Airlift (2016)

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." - J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings.

Kuwait, 1990. Saddam Hussain's invasion of Kuwait left 170,000 Indians homeless, stranded in a war zone. Running low on supplies, with no travel documents these souls were in a desperate situation - until a few Indian businessmen in Kuwait, with the help of the Indian Government and Air India organized the largest evacuation operation known in history. Over a period of 63 days and 488 flights, more than a 100,000 Indian nationals were airlifted from Amman to Mumbai. 'Airlift' is the story of this evacuation and the people who made it possible!

Akshay Kumar is Ranjit Katyal, a businessman who lives in Kuwait with his wife, Amrita, and daughter, Simi. A ruthless tycoon with connections in both the Iraqi and Kuwaiti governments, Ranjit thinks of himself as Kuwaiti - until the invasion, when he is stripped of everything but his identity as an Indian. In a city overrun by the conquering Iraqi soldiers, Ranjit is stopped on his way to the embassy, and his driver is brutally shot. Shocked to the core, Ranjit is forced to re-evaluate his priorities - and rather than escaping with this family, he decides to stay, to rally his fellow countrymen and to help in any way he can...

Akshay Kumar is at the top of his game here - a remarkably restrained performance - if you're looking for the Khiladi, this is not the movie for it! He is the suave businessman, the anguished husband, the empathetic employer, and finally, the reluctant messiah for all the refugees. Nimrat Kaur is just as perfect as Akshay - her initial disdain for the unwashed masses, her perplexity at her husband's change of heart, and then the dawning realization and support for Ranjit's quest - very impressive! As for Kumud Mishra, I wouldn't be surprised to find that he actually is a career bureaucrat - he is Joint Secretary Kohli!! And again the wonderful character arc - a disinterested paper-pusher to a sympathetic bystander to an officer with conviction, running pillar-to-post to help the stranded Indians - Mishra holds his own in a big way!

The film stays on an even, understated keel - there is no rah-rah patriotism, no flag-waving, no over-the-top histrionics! Very realistic scenes - like when Kohli has to convince Air India pilots to fly into a war zone. No hyperbole, no vein-popping dialogues - just a simple appeal to do the right thing. Or when Ranjit's cavalcade to Jordan is stopped by Iraqi soldiers - yes, there is a fight - but this is no superstar demolishing dozens with a sweep of his arm. Just a desperate man at the end of his tether, who will do anything to keep his family safe. The only grandiose gesture is the Indian flag being raised at the Amman airport - and even that is tastefully done!

Drawbacks? Well, I would say this film is about 25 years too late! It brings to light a glorious page in contemporary Indian history, but these events happened so long ago, it is difficult to find an emotional connect. The pace doesn't help - there is no surprise ending, of course - a tighter, tenser built-up, a little bit of masala would have helped here! I also would have liked to see more of the pilots - they were a big part of this rescue operation, and the film does not give them their due! The film ends with original newspaper articles and photos of all the people involved - it would have been interesting to see a couple of then-and-now refugee stories!

None of this takes away from the film, though. Airlift has its heart in the right place - I found myself tearing up in quite a few places (yes, I'll admit it - movies make me cry!)!! Watch it, this is a film that will make you proud to be Indian!!

The Music Room - A Memoir

Image courtesy: Goodreads

I stumbled upon this book quite by accident in a very unlikely place - on the shelves of the Peoria Public Library, hiding in the non-fiction section! The gorgeous cover and the blurb - from Ravi Shankar, no less - "A must for every musician and music lover" - I checked it out with no hesitation! And I'm so glad I did - "The Music Room - A Memoir" by Namita Devidayal, is an absolute treat - and not just for musicians and music-lovers, but for everyone with a fascination for Indian culture and traditions!!

Namita is 10 years old, when she first reluctantly starts music lessons with Dhondutai Kulkarni, the last eminent singer of the Jaipur gharana and a disciple of two eminent vocalists - the legendary Alladiya Khan and 'Surashri' Kesarbai Kerkar. From a cramped one bedroom flat in the seedy Kennedy Bridge neighborhood, to a spacious bungalow on Shivaji Park and then a nondescript Borivali apartment complex - Namita's unique bond with Dhondutai evolves over a span of 25 years. Dhondutai sees in Namita the potential to become a second Kesarbai, as Namita struggles to find the fine balance between a career and family and her passion for music.

Gracefully written, this memoir left me spell-bound. Namita Devidayal gives the reader a tantalizing glimpse into the enigmatic world of Hindustani classical music - "a world bound in mystifying tradition and irrational obsession", to quote from the book. A brief genealogy of classical music - starting all the way from Bharat Muni, to music of the temples, then moving to the royal courts followed by the Islamic or Persian influence during the Mughal dynasties and royal patronages during the pre-independence era - to the distinct Hindustani and Carnatic styles of classical music we have today - beautifully explained in a lucid manner!

Even more interesting is the information about the music itself - the way the seven basic notes are interpreted so differently in the Western and Indian classical styles, the composition of the ragas, and the cornerstone of Indian classical music - the gharanas and the gurukul pramapara of teaching music! Interspersed with this history of music, are the memories of Dhondutai - her own musical journey, and anecdotes about her gurus. Musical illiterate that I am, I had never heard of these musical giants - and Wikipedia has left me humbled. Truly, what a wealth of information this book has given me!!

