Sunil Gangopadhyay’s ’Hirak Deepthi’ was the first choice of Satyajit Ray when he decided to film one of the author’s works. For reasons known to himself, he shifted to make the same author’s ’Aranyar din Ratri’ instead and the rest is history. After a very long gap, Director Shyamaprasad has made this classic work into a Malayalam film, and what a film on human relationship it is.
It is the story of an eminent Economics professor Dr.Nathan and his relationship with a housewife Deepthi. Their first meeting takes place in an hospital where she runs from pillar to post for the treatment of her son. Her husband has gone to another city in search of a job. Dr. Nathan helps her and gives a lift to her house, which is in the same block of his own apartment.
Dr. Nathan is a bachelor. He never cares for his appearance and attires. The author of many important Economic researches, he is not sentimentally attached to any family relations. Even in the first scene where he is making love to his girlfriend Bela, he receives a distant call, stating his only aunt is sinking and he should come to see her. Bela advices him not to go, since when somebody who is truly loved comes to visit a sinking soul may crave to live more and it may increase the agony of the dying person.
Deepthi visits his apartment and requests monetary help pledging her jewel. He is baffled, but helps her. She also asks him to get a job for her husband Jayan and he obliges. After a few days Jayan has got his first salary, thanks to Dr.Nathan’s timely help, and he sends her to repay the loan to Dr. Nathan.
Nathan is on a drinking spree that day. He is celebrating the death of his only relative, his aunt, and now a free man deserves a good helping of drinks. Deepthi returns the money, but waits there to thank him. He nears her, and only now he is realising that he is in the company of a beauty, and touches her thin neck. She is alarmed and questions his action. He requests her to leave if she disliked his attitude and he never touches a woman without her consent.
But the unknown depth of a woman’s mindscape conceals its own mystery. The two make love.
After a few meetings, Deepthi tries to avoid Dr.Nathan. When he comes in search of her desperately, she locks herself in the room. When she goes to her apartment, it is locked and he has gone to some foreign university to give lecture. Time flies. Her stomach bulges out and she is prepared for her second delivery now. One day knowing that he has returned, she visits him. He touches her stomach with joy. He confesses he hasn’t met any pregnant lady in such a close distance. Now she is a lady with a body and two souls, and it is a real wonder, but he adds that when 72, 000 kids are born every minute , then what is the wonder. And he says that when he saw a forest fire in Europe outside his window which was in the shape of a jewel in the dark background, he remembered her beautiful body.
’So I am just a body to you, isn’t it’ she rages. ’Yes, every woman is just a body to me, and nothing more that’, he snaps. She walks out in fury. Later Deepthi begins to lose her mental balance and after the delivery of her girl child, she is completely out of control. One day she is caught in the act of throwing the kid out of the windows, and when her husband prevents her, she shoots out, ’when 72, 000 kids are born every minute, why can’t this one die’!
She is admitted in a mental asylum with the help of Nathan. Years fly. Jayan shifts their house. He singlehandedly takes care of the children. One day Deepthi is discharged and normal now. She couldn’t believe that she had a second child and her husband hasn’t married a second wife. With a new slant towards religious piety, she is back to normalcy.
On the other hand Nathan sinks himself in drinks. He is very much disturbed at Deepthi’s fate and self pity kills him. He spends his days and nights in bars and his only friend Bela is the only solace now. She says that the child must be his, and that is what Deepthi wanted to say to him when they met last, and this disturbs him even more. One day Jayan finds him in a bar, and invites him to their home. When he comes Deepthi is not ready to meet him, and now she is on the verge of returning to her old days. After days of turmoil, she picks up a broken glass, and reaches his apartment along with her children. She leaves them on the ground floor and reaches his penthouse.
The meeting is really remarkable. When Nathan open’s his heart, she falls apart and forgetting the sharp weapon she embaraces him. The children after a long wait walk up the stairs and when the son knocks open the door, Nathan invites him with loving eyes. The film just ends here , leaving everything to our guess.
A film which could have turned into a soft porno if caught in the careless hands, turns a classic with the excellent treatment of director Shyamaprasad. After making two remarkable films ’Agnisatshi’ and ’Akale’(the glass Menegerie) scripted from works of literature, this is his next venture. And he has seeked the help of matinee idols to perform these complex characters and has triumphed in it. Mammootty and Meera Jasmin portray the roles of Nathan and Deepthy with unbelievable maturity.
Ramya Krishnan as Bela and Naren as Jeyan have lived the roles.
Cinematography and Music by Azhagappan and Ouseppachan respectively are world class, especially the haunting murmurs that blend as songs with classic western background is remarkable.
A film that should not be missed at any cost by movie buffs, and it is available as Moserbeir DVDs.