A couple of days back I watched a malayalam movie, "Ore Kadal", by Shyamaprasad. Its an adaptation of Sunil Gangopadhyay's Bengali novel, Heerak Deepti.
I do not know much about the novel, but the movie sure did strike a resonating chord within me. The movie would, for sure, leave an impression on those who can appreciate and accept the truth beyond all the pretences that keeps this society 'sane'.
A realistic movie too. There must be many Deeptis amongst us, I recon.
None of the characters in the movie attracted me.
However, they deviated 3 hours of my life to theirs, to leave in me, in the hours that followed, the sweetness of their bare minds and their innocence.
The main character in the movie is Deepti, a middle class housewife. A naive person who gives in to her desires and lets herself be carried away by her emotions.. lets herself remain in awe of the new person she discoveres in herself; sensuous, happy and complete. A woman.
A woman leaving her husband for the one she loves, evidently failing her duty as wife..,
A mother, tearing apart the bonds that keeps her family together, exposing her children to a life of uncertainities and insecurities; thereby, perhaps, denying them a normal life..
These factors would undoubtedly give a dull shade to Deepti's character.
However, on the other side lies an undeniable truth...
of her life being incomplete, with a craving for the man she loves.
The regret of not being able to love her husband might have tormented her.
There was nothing out of the way about her life until she took a decision to put an end to the torture within her; a decision at which the society would raise its brow, and throw at her, the sarcastic glare of a haggard and rigid genre.
But she wanted to break free..
The movie prods on the thin line that separates 'right' from 'wrong'.
Rights and wrongs are, but, man-made devices to protect men from their own species. A quantity of measure for the benefit of any society, and a basis for rules and regulations.
But to me it is the perception of an individual, a religion, an institution or a society that defines the two terms.
The truth may not always lead to right decisions. Honesty might not always be a right choice.
There could be times when the truth could harm the innocent, be it you or others.
And then its up to you to decide; to let go of all the prejudices and take a call based on what matters to you the most.
And at that point there is no right or wrong. Suddenly in your lone moments of decision you see what your life is truely about. And the choice you make then, would reveal to yourself a real you.
I totally agree that there are a lot of Deepthis' among us. This doesn't mean I could identify myself with her character, but the dilemma she faces, strangled by the rules of society and responsibilities towards family, most of the women, in the Indian scenario, stop thinking. They alter their characters to become someone else that can adapt to save their "family-life" mostly bestowed upon them by their previous family and fate. This is a forced choice because women are more known to think with their heart, than following their own heart.
ReplyDeleteDeepthi wanted to study, but was married off at an early age. She had desires, which was buried because of the circumstances. The intellectual side of her was almost lost. Her dream of traveling and seeing places was a lost dream. She was married, was a mother and the rest had to be forgotten. She could love her husband because he was a good human being. But she could not appreciate him because he wasn't a man of great intellect.
I can write loads about this movie, but then it would just be like another review :)
Women do think much more than the yester years nowadays and things are changing.
I feel that, no one can stop getting attracted to another person and it is not a sin. Do what you feel is right, such that, you would never have to regret of your decision..
well written!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteloved this movie a lot!!!