Beyond the lofty world of classical music, the author also touches upon social mores prevalent in Indian society - the conundrum of a Muslim Alladiya Khan claiming to descended from a Hindu family, the stigma of being a female singer in the early 20th century, Kesarbai's struggle to establish herself, Dhondutai eschewing the traditional role of a Brahmin woman to embrace her music, the Hindu-Muslim divide - all the way to the bureaucracy and corruption of the government when Dhondutai applies for a flat in the Performing Artist quota! Adding to the local flavor, Namita Devidayal has effortlessly captured the essence of Bombay - and then beautifully juxtaposed it with the serenity of the temples - the Dattatreya temple at Narsimhawadi and the Mahalaxmi temple at Kolhapur!!

At little over 300 pages, this is not a huge book - but it packs an enormous punch! Highly, highly recommended - and not just for connoisseurs of classical music!! Without a doubt, a must-read!! Happy reading!!

Natsamrat (2016)

After Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, it is now the turn of another immortal stage production to make its way to the silver screen - V. V. Shirwadkar's Natsamrat ("King of Actors"). Katyar, of course, was a lavish production with a superb ensemble cast, and translated beautifully into a film! Natsamrat, on the other hand, would almost qualify as a one-man show - the story completely revolves around the eponymous lead - so how does this poignant drama fare?

The story is age-old. Ganpatrao Belvalkar (Nana Patekar) is an eminent thespian, his life's work his Shakespearean roles that he lives and breathes! Feted with the highest theatre award - the title of 'Natsamrat'- he decides to retire, and despite the misgivings of his wife, Kaveri, bequeaths all his worldly possessions to his children. Parental pride and trust soon crumbles in the face of filial ingratitude and betrayal - and the once respected, idolized Ganpatrao is reduced to a homeless vagrant, his life ironically unfolding into a Shakespearean tragedy! Is the Natsamrat doomed to live out the rest of his days in an agonizing anonymity? Or will his children see the error of their ways??

Comparisons to the iconic stage production are inevitable - especially when a celebrated actor like Dr. Shriram Lagoo has completely ruled Natsamrat so convincingly for so long. Dr. Lagoo is Belvalkar, and he has set the bar incredibly high! Nana Patekar rises admirably to the challenge - what an actor, and how refreshing to see him in something other than an asinine Bollywood comedy  - a bravura, acclaimed performance, and yet, in my opinion, he doesn't quite hit the mark. I think that Nana Patekar's very earthiness, his son-of-the-soil aura - which makes him so perfect to play a character like Dr. Prakash Amte - works against him this time. There is nothing frail or feeble or helpless about Nana Patekar - so Ganpatrao's helplessness, his desolation, his heartbreak never comes across convincingly.

The plight of the elderly is a very real social problem, even today, and yes, even in well-heeled families like the one depicted in this film. But once again, this never really comes through - the hardship and struggle seems very superficial - making it very hard to empathize. The domestic strife in the first half - the problems with the son and daughter-in-law - there's no buildup of tension, no simmering rage, no sense of things coming to a head - one minute, there's a montage of a happy family scenes, the next, there's this massive fallout - and over what? An inappropriate dance performed by the grand-daughter?? Really?? Where were the parents when this dance was being rehearsed?! And, honestly speaking, the creepy factor is pretty high here - a grandfather choreographing such a dance? Wouldn't it have been more keeping in character for him to teach her one of his beloved Shakespearean monologues??

And then when the daughter moves her parents to the outhouse - ample chance here to draw a parallel between the unnecessary broken-down stuff stored in the outhouse, and the parents who have outlived their apparent usefulness, stashed away to accumulate dust, forgotten by all. But the outhouse shown in the film is a like a villa - with rocking chairs on the porch, cheery yellow paint, and even potted plants - again, where's the hardship?? And then, with the stolen money incident, where's the impotent fury, the unbelieving despair? And where's the wife shoring up her broken husband with steely determination, with the will to start all over?? These kind of scenes need gut-wrenching, raw emotion - I, for one, was not impressed.

Even when he hits rock-bottom - he has tragically lost his wife, his son and daughter have stripped him of all dignity - even then, Ganpatrao appears to be remarkably in control of his faculties - this Ganpatrao has a job at a tea-stall, he has a routine of a drink with his fellow footpath dwellers, and a kindly old lady serves him food hot off the stove. Where's the scattered, broken-down excuse for a man, hanging on to life by a mere thread?? Where is the cry for help from the depth of a shattered soul? Where's the pathos?? How am I to feel sorry for this character??

As for the characters of Ram & Kumud, I'm still trying to understand how their track made any difference to the story. If Ram was meant to be a foil to Ganpatrao, a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on - we never see it. Vikram Gokhale is magnificent, as always, but he doesn't really have enough screen time to make an impact. Nevertheless, the best scene in the movie is when these 2 stalwarts act out Karna's death - absolute goosebumps! - more of these, although irrelevant, would have been very welcome!! And not to take away anything from Nana Patekar - but am I the only one who thinks that Vikram Gokhale would have probably been better for the title role??

Not a very positive review so far, but keep in mind that all my quibbles are actually about the differences between the theatre version and the film version. So, in spite of all my carping, it cannot be denied that this is actually a pretty decent film - as long as you don't compare it to the original theatre version. It is indeed a good sign that Marathi films are once again drawing audiences to a theater, and for a fresh pair of eyes, I would recommend watching this. As for me, the shadow of Dr. Lagoo's performance loomed just too large - so yes, by all means, watch the film - but then don't forget to grab a DVD of the stage production!!