Please remove the veil of ignorance!

Burqa City (Short Film; 2019)
Director: Fabrice Bracq

https://snewz.in/aamir-kirans-laapataa-
ladies-accused-of-copying-arabic-
film-burqa-city/425739/

After France banned the wearing of the burqa and niqab in public in 2010, a satirical 19-minute short film was produced. It is set in an unnamed town in the Middle East where all women are required to wear the full burqa and are not expected to speak. Every woman wears a black burqa.

Every lady is seen walking behind her husband, seen but not heard, simply shadowing quietly, even whispering when asked a question. The city is quite strict, not allowing ladies to wander alone. The moral police will arrest them when they are unaccompanied.

Against this background, a newly married loving couple goes shopping. After returning with their groceries, they head back to their car. Here, the owner of a Mercedes accuses the husband of denting his vehicle. A minor quarrel breaks out. In the confusion, the wives get into the wrong vehicles. 

Souleyman, the husband, to his horror, discovers that he has returned with the accuser's wife. Then, the comedy continues as he goes back to the grocery, reports to the police, and more misadventures follow. In fact, Souleyman's wife misinterpreted his instructions and entered the wrong car, while the other lady deliberately wanted to escape an abusive marriage. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H1EdybDSHc

This clip came to my attention when someone on social media said that replacing the burqa in 'Burqa City' with a ghoongat results in Lapaadaa Ladies (2023). Even before all these, in 1999, there was a feature film on Dordashan TV titled 'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol', which tells a comedic tale of mixed-up brides. The storyline is eerily similar to 'Lapaadaa Ladies', featuring brides with crimson-hued veils (ghoongat), trains, and all. The film was directed by debutante director Anant Mahadevan. The original film can be viewed on YouTube. It does not require much intelligence to see that the entire storyline of 'Lappadaa Ladies' was lifted from the TV feature film 'Ghoongat Ke Pal Khol'. 

https://www.bollywoodshaadis.com/articles/laapataa-ladies-is-copied-
from-a-spanish-film-62215

The controversy surrounding these three films centred on the oppression of women. On one side, netizens loudly claim that 'Burqa City' is riddled with Islamophobia and opposes women's empowerment because women choose to dress as they do. On the other side, Hindus argue that, despite the progress made by Indian women, especially Hindu women, leftists and Bollywood attempt to depict rural Indian women in a dull and negative light.

The intriguing fact about the wearing of veils by Indians can be dated back to the period when Muslim forces infiltrated India. After conquering a city, the Muslim conquerors would ride on horseback, seizing their due loot, such as money and kafir women. Muslim women were kept out of reach. Non-Muslim women were considered war spoils. The Hindu women soon realised that by covering their heads, the horsemen would simply pass them by, mistaking them for one of their own. Consequently, every Hindu lady began covering her head to avoid the violent advances of the marauding invaders. In regions where their threat was less severe, like the south of the Vindhya Hills, there was no need to adopt a veil. There were no prancing horsemen, and South Indian women did not need to wear purdah or dupatta.

Kabir
https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/
Poets/K/Kabir/index.html

'Ghoongat Ke Pat Khol' is a verse from India's highly esteemed 15th-century mystic poet, Kabir. He was a contemporary of Guru Nanak and is honoured by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs alike. Born into a Muslim weaving family in Varanasi, he grew up learning about Hinduism from a Guru. His verses are even mentioned in the Grand Sahib. When he referenced this verse, he was signalling the need to lift one's veil of ignorance. Man must free himself from the five impediments (lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego) that create the illusory veil obstructing his potential to appreciate the enchanting divine music of Life. 

“Do away with your veil ( illusion )

And you shall meet your beloved ( Divine lord )

The lord resides in every living Creature,

Why speak ill words against anyone?

Flaunt not this wealth and your Youth,

Deceptive is your Drum music that carries five notes.

Shake off not your hope,

Light a lamp within and illuminate

this Palace like vacant space.

