Alocana: Cinema and the Role of Critics By RAJULA SHAH

 Alocana: Cinema and the Role of Critics By RAJULA SHAH

3-28 August 2020, FTIIONLINE, Film and Television Institute of India, Course Coordinator- Prof. Rajula Shah, Associate Prof. Mukul Haloi

My first step towards endorsing my passion for the movies in an attempt to equip myself through a formal training platform.

Amidst the ferocity lashed out by the Pandemic, it did bring a nanoscopic goodness with it- a load of online courses and a handful genuine ones under the banners of renowned institutions like the FTII. I was lucky to be looking at the right place at the right time and I am thankful to the organizers who admitted me.

I was confident, as I was selected for the course through a lengthy application procedure and was super charged to give my best. But I was pretty startled listening to the personal introduction of the fellow students, as they ranged from assistant directors at bollywood to cinematographer at kollywood and PhD students on films to film institute students. For a person who didn't had any exposure whatsoever in the 'World Cinema' avenue, other than few Hollywood films and series on the OTT, thankfully the course started from the 'origin of cinema'.

The arc of the course was well structured course as it addressed from the very beginning of still frames and ended with complex film making. The course's entirety covered aspects of films including -sound, music, color, styles, statements of film makers, depth, art forms, propaganda, what we expect from films and what they try to convey- it was a fully loaded package.

I slowly started shedding my inhibition by frankly sharing my views on every film that we were taking turns to discuss and it was enriching to hear the views of others about the film. We were power packed with watching films back to back. The days were hectic, to post our views on google classroom after watching a film during our lunch hour and another to be watched after evening session so it could be reviewed for the next day. Not to mention the tiresome weekend list of films and the assignments. But surprisingly I was not wearing off, because, the introduction of an aspect of cinema during the sessions helped decode the relevant films that were asked to be seen that day, complimenting the theory aspect beautifully. I was drawn to the mystic world of Cinema for good.

Films for me was a fascination from childhood, but Alocana opened a new world of film watching, film appreciation and film criticism. Learning 'history' for once enthralled me. Rajula Ma'am introduced the gaze quotient that helped me change the perspective I watched the films there on. Seeing films from the lens of the maker, made me appreciate technical nuances.

Elaborate structuring of the course was significant so was the fellow student's contribution during discussion. The sessions which invited the respective film makers to our sessions were the pinnacle of the course, as we were able to explore the perspectives of the makers. The Finale of Award-winning array of directors, alumni of FTII, who shared with the class their emotions about making their films and as viewers we were happy to convey, what we like and how emotionally moved we were after seeing their work.

On the whole, Alocan, was a productive course that vitaminized my love for the films. I am glad my first ever formal entry in to the world of cinema was with this dedicated team of FTII's Alocan, under the tutelage of Rajula Shah and Mukul Haloi.

I will treasure this novel feedback that Rajula ma'am had given each of us on the last day and I am sincerely working on setting my shortcomings right.

Teesri Kasam

 Teesri Kasam

1966, Hindi, YouTube, 7.9/10 IMDB, Directed by Basu Bhattacharya

A sincere depiction of the life of a female theater artist, who boldly demonstrates her passion for the art over her love for a naïve and honest man.

A theatre artist Hirabai (Waheeda Rehman) falls for the innocence of the bullock cart driver Hiraman (Raj Kapoor), who drives her to the fair where she is playing. You are made to realize in those days women artist had fame and money, but never had the halo that they at some point yearn for.

The philosophy in songs are very simple yet profound. The song, "Duniya banane wale kya tere man mein samaye" (Maker of the world, what came in to your that you made this world), talk the beautiful philosophy about 'love' that had awakened a world of dreams and the pain caused by separation. You never know depth and the significance of the song until the curtain falls repeating the verses. 

The visuals are memorable, true to the film company’s name, 'Image Makers'. The actors are splendid performers, Raj Kapoor for his innocent looks, emotional outbursts and his adorable naïve colloquial ‘isssshhh’s and Waheedha for her calm face, that masks her inner emotions but hint on her desires.

Mundane remarks on virtue of women does make her uneasy, especially Hiraman’s petty talks about daughter in law and unwed women, even distress her. But such contrast is her performance with the Zamindhar, once she realizes she had fallen for Hiraman and she gives back to the zamindhar who talks ill of Hiraman.

Power of dialogues when coupled with equally powerful performance, makes a lasting impression on the viewers, don’t they? When her body language changes and she gets comfortable on the cot, turning to the tigress that Hiraman was talking about earlier, she proclaims that ‘the way Hiraman looks at her as 'Goddess', give her the headiness that no wealth of the zamindhar could ever give her.

Films in the 60s period would have taken the coward route to compromise that the lead lady of the film is an artist, not because she loves to but because she is forced by her money-minded mom or and uncle.  The characterization was so bold that she speaks of her intoxication in performing as a theatre artist. It was a surprise to see her deliver the dialogue on her virginity- kudos to actress, the writer and the team who went ahead without apprehensions.

When others persuade her to leave Hiraman alone, the dialogues take over the mantel of the film. Her dialogues, "She was silent when she should have spoken and she won’t do the blunder of speaking now, when she ought to be silent", readily conveys the chracter's dilemma.

Best saved for the last, I guess. ‘I have played the part HE wrote for me, but the curtains refuse to fall, what can I do?’ The dialogues are not heavy, not one bit melodramatic. They seem to have a purpose. I see it as a collective voice of artists who are trying to set the taints on them right.

Hiraman's first vow, never to carry illegal goods and the second vow, not to carry bamboo were simple. But in the final shot of the train passing-by, from Hiraman’s point of view from inside his cart, he takes his third vow- never to carry an artist in his cart again, makes one realize that he is not only a hopeless conservative but also sadly denotes, the task of wiping the taints off the artists is simply inconceivable, as long as people see all Hirabais through the eyes of Hiramans. 

