Mr & Mrs Iyer

Garden of Hope

Bend in the road.

I’d been looking forward to peeping into the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Iyyer, the surrogate husband and wife wedded to the incongruity of situations. No guys, it is not another ’meaningful’ cinema delving into sexual independence or the elusive search for a ’Perfect’ relationship. This movie is about Emotions....under Doctored Curfew.

Raja Chaudhary is help-personified to a hapless Mrs. Meenaskhi Iyyer during a bus journey through the hills. Raja, a professional photographer, rather used to training his lens on the salubrious wilds, is made to cope with the noisy demands of Mrs. Iyyer’s one year old son Santhanam (With a heavy duty Tamil accent). While we are getting used to the cute antics of the kid, the director’s camera pans on other characters (Or co-passengers rather) in an unpretentious and easygoing manner.

The hell breaks lose when some religious hoodlums forcibly enter the bus and kill an old Muslim couple. Raja, a Muslim himself, is saved by Meenakshi’s timely presence of mind when she gives him a new name: Mr. Iyyer and also the father of the little kid in the lap.

The best part is that Meenakshi isn’t a die hard secular (or do have a new name for such types: ’’Pseudo Secular’’ doing the rounds these days). She is a Science student, but is also an avid believer in the cast and religious system as she’s been married into an orthodox Tamil family.

The remaining movie is dotted with some poignant moments beyond description. They are meant to be felt. And nothing else. The minor characters like the helpful and the politically correct police inspector, or the caretaker at the forest rest house add their own charm.

It is simply amazing as to how the real life situations could be handled with some deftness, and not an iota of stupid melodrama. And let me tell you, Mr. and Mrs. Iyyer along with their son Santa shall give you many an entertaining moment.

Now, before I talk about the efficient cast, let me bestow accolades on director Aparna Sen. Hats off to you maa’m! I have a close friend list punctuated with hues and shades of all religions, but I have also banned a few people on my TV-watching wish list as they make me feel sick due to their gory views about a religion I am born in. In such an era, you’ve given such a human perspective of situations that I am simply speechless, and wish for more humane and sensitive people like you.

Rahul Bose as Raja and Konkana Sensharma as Meenakshi are very competent. And real! It must have been tough on Konkana, for in spite of being a Bengali, her Tamil accent is brilliant. Cinematography by celebrated director Gautom Ghose makes the tension palpable and stimulating. Music by Zakir Hussain sahab is a big plus. For the songs by Samantha in English and the ones by Ustad Sultan Khan in Hindustani are gut wrenching and used at opportune moments in the film.

Last but not the least, the language. I wouldn’t say the use of English language makes Mr. and Mrs. Iyyer an English film. For English has been used between a Raja and Meenakshi for she can’t make heads and tales of both Bengali as well as Hindi, so English is the most viable option. And the case is the same with many other characters as well. English language is also symbolised as the unity in diversity, something India as a Nation stands for.

Mr. and Mrs. Iyyer. A surrogate wedding to the incongruity of situations!