In the Colourful Palace within,

You can meet your priceless beloved only

By perfecting the Skill of meditation.

Kabir says by this practice,

You attain supreme bliss

That keeps the inner music Chiming day and night.

(Kabir )

(Autar Mota 09.04.2014 )

 

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The Iron Man of India

Sardar (1993)

Director: Ketan Mehta

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240879/

Sardar Vallabhai Patel is said to be the best Prime Minister India never had. Dubbed the Iron Man of India, a title given to him by Mountbatten, some believe he might have led India along a different path if he had been chosen as the first Prime Minister instead of Nehru.

It was 1946. World War II had just ended, leaving England to tend its wounds. It faced a huge bill to pay and had lost its dominance on the world stage. The sun had finally set on the British Empire. The Anglo-Saxon cousins across the Atlantic, the Americans, had come out on top, as shown by the Conference in Yalta. Managing the colonies had become an expensive undertaking. England had to cut its losses and relinquish control over the colonies. 

With that background, India had just formed its interim government. The Congress Party had recently won the elections. They were preparing to select the first Prime Minister of independent India. 

Maulana Azad, at that time, was the President of the Congress Party. He had been its leader since 1940. No elections were held since 1940 after the Party announced the 'Quit India' movement, and as a result, most, if not all, of its senior leaders were behind bars. Gandhi, as the senior member who commands profound respect from his members, expressed his displeasure with a leader seeking reelection. Azad withdrew his nomination for reelection as the President. 

Fifteen regional and state Congress committees were tasked with nominating their candidates. Twelve of these nominated Patel. Nehru got none, and the remaining three committees chose not to nominate anyone. 

Surprisingly, Gandhi vetoed their decision. He requested that Patel withdraw his candidacy and suggested the Cambridge-educated, modern-looking Nehru to become the Party President and Patel to be his Deputy. Being a 'respectful lieutenant' and showing his respect for Gandhi, Patel obliged. 

Gandhi believed the modern, forward-thinking Nehru would be a better choice than the traditional-thinking Patel. However, insiders suggest that it was probably Gandhi's fear that Nehru might cause trouble if he was not selected. The Congress might split, and the British could use that as an excuse to delay self-rule. 

Being the compassionate man Gandhi was towards the Muslim plight, he thought Patel, as the Prime Minister of India, would be harsh against Muslims. 

 

Nehru became the Prime Minister with Patel as his Deputy and Home Minister during the tumultuous times of newly independent India. With Pakistan being the albatross around India's neck and Patel and Nehru disagreeing on everything about the handling of Kashmir, it is a surprise how the Indian machinery remained intact. 

King Hari Singh initially aimed to remain independent, like Nepal and Bhutan. When Pakistani agents infiltrated Kashmir, Hari Singh abdicated to Jammu. He consented to accession to India. Nehru, contrary to Patel's suggestion, called in the United Nations and advocated for a plebiscite. Patel had wanted the Indian Army to march in. The result of this approach led to repeated unrest, two subsequent wars, and the latest confrontation. 

Junagadh, a princely state with a Hindu majority and no shared border with Pakistan, had a Muslim ruler determined to join Pakistan. His subjects revolted against him, and he abdicated in favour of Pakistan. With India's support, Junagadh was integrated into the State of Gujarat. 

Another state, quite distant from Pakistan, that wished to join the dominion was the landlocked state of Hyderabad. It was surrounded by regions under India's control. The Nizam, once the wealthiest man in the world, also ruled over a Hindu majority. Using his immense wealth, he managed to procure arms from Europe through British arms dealers, pre-Partition. The Nizam had deployed a paramilitary group, the Razakars, led by Qasim Razvi, to terrorise Hindu peasants into submission. Meanwhile, the Communists were also attempting to benefit from the situation. Patel, citing Nehru's departure as an excuse, used the nation's machinery to launch police action to forcibly annexe Hyderabad into the union.

Nehru and Patel's differences were challenged by a series of resignation letters, but they were softened by Gandhi's persuasion. Gandhi's assassination compelled these two leaders to collaborate until Patel's death.

