Last week, I saw a good picture "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer" on a private television channel. This blog contains my impressions about the movie.
The story is basically one of confronting and overcoming ingrained prejudices. Mrs. Iyer is a mother travelling on a bus journey with her son Santhanam. She turns to Raja for help during the journey and an initial rapport builds up between the two.
Later, she learns that Raja is a Muslim youth. A communal riot breaks out and they stay in a police bungalow together. Both learn more about each other and realise that the prejudices that they have are not based on fact.
The picture won a couple of National Awards, and the one that immediately comes to my mind is the Best Actress for Konkana Sen. I feel that she deserves it : she looks and behaves like a Mrs. Iyer ! However, in my opinion, her mother Aparna Sen deserves the kudos, equally. I don't know if she did win the Best Director Award. It is in the small details that the movie really comes to life.
For example, I noticed Mrs. Iyer reading an article on fanaticism in the police bungalow, even as Raja is resting next door, separately. The irony is telling ! Similarly, the attitude of the college students in the bus is typical. They play antakshari, rib each other and behave like eager students, delighted to be going out, away from college. In contrast, the old Muslim couple in the bus prefer silence. Yet, the intimacy between the two emerges even in the brief interaction they have.
There are other examples about the director's craft : Initially on the bus, Mrs. Iyer is positively horrified to see Raja gulp down the water from his bottle, with his mouth on the neck of the bottle. In the end on the train journey, she accepts the bottle from Raja and drinks it, keeping the neck of the bottle well away from her mouth. Raja notices it and smiles but Mrs. Iyer then enquires innocently why he is smiling ! It is for scenes like these that Aparna Sen deserves praise.
In sum, I like the movie a lot : it is a picture that sensitively captures innate prejudices and gently erases them !
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COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS
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BEGINS
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When I created my first blog, I
thought I was being clever by being
"anonymous" and let my opinions speak for
themselves (see the archive !) Imagine
my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still
retain the blog name as "Anonymous
Expressions", I will only request you
to ignore my name and concentrate on my
opinions instead !
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs
are my personal opinions. Please tell
me if you don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your
point, I will correct the mistake. You
can contact me by emailing me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
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ENDS
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The story is basically one of confronting and overcoming ingrained prejudices. Mrs. Iyer is a mother travelling on a bus journey with her son Santhanam. She turns to Raja for help during the journey and an initial rapport builds up between the two.
Later, she learns that Raja is a Muslim youth. A communal riot breaks out and they stay in a police bungalow together. Both learn more about each other and realise that the prejudices that they have are not based on fact.
The picture won a couple of National Awards, and the one that immediately comes to my mind is the Best Actress for Konkana Sen. I feel that she deserves it : she looks and behaves like a Mrs. Iyer ! However, in my opinion, her mother Aparna Sen deserves the kudos, equally. I don't know if she did win the Best Director Award. It is in the small details that the movie really comes to life.
For example, I noticed Mrs. Iyer reading an article on fanaticism in the police bungalow, even as Raja is resting next door, separately. The irony is telling ! Similarly, the attitude of the college students in the bus is typical. They play antakshari, rib each other and behave like eager students, delighted to be going out, away from college. In contrast, the old Muslim couple in the bus prefer silence. Yet, the intimacy between the two emerges even in the brief interaction they have.
There are other examples about the director's craft : Initially on the bus, Mrs. Iyer is positively horrified to see Raja gulp down the water from his bottle, with his mouth on the neck of the bottle. In the end on the train journey, she accepts the bottle from Raja and drinks it, keeping the neck of the bottle well away from her mouth. Raja notices it and smiles but Mrs. Iyer then enquires innocently why he is smiling ! It is for scenes like these that Aparna Sen deserves praise.
In sum, I like the movie a lot : it is a picture that sensitively captures innate prejudices and gently erases them !
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
=============================
COMMON TEXT FOR ALL BLOGS
=============================
++++++
BEGINS
++++++
When I created my first blog, I
thought I was being clever by being
"anonymous" and let my opinions speak for
themselves (see the archive !) Imagine
my embarrassment when I saw my name
displayed ! So now, while I still
retain the blog name as "Anonymous
Expressions", I will only request you
to ignore my name and concentrate on my
opinions instead !
The opinions expressed in the Weblogs
are my personal opinions. Please tell
me if you don't like the way I have
expressed a view. If I can see your
point, I will correct the mistake. You
can contact me by emailing me at
kiran.suma@gmail.com.
++++++
ENDS
++++++
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