Meri Jaan! Mujhe Jaan na kaho Meri Jaan!
Maa loved this song which she kept humming very often .... a tune which stilled itself in my nascent mind forever and I love to sing it myself .... for it reminds me of very deep felt emotions! The song is from the black and white movie "Anubhav" directed by the very talented Basu Bhattacharya, fondly known as Basu da. After many years of obsession with this song, I decided to search it's roots which led to the discovery of the plot of this movie - Marital Discord. I read further and discovered that Basu da had infact created a trilogy of films on the same subject with three of his immortal films Anubhav(1971), Aavishkaar(1973) and Griha Pravesh(1979). Although, much has been said and written formally about these films, easily available all over the internet in the form of Synopsis, Critique and Reviews, I would still like to pen down my very own personal thoughts after having watched all three films .... This is MY blog which gives me immense freedom to express my own thoughts without the fear of getting subjected to any form of ceremonial Public Assessment.
Man and Woman ......
They are drawn towards each other, with a feeble attraction to begin with which grows in leaps and bounds, intensifying the urge to complement each other mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Days and nights pass like a wink of the eye, when they are obsessed with each other's thoughts and actions, emotions and decisions become life-mate bound. They formalise this symbiosis and companionship .... exchange vows and are wed together declaring their ownership on each other to the entire world anticipating that life shall always be as delightful as this moment, emotions shall always ride high and life will remain unabbreviated forever.
Years pass by ....
They struggle together with true dedication and aid for each other. Each morning brings a new ray of hope and every evening becomes a celebration of success ending with nights of passion. Glorious milestones are achieved both personally and professionally. Now, they either plan to make a family to escalate this joy and complete their life as Man and Wife or immerse themselves further in fresh ambition of higher self-esteem bordering materialism leaving very little time and space to continue with the expressions of love and aegis for each other.
Life seems fine .... complete and happy yet hit with subtle waves of alienation and desolation for each other! They discover they have lost out on the warmth and zest in their relationship.
Basu da has depicted this inevitable sequence of events very realistically in all the three films which I would like to summarize below:
Anubhav revolves around Meeta, played by Tanuja with such conviction that every married woman is likely to have a few deja vu moments. It traces the emotional struggle of Meeta to re-establish her lost love and affection for Amar, her husband for six years after going through tumultous phases of being lonely at home complicated with the reappearance of her ex-lover Shashi.
Aavishkaar depicts the domestic fights and differences between Amar and Mansi after being married for eight years with a baby. The story runs through one night with flashback scenes of their better past painted with romance and dating.
Grihapravesh plays the story of Amar and Mansi (Basu da had a fetish for these names I guess)who lead a frugal life in the hope of buying luxuries and flat with their savings soon, making their lives dull and mundane. Mansi turns unattractive and unkept after motherhood and Amar is attracted to Sapna, a young and effervescent modern office woman. Sapna insists Amar on getting married to her which he finally agrees upon believing that a fresh and exciting married life with Sapna outweighs his dull duties towards his family. Mansi buys a day's time from Amar and morphs herself into the sensuous, beautiful woman along with redoing the interiors of their rented home by getting it white washed and new furniture put in place.
All these plots bear resemblance with the present world around us. If one was to debate, there is no novelty in any of the stories above but what makes these simple films stand apart is the treatment given by the much talented director.
If I was to describe the essence of all these three films, a factor running common in all the three films in one single word, it would be HOPE. Yes! All these films generate hope and happiness in the end.
Be it a Meeta in Anubhav who literally baby sits her husband in his illness, has been completely dedicated to her husband fulfilling all his wishes and finally, crying her heart out while desperately trying to convince him to steer control of her disturbed present life with her past haunting her. Finally, she manages to revive the lost intimacy in her precariously placed marriage.
Or the Amar and Mansi in Aavishkaar who converse the entire night recalling their beautiful courtship .... and pondering together about their present state of affairs and finally vowing to make sincere efforts to revamp each other's lives.
Or the shy and introvert Mansi in Griha Pravesh who wins back her husband by reviving her physical beauty and her abilities to keep the home speckless, convincing him that she can indeed beat any modern day Sapna when it comes to provide true happiness and satisfaction because her beauty is not just skin deep and that her sexiness is divine .... ethereal and can still ignite the same passion in him like years ago!
These films do not attempt to potray any hollow virtues based on the much misinterpreted religious scriptures perpetuating male superiority over females nor create perfectly black and white characters .... Good and Bad! There is no moral classification of events and actions as Right or Wrong. There is no depiction of an aggrieved and helpless wife who is left in a miserable condition for the rest of her life because her husband deserted her and the son growing up to avenge her sob story against his father. Basu da has indeed created indubitably strong female characters with rightful desires and a will to live life happily being firmly grounded in family values.
What makes these movies set in the 70's so contemporary even today is the real life treatment of the characters - both male and female. The plots were very bold and only seasoned actors like Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore, Sarika, Late Sanjeev Kumar and Rajesh Khanna could have justified them with their subtle yet convincing acting skills.
These films do not promise any quick-fix solutions like a marriage counsellor would do towards ending marital discord but presents such situations in a realistic manner and instills the dying confidence in the minds of present world that each relationship needs time, care and honesty. It forces one to recall the strengths of his/her life partner which was alluring enough to inspire marriage and instills confidence that the same magic and charm can be recreated if sincerely attempted! It reminds each one of us that we all are human with our moments of weakness and they should be utilised to strengthen ourselves further rather than being lead into the darkness of guilt and social stigma.
It enlivens the age old proverb that says - "There is nothing as weak as a virtue that has not been tested in the fire of temptation."
(Sadly, Basu da lived through an unsuccessful marriage himself and was charged with domestic violence and neglect by his own wife. It perhaps explains his obsession with the subject and his creative efforts to find answers for a failed marriage .... a confession .... or catharsis?)