 

In recognition of his contributions to India's political integration, the Statue of Unity, the tallest statue in the world, was erected in Gujarat.

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The filth of the city?

The Asphalt Jungle (1955)

Director: John Huston

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
Category:The_Asphalt_Jungle_(film)

This is one of those movies where viewers do not get attached to any of the actors but rather enjoy the storyline, dialogue, and the nitty-gritty of how a crime is organised. This is way, way back before we had 'The Italian Job' and the like. 

Every character is vital in the film, yet none should overshadow the others. The main plot revolves around a heist, masterminded by Doc, a recently released model prisoner who devised a major diamond theft while working as a librarian during his incarceration. 

He approaches a small-time bookie, Cobby, with his plan. Doc needs money to pay the right men for the job. A seemingly wealthy lawyer, Emmerich, then arrives, promising to finance the operation and handle the loot. In reality, Emmerich is broke and plans to cheat the robbers out of the jewels to keep them for himself. 

The real reason people tuned in to watch this movie is Marilyn Monroe. She appears as Emmerich's ditsy mistress and may be the cause of Emmerich's poverty, as she is costly to keep. Monroe leaves a lasting impression on viewers and establishes herself as a true legendary performer here. Her sultry, naive 'damsel in distress' persona stands out in scenes where she has to lie for her master. 

A locksmith is hired, and a local thug named Dix is brought in. Dix is a disillusioned man who wears a perpetual frown. He is fed up with city living and yearns to return to the peaceful country life that he left behind for a better life in the city. Now, he sees the city as an indelible dirt that permanently stains the skin. In his bitterness, he fails to appreciate the love that his girlfriend, Doll, shows him.

The robbery proceeds as planned without a hitch, but the TNT used to break the safe detonates nearby alarms, alerting the police. The thieves escape with the merchandise, but not before a confrontation with a guard. One of the robbers is shot, but all three manage to flee in the pre-arranged getaway car. From that moment, it becomes a downward spiral as each one falls apart due to internal squabbles and police apprehension.

It is a very intense film. One can almost feel the heat and the filth that the city exudes. To the characters in the movie, breaking the law is normalised. The police are not friends, but people you need to be wary of. They have seen enough corrupt policemen. The film also features many memorable and classic lines.

Experience has taught me never to trust a policeman. Just when you think one's all right, he turns legit.

One way or another, we all work for our vice.

Home is where the money is.

Worth the while. 8/10. It went on to win many accolades and was selected for preservation in the US National Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

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Control your senses!

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (German; 1985)
Author: Patrick Süskind

https://www.amazon.com/Perfume-Story-
Murderer-Patrick-Suskind/dp/0375725849

Thank you to MC for introducing this excellent book. It is an engaging read that baffles me how one can write a whole book just based on all descriptions about our olfactory sense and fragrances. It is one book that I think he managed to use all the words in the English language to describe smells.

The olfactory sense is said to be one of humans' most primitive sensations. It is said that even unicellular organisms had this in their most rudimentary form. Unlike other sensory organs, smell is not carried by nerves, but has a direct connection to the brain. 

Perhaps because of its ancient origin in the evolutionary ladder and its close proximity to the brain, it has a profound effect on the human brain. It is not surprising that fragrances can arouse the reptilian part of our suppressed brain, to unleash the beast within. 

Entering many Hindu homes, one would encounter a painting or a metal tooling sculpture of a golden chariot. The chariot would be manned by five horses. The reins would be held firmly by the charioteer against the five prancing horses. It could be a representation of a scene from the Bhagavad Gita.

It could very well be a reference to Plato's Chariot Allegory, where the charioteer (man) needs to balance the power between the two horses (a noble and an unruly one) to lead the charioteer (body) to the path of the Truth. Freud, in his writings, could have referenced it to the eternal struggle between the id (instincts), the ego (reason) and the superego (guiding force).