Kumudini

 Kumudini

2018, Malayalam, Vimeo.com, Documentary, Directed by Jaya Jose Raj

Kumudini

A simple documentation of an elderly responsible citizen, to protect her environment in the God's own country, from the devilish clutches of the pollution mongering industries.

The short documentary- Kumudini, which translates, 'pond of water lilies', has an apt tag line - 'A water lily chronicle'. It features an elderly lady named Kumudini, who sought the late President Abdul Kalam's intervention to fight against pollution of underground water by the neighborhood coir factory.

The film opens to Kumudini delightfully singing a film song, that narrates the jingling eternal flow of the river Aluva and the secret embrace of the waves and the bank. The musical score that she mouths, after singing the verses, introduces Kumudhini's love for clear water and portrays the child in her as well.

The film sways back and forth to explain who she was in the past, a civil servant posted in Zambia and who she is now, fighting against the 6 owners of the coir industry for compensation for the pollution caused by them to the local water body.

The sequences that the maker compiles from reprimanding our past mistakes, highlighting the ghastly Kerala floods and hinting on solutions to prevent such catastrophes in future, makes 'Kumudini', a pleasant and distinct viewing experience.

Maya

 Maya

2019, Hindi, Voot.com, IMDB 6.3, Directed by Vikas Chandra

A fine take on the mother-daughter relationship that leaves you wishing well for them both.

The film opens with Maya realizing that her mom is missing. The film scrolls to the happenings of a week ahead and reveals that Maya is dating a potential groom Rawnak, from a matrimonial site, to check their compatibility and the parents are waiting for them both to take a decision on their marriage.

Just when the viewers speculate on the maker's objective, whether its the single parent's hardship to persuade the daughter to get married or the daughter's disinterest in arranged marriage, the film takes an unexpected sensitive turn. The director Vikas Chandra scores in making the transition of the film in a fraction of a second accompanied by some fine performances.

The strain in the relationship of the mom and daughter mends and their love is expressed organically.

Dialogues are key in any short film and its spot on in Maya. The closing note when Maya's mom says Rawnak is a nice boy, Maya replies, yeah but his is still a boy. Haven't all groom hunting mom's have heard that from their 21st century independent daughters, I thought.

Hamare Ghar

 Hamare Ghar

2013, vimeo.com, Hindi, Directed by Kislay

 A tight slap on the affluent, who viciously entraps the full-time house helper's families for generations, in a disguise of providing a livelihood for the under privileged.

A 30 odd minute film, that firmly talks about the innate qualities of the middle income family's mindset that exploits sub consciously their house helpers, by involuntarily break their wings, for a simple selfish motive of 'uninterrupted comfort' for years ahead.

The film opens to a couple, Simran and Raj discussing on registering the maid's details with the local police station as they have moved in to a new neighborhood and the society demands the formality. Simran seems reluctant and says the maid Kamala is with her for many years and would even tell the society that Kamala is her sister. (One is touched and I in fact related to Simran myself, as I thought I cared for my maid as if she was a family member.) The strength of the film is, it throws me every now and then, to compare the happening with my very own life's incidents.

The maid asks for 1500rs from her wage, as its middle of the month and she wants to pay Pihu's fees. Simran searches for cash in her wallet and gives a Rs.50 note, which Kamala refuses. (Kamala isn't asking for exuberant advances like my maid, which I readily give and date it in the back of my recipe notebook.) Kamala is seen accounting the cash in a book that records date-wise all the petty cash she had received as token of gift, from Simran.

When Simran asks Kamala to sit on the sofa and share the evening tea with her, Simran casually asks her to train Pihu to make good tea as she doesn't want to drink any bad tea in future. The director starts working on the conscience of viewers, through that dialogue. Its a vicious cycle that the helpers strive to break, by giving their next generation education. But its the same vicious cycle the householders are trying hard to continue spinning, for they don't want their comfort lives be shaken for years to come. The film started growing on me.

I pondered on my maid sending her 16 year old school dropped out daughter instead of her, nearly a decade ago. I bought school books to try and educate her at home. However, she seemed to be more interested in the house work just like Pihu in the film. But when my maid's daughter got married and had children of her own, my maid's daughter was particular never to bring her children when she came to work for me. I found that strange at first but later understood that she didn't want to let her children know about the work she does.

The film throws light suggesting strongly that my maid rather didn't want her children to know that a job called 'household helper' even existed. That's not an option at all for her children and hence she kept them out of that world altogether, just like Kamala tries in the film but fails. (My maid would thoughtfully ask for the learning materials that my daughter used when she was little, like the mental arithmetic abacas kit, the Rubik's cube, chess board, Thirukkural books, puzzles, story books, dictionaries and she will take it for her girl child whom I have never met in person, not even once in so many years except for a couple of photos.)

When Simran realizes that Kamala had left the house one fine morning with Pihu, the first thing the couple do is check on their wallets and when Simran finds that only rs.1500 was missing, she verbal abuses her but her deep thoughts translates to the viewers that she realizes Kamala's determination to break the 'invisible' chain free and liberate her future generations.

Respect grew many folds on my maid's daughter after witnessing Kamala's turmoil within herself. Thanks to the pandemic, house helps are becoming an scenario of the past and like western countries we have adapted to live with minimal assistance. Under the disguise of providing livelihood to the under privileged in the name of maintaining household helpers, somewhere, makes us these dependent comfort mongers, that as a society we have collectively failed to see what their ultimate choices of life are in the first place. An eye opener. Credits to the maker and his team.