A peek into 1960s West Bengal...

Arohan (Ascent, Hindi; 1983)
Director: Shyam Benegal

imdb.com/title/tt0083575/

This movie serves as an eye-opener on the political changes in West Bengal. After the East India Company handed over administration of its prized colony to the British Crown in 1858, following the Sepoy Rebellion (also known as the First War of Independence), Calcutta was designated as the Capital of India. The crown built many learning institutions to help the natives aid in the British Raj administration. 

The British realised their mistake in 1905 when Lord Curzon partitioned the region of Bengal into two parts, the West and East, which later became the basis of the Partition of India. The erudite society was also very argumentative and resistant to the colonial government. 

This combative demeanour continued with their son of the soil, Subhash Chandra Bose, who was unceremoniously forced to resign from the Chair of the Indian Congress party. His militant, perhaps left-leaning approach to seeking self-rule was in tune with Gandhi's, as well as the British and the INC's approaches to independence. 

The post-British era saw the leftist movement remain active, particularly through academia and among disgruntled workers. The period from 1967 onwards was seen as the Communist 'golden era'. CPI-M took a stronghold on the running of the State. From 1977 through 2011, the CPI-M Left Front ruled the State. To be honest, in the first ten years, it achieved notable success in land distribution, agriculture, universal education, poverty reduction, and societal restructuring. Slowly, nepotism and misrule crept in. They were highly successful in deterring foreign investors and were primarily responsible for the relocation of many multinational industries and factories. Bengal's loss was another state's gain, e.g. Tamil Nadu. In 2011, Trinamool Congress defeated the Left Front with the support of rural Bengal.

The movie highlights the cruel transition period in rural Bengal circa late 1960s, where the poor sharecroppers are caught between the greedy landlords and the Naxalite movement. The initial arrangement was for the sharecroppers to pay a portion of their harvest as rent to the landowners. Hard times hit the sharecroppers, and they approached the landlords for loans. The illiterate peasants are cheated through one-sided agreements that they cannot read. They are instead employed as wage-earning workers. The younger ones among them head to the city, but go astray after being cheated blind.

The sharecroppers are also harassed by the Naxalite movement, which encourages them to rebel against the landlords. Amidst all this, there is the most violence, upheavals, and unending court trials that never see the light of day. The story is told in a melodramatic manner. In the parallel cinema of India, the movie portrays the plight of a poor farmer and his extended family during these trying times. It depicts the cruel turn of events for family members who migrated to the bright lights of Calcutta, only to face worse living conditions and disastrous outcomes. In the leading role, Om Puri won a National Award for his part.

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A historical fiction

Ponniyin Selvan Part 1(பொன்னியின் செல்வன், Tamil; 2022)
Director: Mani Ratnam

Kalki first published these fictionalised historical stories back in the 1950s in a weekly magazine. The stories were penned by Kalki Subramaniam and printed in Kalki magazine in Chennai. These stories were hugely popular and had developed a cult following. People were fascinated with the vivid narration and witty dialogue. The publication's readership at one time was 71,366 - a formidable number in newly independent India. Kalki Subramaniam had been a freedom fighter.

As early as the late 50s, attempts have been made to make a movie of Kalki's 'Ponniyin Selvan'. MG Ramachandran bought the rights to the story but failed due to financial constraints. Mani Ratnam attempted it in the 1980s and 2010s but failed again. After the delays posed by the pandemic, it finally hit the silver screens in 2022. 

Now, this film is said to be the fourth highest-grossing Tamil movie of all time, and people are singing praises of the movie. A blog reader watched it and said she did not quite understand the story. As I expected, the characters were too many, and the names were too mind-bending for an average occasional Tamil speaker and non-speaker to register. The dialogue can be considered too courteous for general consumption, as most Tamil movie dialogues are crude and rude. There were clearly no comedic actors to crack mindless slapstick and jokes. Again, this is another essential ingredient for a wholesome Indian picture where the audience will find money's worth. In PS-1, the dialogue is witty, and the comedic component is packaged in wordplay. I wonder if any Malaysian audiences who watched the movie with me in the cinema read the innuendos between the lines.

I have to confess that when a 13-year-old me watched 'Star Wars' when everyone else was singing praises of it, I too agreed with them. In reality, I could not understand the whole storyline, but not to appear dumb, I followed the herd. 

Maybe, because this movie is promoting nationalism at a time when the whole world becoming less tolerant of each other, it plucks the heartstrings of many. That was precisely the intention of Kalki Subramaniam, an Indian freedom fighter when he penned the series of stories. Kalki would have been very proud of his work as it is portrayed on the silver screen.

The cinematography and the special effects are of high quality, way above what is generally seen in most Indian movies. The artwork involving adventures (or rather misadventures) on the high seas was almost reminiscent of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean series. 

Ponniyin Selvan 1 is a historical fiction of the life of times of young Arunmozhi Varman in the 10th century CE before he became the great Chola Emperor Raja Raja Cholan. He was referred to as 'Ponniyin Selvan' - the son of Ponni. Ponni is the other name for the River Kaveri. Legend has it that the spirit of the River had saved Arunmozhi from drowning, hence the nickname. 

