Tales are infinite.
However no tale among these ever found an end.
Many a times these tales haunt,
Flocking together,
Like a thousand ghosts.
A shiver runs high through a cold body
A silent shriek dissolves in thin air unknowingly
But tales as they are,
They simply go unheard.
These tales remain invisible.
Unheard and Inaccessible.
These stay cloaked beneath a million smiles,
Smiles so false and wry.
One can’t help wonder,
How strange but strangely true
Are these momentous tales of life?
One such tale is Mammo. Strange yet true. A tale in Rizzu’s life.
I came home from school as usual when I first met her. Grandma told me that she was her sister and hence my granny. But I didn’t bother to like her. She had this very annoying habit of mothering me more than my mother would do if she were alive.
I called her Mammo. That was the short form of her name Mahmooda Begum. As days passed by Mammo seemed to cross limits by trying to peep in each n’ every activity of mine. Be it my flare for smoking or be it my pleasure for watching Adult rated movies. Mammo left no stone unturned to violate my privacy. She was trying to corner me using all her sweet looking antics. After a matter of time, I had enough of it.
How much I wished she left and went back to where she had come from. In the first place, how much I wish she had never come in my life. But things started growing worse. I had to accompany her to different places she visited. Soon I found out that she wasn’t that bad as much as I thought. In fact she was only trying to help me grow into a better human being. Obviously she had her own ways of doing the same.
What I could make out from her conversation with grandma is that, Mammo was very happy at her home in Pakistan. One-day tragedy struck when her husband passed away. Her in-laws had her out of the house and the only path left with her was to return back to India to stay with her sister i.e. my grandma.
One day, I accompanied her to a police station. Sweet as she was, she carried a stainless steel container filled with sweets. Soon I found out that the cops weren’t too nice with her as they should be with a woman. She was struggling to elongate her stay here. But the policeman said she must go back to Pakistan as her temporary Visa had expired.
In the next few days, Mammo tried and tried endlessly to stay back with us, but one day it so happened that a police van full of men and women visited our lane. They literally dragged Mammo to the vehicle and dumped her in. I ran behind her, as she looked behind with eyes filled with tears. I still feel her eyes looking back at me for help. But am too helpless to provide any help.
How much I wish she came back home.
Mammo’s Tale:
Mammo is a tale of hope. Hope of returning back home to the ones who really care. The ones on whom Mammo can rely on, when every other door has been slammed on her face. To live and keep living till the end but as, where and with whom she wants to live. Mammo shows the dilemma of a person when he/she has to live life of a refugee on his/her own motherland.
Mammo played by Farida Jalaal is an Indian Muslim woman whom marriage takes to Pakistan. She leads a happy life until one day her husband faces an unexpected death. Mammo is driven out of her house by her in-laws. She comes back to India to stay with her sister Fayyazi played by Surekha Sikri and her orphan grandson Riyaz played by Master Amit Phalke. When her temperory Visa expires, Mammo tries everything in her power to stay back in India. But geographical boundaries are too tough for her efforts. She is dragged back to Pakistan with just the hope accompanying her that one day, she will return back to live her remaining life on her motherland with the ones who do care for her. Will Mammo ever return back? Do watch Shyam Benegal’s Mammo to get the answer for yourselves. And believe me, Mammo and her charm accompany even after the movie ends in form of mist on the eyelids.
The Performances:
Farida Jalal’s portrayal of Mammo is as natural as it could be. She gives her charm to Mammo. Her dialogue delivery is just perfect to bring out the needed accent.
Master Amit Phalke brings Riyaz’s mischief to life. Riyaz is not the commonly mischievous hyper active kid from Bollywood. But a normal boy who still doesn’t know the difference between what is good for him and what is not. Amit Phalke delivers Riyaz effectively.
Rajat Kapoor plays the grown up Riyaz. It is through eyes of Riyaz that the tale of Mammo unfolds. Rajat Kapoor is as brilliant as ever.
Surekha Sikri as Fayyazi is believable. Not much of punch resides in her role. But she provides ample support.
Shyam Benegal, easily one of the best directors of India, directs Mammo. The tenderness of the plot is handled with ultra care thus not letting emotions go over the top.
Mammo is told in an autobiographical fashion which is where the magic of a strong script turns effective. Khalid Mohammed’s script plays the soul to the movie. The characters are very well etched which makes the impact of story telling all the more stronger.
Iqbal Bano’s gazal is used beautifully in the background and Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poems make the gazal dangerously touch souls. Gulzar’s lyrics to Hazaar Baar Chale Hum steal something from deep within. Vanraj Bhatia’s background score adds to the effect of the movie.
Many a times while watching Mammo, a smile is twitched unknowingly on lips. And you have no clue when eyes grow wet at instances. Mammo’s innocence is something to die for. Mammo is simply a must watch for the ones who possess love for serious cinema.
One of so many tales,
Some told, Some deserted,
Some tressured, Some already forgotten.
They reside somewhere,
In darkness of conscience.
One among so many…
Tales unfold as pages flow.
With a strong blow of dense air,
A tale very precious on outskirts of life,
Residing somewhere in near past,
Comes unveiled to evoke restlessness and pain.
One such tale,
One soul among so many souls,
Of tales which never saw an end.