Kamal Hassan, One of most versatile actor of Indian film industry has worked on some unique subjects never rendered on silver screen before and since then. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen lot of his regional movies as a Gujarati. Fortunately, he worked on one of those themes, which didn’t care for language barrier for the viewer - Silent Movie. Let me first clarify – this is silent, but not mute movie.
Pushpak set against the backdrop of vast urban unemployment among educated youth in the India. Pushpak talks very touching story of urban employment and youth daydreaming problems of getting richer quickly with unique style of comic flare. It tells us story of common Indian youth - who graduates with daydreaming of wealth, understands horror truth about unemployment, gets chance to live like rich man and finally realize real values of life, love, and wealth.
Story
Kamal Hassan is a young unemployed graduate, wander around city looking for job and daydreaming about wealth. One day while he was wandering around five-star Motel, Pushpak, comes across drunken rich man (Sameer Khakhar), who is staying in the hotel. The following night as Kamal was wandering as usual, he sees same rich man lying in a drunken state on a lonely pavement. Kamal sees the hotel key in his pocket.
An idea suddenly strikes him and he carries rich man to his own home, gags, ties his legs, and locks his room. Kamal started staying in Pushpak in rich man’s room no.3039. There he meets a girl, Amala, daughter of magician, whom he had earlier seen in a shopping complex. While enjoying the luxuries of money, Kamal regularly returns secretly to his room, cleans rich man’s stool and urine, feeds rich man, and leaves him in a drunken state.
As Kamal and Amala’s friendship grows, he discovers that an unknown killer (Tinnu Anand) is following him. Killer attempts to kill person who lives in room no.3039 and he doesn’t know Kamal has exchanged himself with drunkard. Following the killer in turn Kamal get chance look into rich man’s life – his wife and his friend’s adultery and how they try to kill him.
As he was living duel life, numerous incidents inspire him to forego the pleasure earned through shortcuts – Amala’s ignorance of material life, beggar’s death, rich man’s real story, and hotel owner’s death. He writes the truth to Amala and rich man, places rich man back in the same place where he had picked him up and returns to his original life. He learns lesson of honesty and look for job in the queue as his fellow unemployed graduates.
Analysis
Even though Pushpak has numerous comic incidents, the movie is quite serious in addressing its primary theme – Short cut ways of making wealth along with secondary themes - urban unemployment, drunkards, adultery etc. What I liked about Pushpak is each and every philosophical and thought provoking situation is interlaced with humor. It contains some amazing eye opening small episodes weaved together with Kamal’s main story. All of these threads not only enlightens Kamal but also leaves viewers spell bounded and thought provoked.
First, when the beggar dies, hospital crew comes to clear the body from the footpath. As they were carrying out his body, they see money flying out under the beggar’s rugs. Hospital crew drops the body and joins all other people on the street to collect money. When the owner of the five-star hotel dies the relatives pay homage to him with fake emotions. Both of these episodes reflect on Kamal the meaningless values of money after your death.
Second, when Kamal trying to get rid of scented and beautifully wrapped toilet waste box first time on road side, other pedestrian smells it and happily take it and next day, he vomits and runs away when he sees Kamal again carrying box. This scene shows us external beauty is nothing compared to inner beauty.
Third, when Kamal and Amala sneak out of the hotel for date. Kamal wishes to buy Amala a gift with money he now has. Amala refuses all offers and asks him, instead to get her a small flower growing on top of a dilapidated building. This episode reflects on Kamal the values of love, life and money.
Fourth, there is a sequence when we see how five-star hotel owner’s growth as empire from small tea stall to mid-level hotel to five-star resort. This reflects on Kamal the values of hard way to make money.
Last, climax sequence of the movie. Before leaving the hotel, Amala has last glimpse of Kamal outside of motel. He looks like he was ashamed by his deed and she looks at him as honest and good human being. That gives him new hope to live life and rejoins long queue of employments.
In silent movie, screenplay must be simple and straightforward. Pushpak has been graced by one of the best screenplay you ever see on cinema. From the first scene of the movie to the end, screenplay is so simple that you won’t be confused at any stage and every scenes, incidents, and messages are well explained. Plus, it is ably supported by constant titillating background score to hold you on your seat without getting bored.
There are many memorable sequences in the Pushpak. Most of all sequences have comic flare with sarcastic flavor - Kamal’s idea of getting rid of Rich man’s stool, Killer trying to kill Kamal in different circumstances, Beggar showing different ways of hiding money, Kamal try to get ahead in the employment queues, Kamal and Magician family at the gallery, Beggars death and people scrambling for money, hotel owner’s funeral and fake emotions, Kamal and Amala’s date and Kamal’s realizing true values of life, etc.
My most memorable scene is comic sequence. Kamal couldn’t sleep in the hotel in first night because he was so used to sleeping in his slum with the loud noise coming out from nearly cinema hall. He goes back to his slum, record the noise, come back to hotel room, plays it on recorder, and goes to deep sleep. I have heard people complaining they can’t sleep when they stay over to friends or family. I have also heard people can’t adjust themselves when they move from busy area to quite end of countryside. I have found answer of their complain in this sequence. Although its quite contradict to the movie sequence, I still remember I couldn’t sleep in room facing on ooty-coonor road because of non-stop traffic throughout night while I was vacationing in India because I am so used to sleeping in quite side suburb of Chicago.
Acting is one of most important ingredient in silent movie. Kamal Hassan is outstanding as lead character of the movie. He reminded me great Charlie Chaplin’s movies. His facial expressions, acting ability ably supported by fantastic screenplay makes you aware of what’s happening in young graduate’s life. He is present in mostly every scene of the movie. He has been finely supported by all other actors especially Amala as love interest, Tinnu Anand as Killer, and Sameer Khakhar as rich man.
Srinivasa Rao Singeetham’s Direction and Cinematography are highly commendable. I haven’t seen any of this director’s movies but he seems to be in full control in Pushpak.
Conclusion
There are themes in the movies never attempted before, starts as experiments and turns into masterpieces. Pushpak is one of them. Can you imagine watching movie without dialogues and it will still fulfill you with the overall joy of movie going experience. This is a rare treat for avid Indian cinema fan to watch social issues talked with utmost artistry. It’s an all-time classic.