harbeer's affections.

Commissioned by the Singapore International Festival of Arts, film director K Rajagopal (A Yellow Bird) sought inspiration from the novel to make a film titled Lizard On The Wall which premiered on SIFA's closing night.