In the Gita version, the five horses denote our five senses. The rein, with the wisdom (Buddhi) of the charioteer (mind), controls the senses (horses), so that the chariot (body) is not led astray. 

The book, set in pre-Bastille France, follows the tragic life of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Left to grow up in an orphanage after his mother was guillotined for killing Grenouille's three other siblings, he is unloved. Grenouille somehow escaped his mother's murder attempt, as he likes to think that he is invincible. This thought is reinforced when he recovers from the pox.

After the orphanage, he is sent to work as a tanner. Grenouille has an inborn ability to distinguish a vast range of scents. Paradoxically, he does not have his own individual smell. A diligent and hardy worker, he yearns to be a perfumer.

After capturing the scent of a virginal pubescent girl, he becomes somewhat fixated on the smell. Wanting to keep all the scent to himself, he strangles her and kills her. 

The author further narrates about his self-exile, the discovery, his experimentation with perfumes, his fixation with the extraction of pubescent girls and his obsessive interest in one particular lass, Laure, the fairest of them all. 

A nice book which brings vivid descriptions of various smells and piques into the business of perfumery as it was carried out before.

'The Perfume' is often stated as Kurt Cobain's favourite book. It is even believed to have significantly influenced his song "Scentless Apprentice" from Nirvana's album In Utero. The cautionary lesson from Cobain's life experience is that one should not be tempted away from one's duties by the allure of sensory pleasure. The final outcome is usually undesirable. The only silver lining may be that Cobain departed in a state of bliss.

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This is something that happens!

Magnolia (1999)

Written & Directed: Paul Thomas Anderson

https://letterboxd.com/film/magnolia/

This is another bizarre and busy movie with multiple storylines unfolding simultaneously. One becomes breathless just keeping up with the flow. So many characters are embroiled in so many life issues and are caught in wrong life decisions that make one wonder how all the loose threads will be tied up. True enough, everything makes sense at the end. Like the instance that is mentioned in the opening scene, bizarre things sometimes happen.

In the opening scene, a man jumps down from the top of a 20-storey apartment building. During his fall, he passes by the apartment that he occupies with his parents. His parents are forever fighting. The mother often threatens the father with an unloaded gun. On that fateful day, however, the gun was loaded and it went off, missing the father by inches but hitting the son who happened by the apartment at that very instant when the weapon was discharged. It killed the son instantaneously, who would have saved him, as there were hoardings on the sixth floor which would have broken his fall. The parents were charged and convicted of murder. The son had earlier loaded the gun as he was fed up with the parents' frequent combative showdowns. Yes, these things sometimes can happen in the greater scheme of things.

The Complicated Plot
By Vagary at the English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6395902

On a random day in California, a policeman investigates an apartment for disturbing public peace to find a body. He goes to another apartment when neighbours complain about the noise.

A child prodigy takes part in a quiz (What Kids Do Know) show with an overbearing father breathing down his neck. The host of the show is a very sick man. He is having cancer, and his estranged daughter wants to have nothing to do with him as he may have abused her sexually. 

One of the early winners of the show, an ex-boy genius, is running around like a headless chicken, as he does not know what to do with his life.

The producer of the show is another dying man who is longing to patch up with his son, a fast-talking motivational guru. The producer's nurse tries to contact the estranged son to reunite them. 

The event that essentially concludes all conflict is when it rained frogs. Yes, it not only rains cats and dogs, but sometimes it rains frogs too. It is a known phenomenon when small aquatic creatures like fish and frogs are swept up in storms, travel miles, and fall from the sky through rain clouds. Many places in Britain, Hungary, Serbia, Japan and Uruguay have experienced this. This phenomenon may have Biblical significance, as mentioned in the Old Testament. God's wrath upon the Egyptians for enslaving the Israelites caused Him to infest the Nile with immeasurable numbers that they stank till the high heavens.

An interesting movie about growing pains, disappointments, family disputes, headaches, wandering of the mind, reconciliation and restitution.

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The story behind the assassination!

