SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET

There is a scene in the movie where a small boy we all now know as the 14^th Dalai Lama asks his close friend and tutor Hienrich Harrer: “Do you think some day people will look at Tibet on the movie screen and wonder what happened to us!” It was a moment of truth that evoked a deep pain in my heart. The inescapable truth that a civilization is slowly being wiped out of the face of the earth slowly dawned on me. I generally don’t think of writing about something until it disturbs me enough and I felt that this masterpiece which projects humanity through the lives of two very distinct individuals deserves to be celebrated.

Make no mistake. This movie is not about Dalai Lama or the Tibetan race. The movie is about Hienrich Harrer, an arrogant, cocky, self-absorbed Third Reich Poster boy and a star Austrian mountain climber who sets out to conquer the Nanga Parbat, the unclimbed mountain in the Himalayas and leaves behind a very pregnant wife in a selfish quest of singular glory. This movie is about his transformation from being a self centered egoist to a human being with genuine love and compassion and the enlightenment of simplicity.

Hienrich Harrer is a loner by choice, superiority is his only code as he fails to coexist in the expedition which is ended by bad weather and further marred by the World War as the climbers are taken as prisoners in British India. He slowly sheds his outer layer of stoic arrogance as the memory of his now new born son keeps haunting him. We see the first glimpse of his ego’s downfall in jail when he receives divorce papers from his wife. There is a terrifying scene in which Harrer repeatedly throws himself onto the barb-wired fence as a self-inflicted punishment for his self-inflicted agony.  

Harrer eventually manages to escape prison along with the captain of the expedition Peter Aufschnitter and a riveting tale of their friendship ensues. Together they wander endlessly across the towering mountains for years, seeking refuge and finding none, fleeing bandits, eating their own horses, trading their costly accessories for handful of food, inhaling the springs, battling death like cold in winter and finally landing in Lhasa with the help of a first aid instruction paper disguised as some special entry permit. The kingdom that is closed to foreigners welcomes them with outstretched hands and scripts the most wonderful chapter of their lives.

The seven years in Tibet is not just for Hienrich and Peter but we too live and breathe Tibet along with them and immerse ourselves in their wonderful tradition and culture. The roof of the world, Tibet, is most intriguing and at the same time most isolated. Its civilization, though medieval in nature, is one with a golden heart and unlike any other. A civilization that doesn’t stand a chance against any other in terms of prosperity, wealth or sophistication but has more peace, compassion and simplicity than the entire world put together.

The old lady who takes care of Harrer, the workers who refuse to work on a land fearing that they will hurt the worms in the soil, the minister who asks nonchalantly if one needs a reason for a good deed when questioned on his reason for giving refuge to these two foreigners and the young Dalai Lama who shows wisdom and character way beyond his age when he stands up to the Chinese Generals, refuses to leave his people behind and persuades Harrer to go back to his son, are all representatives of this spectacularly unique race. And when the Chinese invade Tibet, we are witness to the heart wrenching spectacle of a peace loving country vainly attempting to create a military of about a 1000 men to battle millions of Chinese troops. It pricks your heart to see a Tibetan soldier firing an arrow at a Chinese who shoots him with a machine gun. It is indeed a culture like no other and its loss is not just a loss for humanity but a loss of humanity.

There are some refreshingly funny scenes too as the two guys come alive at the first sight of a woman after spending years of dry and dead life. The scene where they sheepishly cringe when she measures them up for stitching their suits, their game of one-upmanship to impress her, Harrer’s ingenious idea of ripping his coat pocket to find an excuse to visit her again only to see Peter already there getting his pant mended and the ice skating lessons where Hienrich realizes that Peter is her man will all make you smile with abandon.

But at the same time you will always feel a strange undercurrent that reminds us of the uniqueness of the Tibetan civilization. The scene where Hienrich shows off to the seamstress describing in detail every glory that he has achieved is my second favorite one just for sheer genius and profundity of her response. “This is the difference between our civilizations. You admire the man who pushes his way to the top in any walk of life while we admire the man who abandons his ego!”

