Her wail screeched through the dead barren deserts. Breaking the silence of Decades. She cried Finally she let out the wail long hidden.
I used to think the same that when your family members are not with you, no will mourn for you but friends that is not so true. Ever heard of keener or carpideiras or wailer??? These are professional mourners who wail at funerals for which they get paid. This exactly was the theme of movie RUDAALI. It never came to my small mind that this culture ever existed but after watching Rudaali again I realised that it was still very much in existence.
The Movie: Rudaali was released in 1993 and was directed by Kalpana Lajmi and was produced by NFDC. This movie was based on a short story titled as Rudaali by legendry Bengali author Mahashweta Devi (one who wrote Hajar Churashir Ma, Outcast, Dust on the Road and Till Death Do Us Part).The story of a Woman who never knew gave in to the sorrows and sufferings life inflicted upon her. Till one fine day she came across a Woman whom she never even existed. The story carefully examined the love, friendship and bonding of two women. Belonging to different temperaments they shared an affinity rarely heard. The love which the main protagonist has been searching her life is found in the gentle and caring hands of a Rudaali.
The plot: Rudaali starts with flashback story of a rajasthani woman Shanichari (Dimple Kapadia), who was named so because she was born on Saturday and her father died shortly after her birth. To add to her distress, her mother ran away with her rich lover leaving her to her in laws. On growing up Shanichari was married to an alcoholic Ganju who lives with his ill mother and who wins her in gambling. Shanichari gave birth to a boy Budhwa (Raghuveer Yadav) who was everything for her and she reserved all her love for him. Later Ganju got arrested for robbery in Thakur’s house and her mother in law died. She herself gave fire to her body because she was unable to pay village panda for funeral. Her life was full of anguish but still she was not able to cry. Local Landlord, Thakur Ram Avtar’s (Late Amjad Khan) son, Chote Thakur Lakhsman Singh (Raj Babbar) falls for her when she came to take care of his pregnant wife and ask her to leave her family and stay in the palace but she denied. Thakur gave her some land and asked her to leave the palace so that she can stay away from her.
But life doesn’t remain the same after coming back from palace, villagers thinks that she slept with thakur. In the mean time Ganju died because of food poisoning and Budhwa started working in nautanki and married to a local woman Mungri (Sushmita Mukherjee), who aborts his child when she becomes pregnant. Shanichari is so used to sorrow that she never cries, even when her only son disappeared never to be seen again. Then she meets Bhikni (Rakhee) a Rudaali who was called to mourn for Thakur Ram Avatar for a small fee. She asked shelter in Shanichari’s home and after knowing her sad story she asks Shanichari to become a Rudaali as her. But gently Shanichari abdominishes her. **Despite the fact that this portion of the movie is probably only for 1/3rd of the movie, yet this holds the whole crux of the movie. The way both women share an affection, they become closer and turn on best of friends. Though their nature are poles apart, yet they have something for each other. The story of a woman who never knew to cry till she was touched by genuine affection.
Direction: Rudaali was directed by Kalpana Lajmi (who was from Guru Dutt’s family and a longtime assistant to Shyam Benegal). Through this uncommon and arresting movie she had brilliantly shown the pain and anguish of women in rural India. Everything about the movie was a perfect fit be it the use of crude marwari language of Rajasthan (calling landlord as Hukum or Sarkaar and uses of abuses as Kutde), illustration of typical local panda who use to earn money using others naïveté, the dress pattern of actor and actresses (Thakurs in typical rajasthani dress and Rudaali as a mourner wearing black dress). She has selected a very unusual cast for very unusual roles with no lead male role.
Acting: Dimple as Shanichari given a lifetime performance shedding the image of touch-me-not kinda girl. She perfectly stepped in the shoes of a low caste woman who is fighting her hard luck to pay the priest’s fee, keeping her family intact, and in mean time facing villager’s deprecating remarks. Rakhee got a small but very strong role as Bhikni, the rented mourner who changed Shanichari’s life. Raj Babbar as charming and alluring yet restrained Chote Thakur Lakhsman Singh was a feast to the eyes. This subtle facial expression while talking to Shanichari was amazingespecially when he say oopper dekh, dekh na oopper. Who else could have been a perfect fit for role of obese Thakur Ramavtaar than Amjad khan who was on screen for only few scenes but was brilliant. He died during the making of the movie, and the movie was dedicated to him. Raghuveer yadav (as Budhwa), Susmita Mukherjee (as Mungri) and Manohar Singh (as Pandit Mohan Lal) has also done brilliant job in adding more problem to lead’s life.
Songs and Music:Lyrics of the movie were by Gulzaar (who also gave his voice as narrator) and the excellent music was by Bhupen Hazarika. Lesser I say about the music will be better because I will not be able to summarize it over here. Dil hoom hoom kare (Solos by Lata and Bhupen), Samay O DhireChalo (Bhupen) and Jhuthi Muthi Mitwa were the most beautiful songs. (Will be back with my review on this album soon).
My Take: Rudaali’s greatness lies in its characters, their artistic harmonization and the glimmer between them. The movie is without any big emotional upheavals and rotates around the life of Shanichari and leaves you with a sweet sorrow for her that will stick in your mind forever. Kalpana’s movies are mostly feminist and based on some social issues be it Ek Pal, Darmiyaan, Daman or Chingaari, and this one was not an exception. The movie contempt not only the culture of renting mourners by rich class to mourn for death but also hit hard on the priests, landlords for their heinous attempts to lure women and also on the orthodox society. This movie is a masterpiece telling the story of a gradually maturing woman whose profundity and benevolence grow in spite of the routine sufferings of the bucolic poor in a feudal society (where landlord takes hold of their lands) but still she can’t cry and leaves you speechless at the end. **She cries for the Love which she found and Lost again. A must watch. Go watch it again and you will not be disappointed.
P.S: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted"~Bible.