The Hunt (2025)
The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case (Miniseries)S1; E1-E7
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor

https://www.sonyliv.com/shows/the-hunt-the-rajiv-gandhi-
assassination-case-1790006628/episodes

This police procedural drama reconstructs events following the assassination of India's former Prime Minister in 1991, when he was campaigning for his next election. In what is likely the first recorded case of a suicide bomber in human history, a bomber strapped with RDX explosives detonated herself while garlanding her intended victim, the Congress party's candidate for Prime Minister. Aside from kamikaze bombers, this may have been the first time the world encountered the concept of suicide bombing.

Prince Vijaya, expelled from the Vanga Kingdom in present-day Bengal, is believed to be the ancestor of the Sinhalese people. He occupied Lanka to establish the Sinhala kingdom in 543 BCE. The original inhabitants before his arrival were hunter-gatherers, Yakkas, and Nagas. The Tamils began to appear around the 2nd century BCE. South Indian kingdoms such as the Cholas and Pandyas invaded parts of the northern and eastern regions of the island. The British brought a second wave of Tamils to cultivate tea and coffee. Alongside the British, missionaries arrived. The Americans started building churches in the northern Tamil regions, while the British occupied the southern Sinhalese areas. They aimed to introduce 'culture' to the locals through education, but their focus differed. The Americans valued science and technology, whereas the British emphasised arts-related subjects. When it came to establishing their place in the modern world, the Tamils proved to be more marketable and prospered. This disparity in educational and economic status became evident when Sri Lanka gained independence. The newly formed government, dominated by the majority, repeatedly attempted to change the status quo. New affirmative actions were introduced to reduce Tamil dominance. The Sinhala language was emphasised, and a quota system was implemented for university entrance. The Tamils retaliated, eventually leading to a civil war with groups like the LTTE taking up arms to demand their homeland, Tamil Eelam.

Rajiv Gandhi

The ruling government responded with reciprocal actions that led to a mass migration of the Tamil population and employed genocidal tactics that lured fleeing individuals into a supposed safe haven before systematically destroying them. Bodies of tortured dissidents are still being uncovered today and identified to provide closure for families, even as we speak.

By 1991, the Tamil separatist movement, led by Velupillai Prabakaran, was particularly angry with India for deploying a peacekeeping force (the Indian Peacekeeping Force, IPKF) to manage the situation in Sri Lanka. It is claimed that between 1987 and 1990, the IPKF colluded with various groups and was involved in human rights abuses, working closely with the Sri Lankan Army (vis-à-vis the Sinhalese people) to commit atrocities against the Tamil population. As a result, the LTTE developed grievances against the Central Indian Government. Their kin across the Palk Straits, who share ethnic roots, generally supported the LTTE's struggle. They offered a safe haven and even supplied expertise, funding, and moral backing to their cause. The politicians of Tamil Nadu promoted the idea that the conflict in Sri Lanka was akin to a clash between Northern and Southern India, since the ancestors of the Sinhalese were from Bengal (North). This kind of division suited their Dravidian political stance. 

The two years before this were turbulent for Indian politics. After the collapse of previous elected governments, the Congress Party, led by Rajiv Gandhi, believed the next election in 1991 was theirs to win. Filled with hope, he made a last-minute campaign visit to Sriperumbudur to support a local candidate. However, the LTTE network, with its local sympathisers, seized the opportunity to eliminate Rajiv Gandhi.

Tamil Nadu intelligence advised Rajiv Gandhi against coming to Madras (Chennai), as their sources sensed a threat and warned him of potential danger to his life. As if the universe was warning him, his helicopter in Visakhapatnam experienced radio troubles and nearly could not be cleared to fly. Gandhi arrived at the campaign late into the night, past 10 pm, to an excited crowd waiting to welcome him. 

A vigilant policewoman noticed a young lady approaching the VIPs too closely, carrying a garland, and tried to shoo her away. As fate would have it, Gandhi signalled the policewoman and uttered his last words, "Don't worry. Relax." The lady placed the garland over his neck, bowed to touch his feet, and pressed the lever to activate the RDX bomb. 