The scenes between Hienrich Harrer and little Dalai Lama are simply mesmerizing and define the new Hienrich Harrer. The intimate and playful relationship they share slowly grows into a love that is soulful, spiritual and filial. The scene where Harrer tells him about the absolute simplicity in climbing mountains which fills him with the deep powerful presence of life is as brilliant as the final one when little Dalai Lama tells Harrer that he was much too informal to be his father and asks him to go back to his son. Harrer, who left a son to conquer the Himalayas, conquers himself with the help of a son in Tibet who he finally leaves to go back to the son he left. This brilliant movie showcases the remarkable transformation of Hienrich Harrer and gives us a glimpse of an extraordinary civilization and its greatest spiritual leader through Harrer’s eyes.

PATHER PANCHALI

Why do we watch a movie? For different reasons all right! But the most basic reason is that we want to have a good time, relax, enjoy and unwind from a tiring day and the most important element we look for in the movie is entertainment. How often do we watch a movie for the sheer brilliance of the maker and for the splendor of his creation! Which is why, I am very happy that I watched Pather Panchali last week. I had tried watching it a month ago but couldn’t and eventually returned the movie. I am glad it gave me a second chance by getting into my line of sight at the library last week again. Otherwise I would have been deprived of what is considered as one of the greatest films ever made.   

The movie starts with a cute little girl stealing guavas from an orchard (that was once theirs). She then comes home and silently hides it in her grandmother’s basket. The expression in the face of the old lady (who has been neglected by everyone else), when she sees that fruit is one gem that wouldn’t leave your memory soon. And I tell you: Not many movies make me cry. Well, Pather Panchali means “Song of the Road” or “Lament of the Path”. To me it is a beautiful song of a loving family, filled with joy and pain, love and anguish. It is the best human document I have ever seen!

The story is a painful chapter in the lives of an impoverished family living in the decrepit ancestral home in a small village. The father, Harihar, is a simpleton who earns a meager living as a priest and is easily exploited by others. But he is very talented and dreams of being an author of scholarly plays and poems. His wife’s character Sarbajaya, is a beautiful portrayal of a struggling embittered woman who carries the family along, listens to the taunts of her neighbors and perennially worries about their future. You hate her when she asks the old lady to leave the house, but you feel for her when she tells her husband that she also had dreams. Her struggle to make ends meet everyday is a painful tale, remarkably told.

And then there are Durga and Apu. They bring you the smiles. And then the tears! They are the doting and playful brother and sister. They share the simple joys of life, such as sitting quietly under a tree, chasing each other, running through the fields to catch a glimpse of a speeding train, running after the candy man who passes through the village, watching a famous play and viewing pictures in a bioscope shown by a traveling vendor. To me, Pather Panchali is a story of Durga. Her touching relationship with her granny, her playful love and motherly affection towards Apu, her longing to be a woman and her fascination for marriage, her penchant to stealing: all make her a fascinating character that is at the heart of this story. She melts your heart when she covers Apu as they are getting drenched in the rain and says: “Rain rain go away”. And when she eventually dies of fever, storm, incessant rains and lack of medical or financial help, all the pain, suffering and misery that grip the family will engulf you and you will feel a lament deep down in your soul! 

Finally there is the old aunt who seeks refuge in the house. The hardships faced by the old lady in the house will prick your heart. That was the reason I gave up on this movie a month ago. I just couldn’t bear her predicament. The way she is questioned, scolded and ill-treated will melt your heart. It is torturously painful to see her shuttle between the two houses for shelter and food and then eventually die, abandoned, under a tree. The scene where she is asked to leave and she waits with a longing look in her eyes hoping against hope to be called back is just too much to handle. And all this with no drama, exactly how it happens in real life, which is what makes it even more shocking and disturbing.

I can go on but will not. There are several memorable scenes in the movie that will just mesmerize you. They are very simple but have an amazing depth in portraying the ever so complex human emotions and hence are very compelling. They leave you spell bound. The scene towards the end of the movie where Apu finds a necklace that Durga had earlier denied having stolen and throws it into the pond is very deep and intriguing. The soul-stirring music and the brilliantly shot scenes, artistic and realistic at the same time, filled with little nuances of human emotion lend a poetic brilliance and lyrical realism to this movie which in the end ceases to be one. All you see is life unfolding in front of you. The final sight of the family leaving the village in an ox-cart with the sad memory of a lost one in their hearts will stay in your eyes and hearts forever!

