The film is a very beautiful one on the subject of casteism and friendship. It also shows how two people help each other at a crucial time and how they become friends and begin to trust, discover and understand each other.
~ Story ~ 9/10
______________________________________________
A young mother, Meenakshi has to go to her in-Laws with her newly born son Santanam. Her father entrusts a fellow passenger Raja to take care of them in the journey.
En-route, they find themselves in midst of a hindu-muslim riot. The movie is all about the emotions they feel, the trauma they share and the trust that they find in each other.
The story is very nice and touches a very sensitive subject that has been plaguing our country, (or should I say BOTH our countries) since partition. The film has some really touching moments that convey the message of harmony in a very subtle way.
~ Acting ~ 9/10
______________________________________________
Rahul Bose plays Raja. He is a very good actor and performs his role with grace. His acting is a pleasure to watch. Be it a goon in Takshak who kills for pleasure, an eccentric suicidal actor in Everybody says I`m fine or the liberal Muslim wild life photographer Gentleman in Mr. & Mrs. Iyer. The guy is a delight on screen and personally I rate him very highly above any of the commercial cinema Actors including Aamir.
Meenakshi is a played by Konkona Sen who breezes thru the role of a married Tamilian Brahmin mother with ease.
The rest of the actors have been aptly cast and lend a touch of realism to the story.
I liked the character of the Police Inspector. It was refreshing to see the police being shown in a realistic and positive (rather, non-negative) role.
Everyone has acted well and there are no mis-fits in the film.
~ Direction ~ 9/10
______________________________________________
The film has been directed very well by Aparna Sen. A touchy subject and it has been given the right treatment without getting into any controversy.
Some of the scenes that I enjoyed in this movie are when Meenakshi refuses to share a room with Raja and then curses him in the morning when she finds that he has left the bungalow.
There is a scene when Raja and Meenakshi find themselves surrounded by this group of young girls and they are asked about their marriage and how they met.
There are other scenes that are touching and will be remembered for some time too, but revealing them would mean giving away a bit of the story and spoiling it for others.
~ Verdict ~ 9/10
______________________________________________
It is a very nice and touching film that makes one realise that your caste is not what makes you. It is your character and your nature that matters the most. It is about having inhibitions about a person based on his caste and then realising that when you put that thing aside and look at him, you notice how nice the person really is.
I strongly feel that if India wants to seriously make a mark internationally, it should be such movies that should be sent for the Film Fests.
Watch it for Rahul Bose, Watch it for Konkona Sen, Watch it for its story. Watch it at leisure and you’ll enjoy its finer points even more.
___________________________________________________________
Thank you for reading and do leave a line if you liked the revu.
PS: For friends :
Do read the the Revu trivia* in the comments section !!
- Revu trivia is NOT to be confused with movie trivia !!