A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
By Arpita De for Wishberry
By Arpita De for Wishberry
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| You... perhaps it was my fancy... Forgive me for referring to it; I fancied you were crying, and I... could not bear to hear it... it made my heart ache: Fyodor Dostoevsky |
The
1980s were a turbulent period for India. The art that came out of these times
is reflective of the constant ups and downs that the nation’s social fabric was
trying to process. The rise of Naxalbari, wars with neighbouring nations,
internal communal riots, factory blackouts, the assassination of the one of the
most polarising figures in politics that led to a bloodbath, and unease with
the administration were just some of the problems plaguing the country. There
was growing discontent. Industrialisation, and by virtue of it capitalisation,
were on the rise...
What
it led to in cinema was the rise of the ‘angry young man’. Mainstream Hindi
cinema capitalized on this and thus, stars were born — Amitabh Bachchan.
However, what was then known as parallel cinema, also created pieces that
concentrated on the angst of a solitary protagonist in battle with demons both
inside and on the outside — Salim Pasha (Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro) and Albert
Pinto (Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyun Aata hai), were products of the times, as
well as the result of the trials and tribulations of any artist unwilling to
toe the ‘assigned’ line.
Perhaps
not a lot has changed in 2017 — because we still witness the same discontent
and disillusionment in today’s youth. In such times, who is the protagonist
that is most likely to echo your inner turmoil? Is it the mainstream ‘hero’
with his army of faithful lackeys and song-and-dance sequences, or is it
someone whose very existence is in question? Today’s hero is disillusioned. He
might live but his life is no testimony to a living, breathing, thriving
organism... he shuttles between day and night, between sleep and wakefulness,
only to pass the time... He is someone like Gulmohar — the protagonist of
Sharad Raj’s directorial venture Ek
Betuke Aadmi Ki Afrah Ratein, which is currently running its crowdfunding campaign on Wishberry.
Sharad
passed out from FTII, Pune in 1992 and has largely been involved with
television. He has been a part of 25 shows till now and has also helmed two
featurettes — Ek Thi Maria starring
Raghuvir Yadav and Irrfan Khan, and Ward
No. 6, starring Atul Kumar and Kay Kay.
Inspired
by Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Dream of a
Ridiculous Man and White Nights,
along with influences from Munshi Premchand’s works, Sharad Raj wants to create
the portrait of the modern man — a man riddled with self-doubt, a man who
chooses to remain unaffected by unfolding tragedies, a man guilty of a crime
which he committed when he became a mute spectator to violence, a man who seeks
redemption, and finally, a man who discovers that selfless love is the answer
to the madness that we are faced with, as 21st century individuals.
Set in rural Uttar Pradesh, this film traces Gulmohar’s journey as he straddles
with the guilt of not saving his lover Anita’s life in the face of communal
riots, and how he discovers true redemption in the love of Gomti.
Gulmohar’s
story resonates with most of us because in some way or the other we are guilty
of doing the same. We simply do not care enough. Here are a few stats:
- The Union Ministry of Home Affairs reported that 278 communal clashes took place in the first five months of the year 2016.
- In UP alone, there has been a rise of 161% in rape cases in just one year (2014 to 2015).
- According to International Labour Organisation, “Unemployment in India is projected to increase from 17.7 million last year to 17.8 million in 2017 and 18 million next year”.
Gulmohar
is a product of our times — his apathy is the product of a mind-set that is
desensitised and attuned to drowning voices in the quest of self-preservation —
Ek Betuke Aadmi Ki Afrah Ratein is a
tale all of us know all too well, yet find difficult to digest. Therefore, this
is a film that needs to see the light of day. And mainstream cinema’s economics
would never want to fund a project that questions the guileless happy endings
that Bollywood churns out, day in and day out. They want a mirage — not the
ugly truth.
Doesn’t
this remind you of something?
Cue
back to 1976 and a film titled Manthan.
Crowdfunding made that film possible when 500,000 farmers of Gujarat got
together to tell their story — the story of the White Revolution. They donated
Rs. 2 each and post the film’s release also ensured that the cinemas ran to
packed houses to recover costs.
In
order to know more about Sharad’s ‘Betuka Aadmi’, head over to his campaign
page on Wishberry here.
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!
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