When it comes to 1857, India’s first war of independence against British Raj, there are three movies comes to my attention right away although not in particular order - first it is Ketan Mehta’s colossal disappointment Mangal Pandey(2005), second Satyajit Ray’s magnificent sarcastic Satranj Ke Khilari(1977) based on royal lifestyle of Mughals and third one is Shyam Benegal’s unforgettable masterpiece Junoon(1978) based on personal conflicts of Hindustanis and British at that turbulent times.
Although Shyam Benegal is more known for his 70’s remarkable quartet masterpieces Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, and Bhumika, his collaboration with Shashi Kapoor in late 70s and early 80s with Junoon and Kalyug are no inferior compare to its predecessor. Junoon based on Anglo-Indian writer Ruskin Bond’s short story "A Flight of Pigeons" is a forbidden love story of an Anglo-Indian girl and a Pathan nobleman at the backdrop of Indian Mutiny war of 1857.
Story*
Northern Region of India, 1857, country is in turmoil - Sepoy Mangal Pandey had just been hanged at Meerut and last Mughal emperor Bhahdurshah already crowned at Delhi. British East India Company blockaded Delhi for final frontier of Delhi. Indian units of the British East India Company’s army are in open revolt, leading to a popular uprising against British Rule.
During those turbulent times, Junoon opens its story at the British cantonment in the Muslim influenced province of Mughal emperor’s kingdom. One morning, ex-sepoy Safraz Khan(Naseeruddin Shah) ignites group of rebels and massacres British people attending church. Among those killed is Charles Labadoor. Three women of Charles’s family, his wife Mariam(Jennifer Kendal), his daughter Ruth Labadoor(Nafisa Ali), and his mother-in-law, gets rescued and later sheltered by family friend, Lala Ramjimal, local Hindu money-lender.
Javed Khan(Shashi Kapoor), an affluent Pathan, brother-in-law of Sarfaz, had seen Ruth and fallen passionately in love with her. When Javed discovers that Ruth is in Ramjimal’s custody, he takes Ruth and her family under his protection. Under normal circumstances, all British women and Ramjimal would have been killed but they have been forgiven because Javed wanted to marry Ruth as his second wife. Javed’s wife, Firdaus(Shabana Azmi), openly opposes his plans of marriage. Instead of joining the fight for freedom, Javed stays home and pressurizes Mariam to give him consent to marry Ruth. Mariam puts forth her decision that Ruth will only be allowed to marry if the Indians succeed in breaking the British siege of Delhi.
But British finally succeed taking over Delhi. Unhappy Javed now hopes that Ruth respond to his love for her. In the mean time, because of scarcity of sepoys, Javed joins revolt. As British were approaching Javed’s province, Javed’s aunt and Firadus decides to migrate to safer Muslim-populated area. They leave Ruth and Mariam behind so they can meet their British group once British took over the region. Javed returns from the front, meets Firadus on his way home looking for Ruth.
Will Javed able to meet Ruth? Will Ruth who started having feelings for Javed agree to marry Javed? Will Mariam give her consent for the marriage? Will Javed finally realize that it would be foolish to marry an English woman?
Analysis*
As its tag line says, "Out of a Bloody Mutiny arose a passionate love story", Junoon is nothing but obsession of one man’s quest for possessing beauty or one mother’s quest for saving her daughter’s future in unfavorable situations. On bigger picture Junoon is one country’s quest for ruling over another country or one country’s quest for defending their soil from foreign forces.
Like many Benegal’s movies especially Ankur and Nishant where he simultaneously explored both bigger social and intimate personal events, Junnon works at both political and personal level at the same time. Astonishing thing its line is blurry. When intimate events unfolds, it still points to the political situations and when political events unfolds, personal lives gets affected.
Junoon is gripping and pulse-pounding drama unfolds on meticulously researched art-direction and Govind Nihalani’s brilliant cinematography. The way film’s story unfolds on beautiful canvass of 18th century India with large nawabi palaces with courtyards and story high curtains, pigeons in the courtyard, vast terraces, Mughlai feudal lifestyle transports us to 200 years back with ease.
Junoon is haunting film. It has amazing haunting power and it lingers in mind for a long time. Many of the scenes showcases Benegal at his height of creativity – Opening scene of crazy prophet, church Massacre, how Kulbhushan saves three British women and subsequent search for them, daily lifestyle of Kulbhushan or Shashi Kapoor’s family, Jennifer and Shashi’s silent war over Nafisa and Shashi’s marriage, Shabana Azmi’s constant resistance of her husband’s second marriage, and Safraz’s attack on pigeons when British captured the Delhi. My favorite among them is climax when Shabana migrates out from her community and meets Shashi Kapoor, who returned from Mutiny war. Without even looking at Shabana’s joy, Shashi Kapoor asks - "Where is British?" and stunned Shabana replies - "We left them behind. Don’t go over there. British already took over the area." and Shashi still moves on ignoring her emotions. To me, that was one of the best moments of the movie when she realizes that she lost her husband and he is no longer hers anymore.
As usual it happens in most of other Shyam’s films, Junoon contains amazing star cast - Shashi Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah as bloodthirsty sepoy, Shabana Azmi as Shashi’s insecure wife, Nafisa Ali as luminous British lady, Jennifer Kendal(Jennifer Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor’s real wife) as Nafisa’s tigress mother, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Shushma Seth as Shashi’s aunt, Pearl Padamsee, Benjamin Gilani as Shashi’s cousin, Deepti Naval as Benjamin’s wife. Any director can be proud of having them in their films.
Shyam Benegal is known for his remarkable gifts to Indian cinema in form of Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Anant Nag, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Amrish Puri, and Om Puri. Although many have started their career somewhere else, it was Shyam Benegal who put them on limelight of Indian Cinema. Unfortunately Shyam Benegal’s other find, India’s original Miss India turned actress Nafisa Ali’s career never took off after her breathtaking debut in Junnon. Nafisa Ali as Ruth was symbol of thousands of Anglo-Indian kids born in India with British parents who can’t decide whether Indian or British culture to adopt.
Conclusion
Movies depicting personal events at the backdrop of political movements seems are always great candidate for great films especially if its made right way. Although there are reasons for world wars, bi-country wars, political movements, religious riots, and cultural wars but in most cases, its aftermaths are more visible at the personal front. There are thousands of thousands personal stories to tell from war-ridden countries. Movies like Parzania, Baran, Osama, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer are the samples of those stories. Junnon is one of them and I thank Mr.Benegal for his brilliant stamp on Ruskin Bond’s story. It’s a timeless classic.