The core of this police procedural series centres on how a quickly assembled multi-agency Special Investigative Team uncovers the mystery behind the bombing. With no leads except for a camera holding a roll of film, the team embarks on a chaotic chase across the countryside against a non-cooperative local population to find the former Prime Minister's killers. Within 90 days, they succeed in identifying the mastermind behind the attack, but not before leaving a trail of cyanide-swallowing suicidal members of the LTTE.

I believe the miniseries provides a fair and accurate depiction of the facts. It moves at a brisk pace. The conversations alternate between Tamil, Hindi, and English. There are no melodramatic elements. The facts are presented as they are, without any biased undertones. 

P.S. Seven of those involved were ultimately imprisoned for the killing. Two of the masterminds were initially sentenced to death but later had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. In 2022, after three decades behind bars, the seven were released on good behaviour, though the decision was still controversial. Rajiv's children, Rahul, the Opposition leader, and sister Priyanka, engaged in a one-to-one discussion with Nalini, one of those originally sentenced to death. They said they had forgiven their father's killers. The Tamil Nadu Government also campaigned for their release.

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A love song for a serial killer?

Moodu Pani (Tamil, மூடு பனி; 1980)
Screenplay & Direction: Balu Mahendra

The only time this movie is remembered is when the superhit song from its original soundtrack is played. And, mind you, this song is played at many functions. That super-duper hit song I am referring to is 'En Iniya Pon Nillave' (என் இனிய பொன் நிலாவே). It does not take much to recognise that song. A few seconds into its opening guitar sequence, it clicks. The song was composed by Illayaraja, also known as 'The Maestro' these days, as more music connoisseurs are realising that his compositions are complex and deserving of orchestral performances.

Like many of his compositions, this song can be regarded as another masterpiece. Although it might seem, at first glance, to be a Western piece featuring prominent guitar sounds and rhythm, it actually blends elements of Carnatic and Hindustani ragas. Naturally, flutes are a universal instrument. Indian musical experts state that this particular song is performed in Natabhairavi, a Carnatic raga. Apparently, two talas were employed in this song, one after the other, to express the discordant emotions conveyed in the scene. 

In the scene, the protagonist, a mentally disturbed man who grew up witnessing his mother repeatedly being abused by his father while keeping a mistress, develops an intense aversion to women, especially sex workers. A psychiatrist suggests that he should get married. When a girl he proposes to declines his advances, he turns into a kidnapper. He confines the woman in a bungalow to coerce her into submission. Realising that resistance is futile, she tries to put up a front in front of him. She pretends to show genuine interest in him while the kidnapper pours out his heart. Reflecting these emotions, the tune is designed to oscillate between creating an uneasy feeling and an outpouring of emotions; between anxiety and love.

The song is played in the minor chord (Aeolian scale) of melancholy, often associated with sadness and break-ups. There is inherent loneliness and despair in both parties. The girl had her intentions to escape her captor, and the man had his tumultuous emotions and bottled-up rage. This is not a happy love song. There is no jubilation. It is a glimpse into the mind of a madman. The melody and lyrics are not mere fillers to complement the film score but serve to reinforce the story and reveal what is not explicitly stated in the lines.

This is Illayaraja's 100th film, in which he composed the songs. It belongs to one of the rare genres of Tamil cinema—a psychological thriller written in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. Like Norman Bates, the protagonist kills women and keeps the remains of his dead mother under the sheet. 

Here's a little trivia. The initial tune he submitted for this scene was 'Iniya Nila Pozhikirathu' (இனிய நிலா பொழிகிறது). However, it was rejected by the director because it sounded too cheerful and optimistic. This song was later utilised in another film, Payanangal Mudivatharvillai, which also became a hit song. Gangai Amaran, Illayaraja's brother, composed the lyrics, and KJ Yesudas lent his melodic voice to the final version.

Reference: Youtube: Oru Naal Pothuma Ep 186

Sad love song!

Hopeful love song!

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