As in politics then and now, frequent backstabbing and doublecrossing were going on to usurp power. In that climate, brothers Aditha Karkalan and Arunmozhi Varman have to stand tall, fight the schemers and protect the throne in a series of swashbuckling adventures and death-defying moments.

Sure, the history of Man was never peaceful. At no time were Man cordial with his neighbours. They found ingenious ways to differentiate one from another. I could not help but notice that the scriptwriters purposely tried to suggest animosity between Shaivites (Shiva worshippers) and Vaishvanites (Vishnu worshippers). But I always thought that in ancient India (and now), heterogenicity was embraced. It remains the only land that was not hostile towards Jews and accepted Zoroastrian refugees when Islamic invaders chased them away from Persia. There are even Chinatowns in India.

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It is all about how we make it!

Last Film Show (Chhello Show, Gujerati; 2021)
Director: Pan Nalin

Growing up in a lower-middle-class Asian family, the last thing we were allowed to do as children was to indulge in too much time watching movies. Movies were considered evil, deterrents that would derail us from our purpose in life. In their eyes, the purpose of life hovers around getting into the fields of law, medicine, engineering or teaching (if you are a female). Anything else would not just cut it.

As we grew up in our own time, we realised that life is neither black nor white. Straying away from the top four noble professions did not make one a failure, and following religiously along the pre-planned path would assure success.

This Gujerati film is a surprise nomination for the 2022 Academy Award Best International Feature Film Category, instead of 'R.R.R.' or 'The Kashmir Files'. This movie, by all means, is not an original one. It is inspired (or plagiarised, depending on which camp one is) by the Italian 1988 masterpiece 'Cinema Paradiso'. Many undeniably familiar scenes give viewers the feeling of deja vu. Suddenly the small railway town in Gujerat feels like the heartland of interior Italy.

A 10-year-old boy, Samay, is thrilled when he is taken by his father to watch a movie at the local cinema. Usually, he does not allow his children to watch movies, but since this is a devotional movie, he makes an exception. He thought perhaps by viewing such a movie, some good values may seep in. He also warned Samay and his sister that this would probably be their first and last film show.

Little Samay is, however, totally captivated by the projection of light and panoramic range of colours that seem to emanate from that tiny hole up in the wall. Besides his school time, when he hardly concentrates anyway, and the help he gives at his father's tea stall at the railway, he spends most of his time in the projection room after befriending and trading his lunch with the projectionist.

In this coming-of-age film, young Samay and his inquisitive friends sneak around, steal rolls of film, get into trouble with the men in blue, and, finally, a big lesson in life. The film's highlight must surely be their effort in screening a movie from an improvised projector made from discarded household items and their voice-over for sound effects. Whatever is said and done, this movie is highly commendable for its creativity.

The other lesson the storytellers seem to impart is the impermanence of everything around us. At once, these projection films were such valued merchandise; they were protected under lock and key with police protection. The next moment, we see that they are worthless. They are discarded with other trash. Even as discards, the film rolls are still helpful. They give joy to many young girls in the form of coloured bangles. The projector and film covers are recycled as cutlery.

An exciting viewing, 8/10.

(P.S. The School of Hard Knocks have taught me that nothing is wasteful. Immersing oneself in the make-believe world of Tinseltown or the mirage of the cyber world will not turn that person into someone he does not want to be. Everyone has the mental capacity and free will to decide the path that he wants to follow. Knowledge has no boundaries and can never be wasteful. The same media that spews porn also teach coding. Films put reality on screen. It mimics life for us to appreciate that life is precious and is malleable to the path we want to follow!)

(P.P.S. Interestingly, the protagonist's name is Samay, meaning time. We can see how Samay @ time evolves with everchanging exposures and challenges that hit upon it. And it is ever ready to change!)

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Still relevant today

Pakistan or Partition of India (1940, Revised 1945)
B.R. Ambedkar

Dr Ambedkar is often voted as the single most important icon of India, surpassing Gandhi and the members of the Nehru clan. He has been described as one of the most erudite people from the subcontinent. He is credited with the drafting of the Indian Constitution. One of his many books that seem to be ahead of its times and is especially relevant in these trying times of identity politics is this one. 

It was written at the tumultuous times when India was fighting a war for the British while at the same time, in the local front struggling for self-rule. Like two siblings fighting for the coveted candy from their parents, it was a time when Muslims were fighting for a separate nation. The Hindus wanted to keep it that way as it had been since time immemorial.

As early as 630AD, through the writings of the travelling Buddhist monk, Hsuan Tang (Xuanzang), the Indian subcontinent had been described to spread from Afghanistan. The 8th-century Indian philosopher, via his travels to the four corners of the country, had demarcated the extent of India. So, to carve out part of the country, for sentimental reasons, is considered sacrilege. 

Char Dham (4 Abodes) - Holy pilgrim sites

as described by Adi Shankaracharya from

Kerala who united the nation of India through

his travels and philosophical debates to all

four corners of the country.

