Yavakree to Mithilai : As you asked my father Andhaka, I don’t know the exact time of my death, but I can tell yours... exactly a month from this date... (after getting caught in the ’act’ with Vishaka)
Backgrounder
This Hindi movie is based on Girish Karnads Kannada drama ’Benki Mathu Male’ ( Fire and Rain) which itself is inspired from a Upa-katha (sub-plot/short story) from the Hindu epic Mahabharatha.
Girish Karnad is a very famous novelist & drama writer in Kannada language. Some of the very famous National award winning Kannada movies have been based on his novels/dramas.
Being born a Brahmin & leftist in orientation/ideas, most of his movies are about South Indian Brahmins, their beliefs, superstitions & Hypocrisy. But his works don’t brand Brahmins as the only reason for every evil on this Earth unlike other Kannada non-Brahmin leftist writers.
The story based on Karnads play & acting by stalwarts like Raveena Tandon, Sonali Kulkarni, Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, newcomer Milind Soman... and the trailers (promos) of the movie were the reasons I watched this movie
Fire & Rain
Fire - The Famine that has affected the kingdom for some 10 years now, parching the earth to barren land forcing the people to migrate. The fire of hunger that burns in the stomach of the ordinary people.
The 7 year long Holy Fire ceremony (Yajna) being conducted by the king, with great Brahmin ’Paravasu’ (played by Jackie Shroff) as the ’Agni-Hotra’ (main priest) who cannot leave the ceremony till the Final offering (Purna-Ahuti) is offered to the Yajna.
The Fire of lust burning between his estranged wife ’Vishaka’ (Raveena Tandon) and his cousin the enlightened [after 10 year penance] ’Yavakree’ (Nagarjuna) the son of the blind ascetic ’Andhaka’ the brother of Paravasus father. Fire of desire in the heart of Paravasus father for his own daughter-in-law!!!
The Fire of youth flaring between young lovers ’Arvasu’ (Milind Soman) the brother of caste Brahmin ’ParaVasu’ and ’Mithilai’ the daughter of a lower-caste Tribal chief. A love that takes Arvasu nearly to the point of leaving his caste to marry Mithilai. Sage Andhaka (blind old man) is the only one supporting the young lovers.
The Fire of jealousy burning between Paravasu, his Father (who thinks He should have got the honour) and Yavakree.
Rain = the only thing that could put out this Fire. But that would happen only when Indra the ancient Indian Vedic king of Gods & God of rains (cameo by Big B Amitabh Bachchan) is pleased
The lust between Vishaka & Yavakree takes him to his pyre in the hands of Brahma-Rakshasa (Demon) invoked from the spirit-world by Paravasus father. The death of Yavakree & Andhaka (by grief) forces Arvasu to miss the meeting with Mithilai’s Tribal elders. Enraged by Arvasus absence Mithilai’s father marries her to a Tribal boy.
News of Yavakree’s death & the affair between him & Parvasus wife, forces Paravasu to visit his wife in the cover of darkness. On learning about his Fathers lust for his wife, enraged Parvasu kills his Father.
In order to escape from the blame, Paravasu puts the blame on his younger brother. Branded a murderer, Arvasu becomes an out-caste. He gets beaten black & blue by the King’s soldiers & is thrown outside the city. On hearing this sad news Mithilai leaves her husband and runs away from the city along with her lover & a drama group.
On recovering, Arvasu decides to expose his brother & seeks a role in the Drama group performing a drama on the final day of Yajna. In the guise of Drama, which is about a Brother (Indra) killing a brother (Vishwa = Vishwe Deva) by deceit, Arvasu playing the role of half-Rakshasa (demon) Vritta manages to set the hall on Fire... Realizing his mistake Paravasu burns himself invoking his internal Yogic-fire. In the melee Maithili gets killed by her jealous husband & her brother.
Pleased with Paravasu’s sacrifice Indra (AB) appears to Arvasu and asks for a boon. Arvasu asks for returning his lovers life. The only problem is that it would require the turning back of Wheel of time (Kaala-Chakra) which would bring back to life all those who had died till then & a repetition of the same cycle again.
At the same time the Demon appears before Arvasu & pleads him to ask Indra for it’s salvation. Finally Arvasu agrees & obliges. The spirit of the Demon gets freed from Demonic form & rises to Heaven. Once the Fire of selfishness has been put out, it starts to rain cats & dogs!! Rain ends the Fire!!
Final Outcome
I was disappointed after seeing this movie. A great story killed by the inept handling of director Arjun Sajnani, who has tried to get Karnad’s drama to the big screen in the drama form itself!!! The dance of the demon (Prabhu Deva) was the most dragging & boring sore point of the movie.
As far as acting is concerned, Raveena sizzles in bold scenes & whatever little acting opportunity she gets. Sonali Kulkarni has acted well. Jackie Shroff is as emotionless as a Rock!! Nagarjuna over-acts & Milind Soman was a complete disappointment. Even Big B as Indra fails to impress
This Fire didn’t Rain
Indra To Yavakree : A man mounted on his Donkey was searching for something far away in the darkness... when asked ’what?’... he said ’I am searching for my lost Donkey’!!!
This anecdote is about Yavakree searching for the meaning of life by becoming an ascetic & running away from it (life).
I felt the same way after watching this movie :((