Ahista ahista is a film about an aam aadmi.
Exactly for that reason the aam aadmi does not like it.He doesnt want to watch his own real life on the screen.He buys the movie ticket for entertainment for a few hours, to escape from the realities of his harsh life..Atleast that is the impression held by our bollywood masala makers.So at regular intervals they churn out a mixture of sex, melodrama, item numbers, foreign locales, with the usual story of a love triangle or rectangle thrown in.But a change is slowly taking place, with movies like parinita and omkara.In Omkara we have seen for the first time the lead actors speaking real language of the aam aadmi.
Ahista is a movie for a select audience.Many of the regular movie buffs couldnot tolerate it beyond halftime.It is a slow movie. It will not make you sit at the edge of the chair.
It has neither a great beginning nor an orgasmic climax.
No glittering sets,
no foreign locales,
no snowclad swiss alps.
The dreams of an aam aadmi are simple.
Abhay Deol is the aam aadmi.An angel comes into his life quite unexpectedly.As a professional witness at the Marriage registrars’ office , his life never used to throw any surprises.Just another faceless person in the crowd of purani dilli , he had no great ambitions.
The demure and petite Soha is the angel.
She came from another world.
From the world where the clouds kiss mountains and prestine streams merge into lakes .
The lake city of Nainital.
.A day seemed like eternity.
It was the fall of dusk and still her lover had not turned up with the Garland.Her feminine wisdom was very quick to arrive at the conclusion that she has been cheated by her lover.May be he is a coward.May be he changed his mind.
She is now a fallen angel.what happens to an angel when she falls into the bylanes of old delhi were vulture eyes follow anything that is wrapped in a sari or salwar?You will expect that the wings of the angel will be clipped.The vultures will feast on her flesh.She will no more be able to fly!
You are disappointed.The aam admi has a conscience.Destiny has put him in the place of a superhero.
May be for the first time in his life.He can save her from the vultures.
He puts her on a high pedestal.nobody should be allowed to touch her.not even he himself.
She is an angel.
He offers her food and shelter.Without any thought of any reward, anything in return.not even love.
Why did he do it? are there really such people around us?One cannot but help thinking.
Slowly his life changes for the better.He is no more a ship without sail.The angel is part of his life she is his responsibility.She has nobody else in the big bad city.Her financial burden becomes his own.He has to upgrade himself from the man in the street to an english speaking smart young supervisor.
All for the angel.
She teaches him English, . motivates him to rise in life
He makes it clear to her. There is no love.no sex, vex also!
The boy meets girl.and you say no sex not even love(what else do you need to ensure that your film will be a big flopp!)
Soon there is a turn of events when he had to take charge of the situation and propose to her. The stage was set for him to marry her.But destiny had other things in store for them.Her ’original’ lover turns up and stakes his claim.
The dilemma faced at this juncture by he girl is the high point of the movie.Finally
The old love takes precedencce over the new!
And the aam aadmi removes his tie!
He is back at his witness profession.
He is the witness for the angel’s marriage!
The other guy got the girl but surely the winner is our aam admi! for he has won her heart and your hearts too!
Snighdha says she didnt feel anything while watching it, but later it started haunting her.It raised many questions she couldnt answer and she got confused!
This is the sign of a good movie.It makes you sit back and think!
You may forget Golmal after a few years but ahista will linger on in your mind.
All said and done, I would grade ahista as a good movie not as very good or excellent.There are many flaws in it.Director shivan nair could not get out of the TV mould. He could not utilise the immense possibilities of cinema as a medium to to tell his story more effectively.This is why the audince felt bored.
But it is still worth watching, as the changing face of Bollywood.Give us more such movies about real people , movies which uphold the triumph of human spirit in place of unabashed sex , violence, and unconvincing melodrama.