I not only speak and think
in many languages, but also entertain myself in several languages.
On the occasion of 100 years
of Indian cinema, I take pleasure in sharing some of my favourite films. (in no
particular order)
NAVRANG
(1959- Hindi) – I like this film not just for the lovely songs, dance sequences
of Sandhya and the artistic scenes, but for the portrayal of a complex
relationship between a man and a woman, the mismatch between expectation and reality
and the man’s fantasy. The first time I
saw it, I was an adolescent and did not understand much. I saw it once again recently.
GARAM
HAVA (1973 – Hindi-Urdu) I like the film as I could relate
with all the characters. It is a very
sensitive film. Two scenes from this
film that continue to haunt me are 1) the protagonist’s mother’s refusal to
move out of the ancestral house when they are evacuated 2) removal of dinner
plates to portray the shrinking size of the family.
ZUBEIDAA
(2001- Hindi) This autobiographical film written by Khalid Mohammed and
directed by Shyam Benegal is one of my favourites. The screenplay, direction, casting, costumes,
music, background score are all excellent.
Though it is a sad story, nowhere the film is gloomy.
GUNDAMMA
KATHA (1962-Telugu) This is my all time favourite Telugu film.
Strangely, I know all the dialogues of
this film by heart. Everything about
this film is so perfect; the screenplay, dialogues, direction, casting and
performance. A Sanskrit term that is
often used in Telugu media is “Na Bhooto
Na Bhavishyati” which means “never in the past, never again in future”
which is so apt for Gundamma Katha. I don’t get bored watching this film again
and again. Though the film was made in
Tamil as Manithan Maravillai and in Hindi as Swayamvar, I doubt if they carried
the same aura of Gundamma Katha.
MICHAEL
MADANA KAMA RAJAN (1990 - Tamil) A few years ago, a colleague of mine was
writing a book on Tamil Cinema and sought my help to write synopses of the
films he was planning to cover. As I had
seen most of the films that featured in his book, editing/writing the synopses
was not very difficult. But, I had seen Michael
Madana Kama Rajan in bits and pieces on TV.
Though I enjoyed watching it every time, I could never follow the story
line. I had to edit 5000 words synopsis
into a 1200 one. It was the toughest of
all the assignments as the screenplay was so complicated and more visual
oriented. Translating the scene into
words was very difficult and I not only enjoyed watching the film again and
again, but also writing the synopsis.
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CHOWRINGHEE LANE (1981-English): An old English teacher on
the verge of retirement lives a reclusive and uneventful life. A chance meeting with an old student brings
vibrancy to her life. The student
requests the lady to let the student’s friend, an upcoming writer, to use her
apartment during the day when she is at school, for working on his project.
The lady agrees and the student and the writer (also the boyfriend) use the
lady’s apartment to spend time together under the pretext of writing a book. The
naïve lady showers love on the young couple and keeps in touch with them even
after they marry and settle down. The young couple avoids the lady, which she
fails to understand and when she understands, she is shattered. Being single, I can relate to the
protagonist.
BETTADA
JEEVA (2011-Kannada) The movie made based on Jnanapith Awardee
K.Shivaram Karant’s novel was very refreshing.
The screenplay, direction, cinematography, the locales and the
performance of all the actors added value to the story. The story set in early
1940’s is about a freedom activist escaping arrest, taking shelter in the house
of an elderly couple in a remote hilly village, away from civilization. The hosts make his stay in their house an
unforgettable experience. I am desirous
of living in such a remote village after my retirement.
NOTTAM (2006-Malayalam) The film depicts
Koodiyattam, an ancient Sanskrit Theatre form in Kerala. Nedumudi Venu plays the role of a Koodiyattam
artiste who dedicates his entire life to the art form. The film shows the struggle of the artistes
to sustain the art in the changing scenario.
I saw this film on Loksabha TV on a Saturday night and at the end of the
film, there was a problem with the signals and I didn’t know how the film concluded. The next morning when I went for
a radio programme, I discussed the film and my disappointment with my friend
and colleague, a Malayalam announcer with AIR. She refused to discuss the end with me and
suggested that I should watch the film again for that last scene and said she
can arrange to get a DVD for me.
Fortunately, most of the films telecast on Loksabha TV on Saturday
nights are telecast again on Sunday afternoons and so I returned home to watch
the movie once again. In the last scene,
the protagonist falls down and as the co-artistes and the audience wonder if the
artiste is performing or has collapsed, he opens his eyes. “Nottam” in
Malayalam means “The Gaze” which has a dual meaning in this context. Facial expressions and intense eye movements
are intrinsic part of the dance form and his opening eyes brings relief to the
anxious audience, colleagues and family members.
YARWNG (ROOTS) (2010-Kokborok) The first
time I heard the term “Kokborok” was when I saw this film. It is a very well taken film about an
indigenous tribe getting displaced due to a hydel project. How insensitive we are to our fellow human
beings! It is the same theme, told in a different manner in Bhoomi Geetha (1997-Kannada)
I
have watched and enjoyed many films in Marathi, Oriya, Bengali and
Assamese. Since I am unable to recollect
the names and the characters correctly, I have not discussed them here.