62 TURNS RAJINI!

On the occasion of Rajinikanth’s birthday I was watching a talk show on TV. The host asked several people as to when and how did they get attached to him or started liking him. It was a simple question but then I thought about it for a while and could not come up with an answer. I do not remember when I started liking him. It was one of those involuntary things children pick up; like a language or the tune of a song without having any clue of the lyrics. Usually we did not go to theaters to watch movies those days. But we always made an exception for every Rajini movie. Simply put: I just grew up adoring him!

Almost everyone will have his/her own reason for liking him. He has managed to entertain us in every possible way: by his on-screen persona, his off-screen charisma and even through countless Internet jokes. But that one thing that makes him rule the hearts of millions is the fact that he sheds the grease paint the moment he steps out of a studio. He never acts his life out; he lives it. Like any and every one of us. That is what makes him so irresistible. A great man living a simple life; trust me it is not easy. And I am happy that he just is!

It was his birthday this week and as usual people were busy wishing him, fans celebrated his birthday in a grand fashion, internet was abuzz with a full collection of his jokes and celebrities tweeted away to glory. Here are some of the interesting ones.

TomCruise: Happy bday Rajni Sir. I have just completed Mission Impossible 4. I heard you have completed all 99,999 levels. I know you will call me “jujuubii”!

AnnaHazare: Today I am privileged to get the CNN Rajini of the Year Award. I dedicate this award to you on your b’day! And I request you to join our fight. Together we can send corruption to the hospital!

RahulGandhi: @AnnaHazare: Did you see the power of Rajini? He has made you offer him a bribe!

SRK: They tell me I can sell any brand. They also tell me that I sell every other brand. But I always wonder how brand Rajini is worth more than everything else. And you don’t even sell it. Happy b’day Sir!

KSRavikumar: Happy bday Rajini Sir. Hope we can start Rana soon. @JuniorB: I would like to discuss about signing BetiB for a movie with Rajini Sir.

DeepikaPadukone: @KSRavikumar.. I would love to do the role of Rajini’s mother in that film!

RamGopalVarma: Retweet of a retweet: Ra-One: A 2 1/2 hour cameo by SRK in a 2 minute Rajini movie!

SRK: @RamGopalVarma: At least in Twitter, try to be original!

Birthday: Rajni Sir, I am sorry on behalf of all these ignorant people. Happy Rajni to me!

Dhanush: Rajini sir thanks you one and all for your warm wishes.

An ardent fan who doesn’t live out of Twitter sends a birthday note to Rajini’s house.

“Happy bday thalaivaa. Thank you for being a superstar on screen and being yourself off it!”

The fan gets a hand written letter from Rajini: “Thank you for your lovely card. I am touched. May God bless you and your family!”

Well, jokes and tweets apart, he is a phenomenon. And that is not because he does impossible things on screen. It is because he does an impossible thing off it. He keeps himself grounded and real. He is a great man simply because he doesn’t think he is great. And he has touched and inspired so many people in ways even he doesn’t know. I am sure everyone wants to see more and more of him: be it on screen where he bashes 10 goons with ease or a rare off-screen glimpse of him in a cotton kurta-pajama and chappals. Well, as for me, a silent wish goes out from my heart to him which hopes to see many more such birthday Rajinis!

PAN'S LABYRINTH

Our notion of fantasy has mostly been restricted to movies like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings which transport us into a fantasy world and take us through a visual journey of adventures most often culminating in a battle between Good and Evil. But here is a movie that redefines fantasy for us by disguising a folk fairy tale in the form of a dark political fable in fascist Spain. Pan’s labyrinth creates a world where fantasy and reality seamlessly flow into each other through the yearning eyes of a troubled child who desperately tries to run away from her little miseries by shuttling between these 2 worlds only to encounter her worst fears in her journey.

The movie is set in dark times during the Spanish Civil war in the early stages of the Europe’s fascist nightmare. Ofelia is a dreamy child whose mother is remarried to an evil officer in General Franco’s army. She has to accompany her expecting mother to join her new husband in the war zone in a dark forest surrounded by guerrilla warriors.  She hates her new father and finds it difficult to see the pain of her ailing mother. So she retreats herself into a fantasy world of mythical creatures, magic quests and breath taking sceneries. But she eventually finds out that this new world is as brutal as the one she so badly wanted to forget.