From the 8th century onwards, waves upon waves of Muslim invaders infiltrated from the North changing the landscape of the country altogether. It is said the destruction of various gems of knowledge were burnt to the ground. Temples were desecrated and looted. Then on it was a series of the path of destruction with kingdoms rising and falling, each new warrior claiming to protect their way of life. Finally, the British East India Company put the final death knell to the once glorious land.

By the time the British were ruling India, the dichotomy between the Hindus and Muslims were quite pronounced. The wealthy Muslims who prospered when the Mogul Emperor was ruling had all lost their influence. At about that time, the Ottoman Empire, the sick man of  Europe, was no worthy representative of the past glory of the religion. There was a dire need amongst the elite group to reignite this. 

The last time, the Hindus and Muslims join forces to combat a common enemy was during the Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. The Colonial Master must have noticed this and using their time-tested 'divide-and-rule' tactic, they managed to create distrust between the two sides. So, when Independence was fought for, the Muslims were fervent on distrusting the Hindus. They claimed that they would get fair treatment in a country dominated by a Hindu majority. Hence, the call for a Muslim nation called Pakistan began as early as the 1930s. The calls for Islamic union started with Khalifat movement in 1919. They were sympathisers of the Ottoman Empire but were disappointed when Turkey became a republic instead of re-establishing an Islamic Empire.

Babasaheb Ambedkar was in a unique position to be the best person to critically evaluate all the merits and demerits of creating a Muslimraj nation. He, having the brunt of the discriminations hurled upon for being a Dalit and a Hindu, knows too well about the downside of the ugly treatment of the backward castes in a Hindu community. Being one who delved in different religions (before his mass conversion later), he is also well versed in the Islamic scriptures. Armed with this knowledge, he went on to discuss whether Partition should happen and what are the dangers should Pakistan were not created, from a Hindu and Muslim perspective.


Ambedkar had a lot of criticisms about Gandhi's way of going about getting Swaraj from the British. His cooperation with the Khalifat Movement and his back-bending means of appeasing to their whims and fancies were frowned upon. His inactions after the Mopla Rebellion in Kerala and the use of his secret weapon, fasting, for political gain and Indian unity were admonished. 

The Hindus, at least the ones in the upper crust (caste) of the society were mostly against Partition. Many wanted to maintain the status quo by clinging on to the civil service. Creation of a new nation would mean loss of their status. They were happy with Muslims living in India within pockets of Muslim majorities. They felt they would be fair.

The French-speaking and the English-speaking Canadian can live together. So can the English and the Boers in South Africa. And Switzerland has a harmonious mix of French, Italians and Germans in their populace. During the writing of the book, Czechoslovakia was living proof that two ethnicities, Czechs and Slovaks can come together as a country.

But, at the same time, in the case of Czechoslovakia, trouble can start from within. Like the Sudeten German who engaged Hitler to march into their country.

Ambedkar accused the Muslim of unable to show nationalism or nationalistic spirit. For them, there is the only allegiance to religion. The religious tie of Islam is the strongest in humanity. There was no assurance that Pakistan would be fair to their non-Muslim minorities and vice versa.

The author was also worried that what was left of India could even disintegrate. Unlike proposed Pakistan with a universal language of Urdu (and religion), India was a potpourri of cultures and languages. 

On top of all of the above, India had to deal with the bad foreign press. He quoted a 1927 novel 'Mother India' which was written by a Miss Mayo who was quick to paint a horrible picture of traditional Hindu way of life - child brides, widowhood etc. It created great dissatisfaction in India. The story was rewritten later and made into a blockbuster movie in 1957 to instil nationalism.

To conclude, in the epilogue, the author took the stand that it was inevitable that Partition should happen. Even though India had survived a cultural basket for generations, the creation of two nations was not pre-destined but a deliberate attempt to emphasise the difference when it was more beneficial to find commonalities. 

Communal antagonism is present everywhere. We should learn to embrace each other's differences.

https://etouch-jayanthinathan.blogspot.com/2017/05/pakistan-or-partition-of-india-by-dr-br.html

https://medium.com/@PranavSJ/book-review-pakistan-or-the-partition-of-india-by-dr-babasaheb-ambedkar-80f75dc5d368

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The silent God, again?

The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde insegle, Swedish; 1957)
Written and Directed by Ingmar Bergman

A classic regarding the filmmaker's favourite topic, The Silence of God. As usual, people in power would always decree that this is God's decree and one should lead their lives by His Book. Despite what appears like acts of barbaric and inhumane nature, some things need to be done for the greater good of humankind, so they say, even though it makes no sense. These types of nonsensical actions seem to continue till today.

The Seventh Seal is a film with a heavy theological reference set in medieval time Sweden.

Antonio Block is a disgruntled knight who is returning from the Crusade War to be with his wife. As he and his errand Gian, discover a country plagued with the Black Death and cruelty done in the name of God. Block is visited by Death, but he managed to postpone his time after a game of chess which would go on intermittently throughout the length of the film and end at the tail end of it.

Along with his trip back to his castle, he meets a performing troupe, infidelity, burning of young women labelled as witches and people dying infected with the plague.

He tries to find answers to his questions on God and death through the Church, Death and from those at the cusp of death but to no avail.

He finally reaches his castle with his friends, has their last supper together, and makes their final trip with Death.....

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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