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Notes on Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi

Watched Sudhir Mishra’s Hazaron Khwahishein Aisi during the weekend. Over the years, I have come round to the view that one should divest oneself of the baggage of expectations before watching an Indian film. The Rising rose to deceive because it wilted under the baggage of 4 years that went into making it. And, of course, Aamir Khan’s reclusive ways, which always whet the media’s appetite. Why expect an epic before you enter the theatres? Chances are that you’ll come out disappointed. Enter the theatres with a blank mind, a tabula rasa, and the film will itself etch its glorious moments as well as its failings on the mind. I feel this is constructive film-watching.
Coming to Hazaron…, I didn’t have any expectations from the film. Watching it on a lazy Sunday afternoon, the film took me by surprise. At the outset, the director makes his intentions clear when he points out the horological mistake in Nehru’s freedom speech. How stupid to say: “At the stroke of midnight, when the world sleeps….” The nation began its tryst with destiny with a sub-editor’s worst nightmare coming true.
I do have some reservations about the first half, which veers tantalisingly towards the all-so-common college canteen dialectics on merits/demerits of extremist socialism. There’s a brief love-making scene (clumsy) and one of the protagonists, Sidharth, is out to a village in Bihar to join the “struggle”.
The second half gets absorbing when we have a compelling human drama played out against general political unrest. The character of Vikram is the most well-etched. He is upwardly mobile, a “fixer”, but nurtures feelings of love for the leading lady, Geeta. He is not bothered about politics, but utilises it to his own good. However, he is a total misfit in the outback. Glib talking will get him nowhere here. A place where villagers are harassed and implicated on false charges of murder. Where law begins and ends with the local police station.
While the protagonist is saved by his comrades, Vikram incurs the wrath of the police and is mercilessly beaten up. Mishra makes the scene poignant -- very raw and very Bihar.
Thankfully, the director has kept a keen eye on the nuances. You know the mise en scene is a Delhi college hostel or a police station in Bhojpur or a small town in Punjab by the accents and minor details. (Well, I would never have pointed out these taken-for-granted aspects while talking about good films. But even the basics seem to be lacking in most Indian films).
I have a small quibble though. The dialogues are mostly in English. If the film is meant for non-hindi speaking viewers, why not have translations? Better still, why not use the college campus language, instead of having the actors speak uncomfortably in English?

Comments

Of course one cannot be disappointed when one has no expectations. A pessimist is never disappointed.

Even so, The Rising disappoints because every now and then, one glimpses the potential for a good film ... slipping away.

J.A.P.
Anonymous said…
It sounds rather harsh but I guess it's true when you say "...one should divest oneself of the baggage of expectations before watching an Indian film." As J.A.P wisely comments, “A pessimist is never disappointed”. So go to the theatre a cynic; if and when you do come across something as surprisingly fresh as a Dil Chahta Hai, hold on to the moment gleefully.
Anonymous said…
As for the stroke-of-midnight-when-the-world-sleeps gaffe, it remains an embarrassingly wide one. One wonders how the speech went through. I guess democratic India was too taken up with its own awakening to notice the wide awake other half. In microcosm, the speech-writer must have been too excited at the prospect of so many people amassed and awake at midnight.

Thought, though: How could Salman Rushdie, so predictable in such matters, have missed this mistake in Midnight’s Children? Tell me, Fool on the Hill or One Time Big MC Fan, did Rushdie start losing his magic from then itself?
thorswheels said…
J.A.P: How true.

Hyacinth girl: Remember Padma in the novel? She must have distracted him then. Now it's the real Padma. But (and I still stand by it) Midnight's Children was pure magic.
I couldn't wade through The Ground beneath Her Feet. Not even Rushdie should think that he has a right to be read.

The reader has the right to be entertained at any level of cerebration. And the power to reject if that right si not recognised.

Unfortunately, there are imperfections in the market. Most of the world consists of morons who will do what the media tells them to do. The Emperor's new clothes ...

J.A.P.
Did you feel the love-making scene was clumsy? In fact, I was going to post about how authentic it looked and what a refreshing change it made from the usual synchronised, almost choreographed love-making scenes we get to see in films, usually from Hollywood, and of late from Bollywood as well.
thorswheels said…
JAP: For starters, would you think JK Rowling is one such abberation? A product of unimaginable media hype? [I won't give a comment here since I haven't read a single volume]
Marauder: I can almost see the dark storm clouds gathering over your head!
kaushik said…
The more time goes by the more Rising keeps on rising its head in sundry places. A review of Hazaro... starts with a mention on Rising.

Well can we leave the film alone. I quite liked the film bcoz midday I could shackle myself from the weight of expectations.

As for whether its a hit or not these days its difficult to know. The media (who is this person called media.. a group of 5-6 people??) will never allow us to know that.

But how does it matter? Watching a film is a personal episode. More like religion. For me it doesnt matter what others say. You hear about film and decide based on your own perceptions whether you should see it or not. And you come back with you own interpretation of the experience.
Anonymous said…
Another debate on a film...think the favourite topic of debate among bloggers is films!!! Coming to Hazaron...I think its a brilliant film. Period. I do hope people will appreciate that a film of this kind has been made at all. Thank the director, producer et all.
Also, I think the language is pretty apt, goes with the characters and the background of the characters who are speaking...And did the "hill top fool" expect a more explicit love making scene!!!
Anonymous said…
The movie...hazaaron...is absolutely beautiful. Am OK with the English too, somehow makes it more natural. I really doubt if college students speak in Hindi, atleast I didnt!

Every character is so well-etched and also well-justified in their actions. When Geeta asks Vikram to go and look for Siddharth, you can see the pain on Vikram's face. He loves Geeta and wants her for himself but its the same love that makes him go to the village.

The songs are wonderful too. I saw this movie so late and that too on TV. Wish I had caught it while it was running in the theatres.
Vinod Rajagopal said…
Hi.. do you have the lyrics of "BaaNwara Mann"?
Can you just mail it to: vinod.rajagopal@cummins.com?
Abhishek said…
Baawra man Lyrics -
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Baawra man….

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Baawra saa ghunghta chahe haule haule bin bataye - 2
Baawre se mukhre se sarkana..aaa

Baawra man dekhne chala ek sapna
Baawra man dekhne chalaaaa….ek sap..naaaah..
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Anonymous said…
Hey guys, there's another English person about, :)
I'm a new on thorswheels.blogspot.com
looking forward to speaking to you guys soon
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see the movie once again and give some better reason if u want to support nehru ..otherwise don't write all these bullshit.
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