Ofelia eagerly reads stories about fairies, princesses and magic lands, longing to believe that what she reads is real. This takes her into a grotesque, enchanted netherworld in which she is thought to be the long lost princess. Now she has to complete 3 tasks to earn her rightful place as the King’s daughter. What ensues is an intriguing mix of fantasy and tragedy that leads to 2 different endings for Ofelia, one in reality and the other in her netherworld. And the beauty is that you cannot tell one from the other. And yet, this fantasy world may only exist in the realm of Ofelia’s imagination. Or may be not! You will never know. In the end you are left with two ever lasting images that tease you to create your own fairy tale version.

There is sheer originality and brutal simplicity in Pan’s fantasy world. Be it the giant like faun with unique features, the ghastly child eating pale man whose eyes are in the palms of his hand or the ugly looking giant toad among many other curious creatures, they provide the little girl with dangerous adventures which seem to be her only escape from her fascist step-father. All these creatures are nothing you have seen before in other fantasy movies. They invoke fear, they terrify us, they make us squirm and squeak but they would be hard to erase from your memory. Magic here is not about flying objects and casting spells. It is as simple as drawing a door with a chalk and walking through it.

The film has some outstanding performances especially by the exceptionally talented Ivana Baquero who plays the beautiful Ofelia with a brilliant vulnerability. The scene where she tells her brother (who still is inside her mother’s womb) that he has hurt her mother enough and pleads him not to hurt her when he comes out will drench your heart. And in the scene where she pleads the faun to forgive her mistake and give her one more chance, she exquisitely portrays her desperation and makes us long for her to transcend to the fantasy world.  

The biggest strength of Pan’s labyrinth is its multilayered complex narrative which weaves the reality of power, corruption and resistance of a fascist fable inside a fairly tale created by the feverish imagination of a vulnerable child. You would not want to miss this one as fantasy has never been so real.

THE LIVES OF OTHERS

Movies are meant to be entertaining. We watch them, enjoy them and in course of time we forget about them. But there are some movies that leave us gasping for air. They suffocate us, make us cringe and leave us wasted. But they stay green in our memory for a long time. They do so because they tell us things that we hate to hear and show us visuals we would rather not see. And in my opinion, those are the movies you should not miss!

"The Lives of Others," set in East Germany not long before the fall of the Berlin Wall is one such spectacular tale and a piece of complicated art. Writer Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck elegantly penetrates the Berlin wall before it actually came down and lays bare the brutal absurdity of the GDR and its cruel psychology of socialism which created a society poisoned by secrecy, fear and abuse of power.

Here is some history to give you some perspective. Post World War, Germany was divided in two and shared amongst the victors. France, Britain and USA got the western half and Russia got the eastern half. Towns, cities and countryside that were once ruled by Socialist Germany, were now ruled by Communist Russia. Democratic Republic of Germany (GDR) was a brutal totalitarian state run by a government that spied on all its citizens and demanded that the citizens also spy on each other.

“The Lives of Others” is a riveting tale of two good men at that time and how watching one’s life changes the other. There is a poetic symmetry between the 2 protagonists: Renowned playwriter Georg Dreyman whose writing creates new lives on screen and Stasi police investigator Capt. Gerd Wielser whose writing has to secretly capture the life of Dreyman in order to help a minister’s own cause.

The standout feature of the film is the characterization of Gerd Wiesler. The transformation that he undergoes is tremendously complicated yet simply elegant. He starts out as a firm believer in the Republic’s ideals and looks at every man with a pair of binoculars, sometimes literally. The scene in the elevator with a small boy who says that his father believes that Stasi are bad people is a subtle genius. You can feel the awkwardness in the air when he ends up asking the name of the boy’s "foot ball" unable to hide his “Stasi”ness! How much does it take to change your faith? Watching the life of Georg Dreyman and his girlfriend actress Christa Maria Sieland, he is forced to confront his own beliefs and question the very ideals he has so vehemently observed for his whole life. The director exquisitely illuminates Gerd Wiesler’s moral no man’s land! It is the sheer vulnerability of the characters that makes the movie so compellingly unpredictable.

The film is generously sprinkled with such brilliant scenes. If the scene where Maria comes home disgusted after having sex unwillingly with the minister and asks Dreyman to just hold her is touching, then you will find the scene where Dreyman plays a piano to mourn the death of his best friend and wonders how someone who hears such music could be a bad person to be poetic.  But beyond all that, the film just poses a very simple question: What could a good man do other than being good? I am sure the movie might give you a sleepless night, but I would recommend you give it a try!