HARI BHARI means Lush Green, Fertile, attributed to fields, crop...But in this film it refers to Womanhood. The film revolves around five women belonging to a lower middle class , uneducated muslim family. HARI BHARI is a very well made film, the story of the women is very well knitted into the main fabric of the theme . The kind of rapport between them, and that with their respective husbands and family is a joy to behold; in the sense that you feel with them, suffer with them and somehow you become a part of their family rather than a mere onlooker. Being uneducated and poor , they hold strong beliefs about women’s role in a household. Issues of bearing a male child who would eventually be around to look after the old parents, early marriage for teenage girls so that she bears a lot of healthy children, denial of education to the girl child are very vividly brought out, without hurting feelings or ego. So also their disbelief in family planning and suspicion of lady doctors and social workers is so realistically portrayed. It has beautiful cinematography and award-winning direction.
Shabana who plays the main role of ’’Ghazala’’ is thrown out of her home by her husband for not bearing him a male child. He eventually decides to marry another woman, without even bothering to check out if he is genetically able to father a male child. He considers this an insult to his manhood ! In contrast there is this attractive sister-in-law of Ghazala, played by the charming Nandita Bose (’’Fire’’ fame, Deepa Mehta’s film), who has a ferocious tooth and nail fight with her city bred husband who gets himself sterilized without his wife’s knowledge.
This is a great film tackling predominant burning issues in India, an eyeopener, made shrewdly into a slick, feature film with top stars. The cast is excellent and could’nt be better-chosen. The five women in question, Ghazala (Shabana Azmi), her sister -in-law Nandita Bose, the elder sister-in-law, their mother and Ghazala’s teenage daughter Salma have played their role to perfection. There is ’nt a single moment of boredom, a totally engrossing film.
There are a few scenes which really get to you. The lush, ripe fields swaying in the breeze is so cool, you almost feel as if you are in the fields and can feel the breeze on you (in the theatre!) The heated, ferocious fight between Nandita Bose and her husband is a delight to watch!... So well enacted and picturized! Could’nt be better ! And finally this scene where their beloved Moti, the milk yielding cow of the family, breaking its leg, is tied to a pole and carried away upside down, showing its swaying tummy, ...to the slaughter house ... Very , very sad. In fact the elder sister-in-law speaks out her mind when she retorts to her husband ’’I am no different from our cow’’
I am sure this film HARI BHARI has succeeded in doing what no amount of adverts. or social work would have done to awaken our people to the Truths and the practical side of Life. This is a film which is a MUST in the rural areas all over India. It is a tax-free film in the cities, but it would be wiser if it was given a totally free viewing in the villages.