Paar

A small budget masterpiece with great performances by 2 gems of theatre Shabana Azmi & Naseeruddin Shah.

This is how a great movie based on human fighting spirit is made without a show of vulgarity, extravagant costumes and scenes. This is a stark example of how a good film is crafted. No flamboyance, no artificiality, no fiction, no sci-fi effects and no fantasy. It is only a forceful depiction that "Life is not a bed of Roses". This is how some people living on the periphery of civilized world have to make their way through all odds ...... fighting for their own life and their would be child's life.

But it takes sharpened intellect to appreciate this movie. People and the X-generation who are used to watching fiction films directed by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas can never grasp the true meaning of life and its struggles. People born with silver spoons in their mouths can hardly watch such movies for they lack the sheer imagination that is characteristic of suffering/solitude/empathy and a longing to sacrifice everything for the posterity.

The starting of the movie is a bit chaotic, but very soon you get indulged into the story and the characters. The climax of the movie was nerve-wracking. I have never seen any a-lister actor went through things like the actors did in this movie. No wonder they both won National award for this.

We have solved puzzles about a man carrying a sheep, a tiger and a bundle of hay across a river in a boat. This is tougher. A herd of sheep, a pregnant wife and an overflowing river, with no boat... Who goes first?

Since it is a movie and not a puzzle, a poor man crossing a river with his pregnant wife, and taking along a herd of sheep of his landlord, has several underlying themes. The overflowing river is like the raging landlord. The unborn child represents home. The herd represents money. The poverty-stricken couple decides to go for raising some money for their child.

This ordeal sums up great performances by Naseerudin Shah and Shabana Azmi into one.

Goutam Ghose's 'Paar' tells the story of a young couple, Naurangia (Naseeruddin Shah) and his wife Rama (Shabana Azmi) who are forced to flee the village because of atrocities committed by the zameendar (landlord played by Utpal Dutt). It's a little difficult to follow in the beginning as the storytelling isn't linear and it moves back and forth in time. Some of the village sequences (that do not involve Rama and Naurangia) feel a little overstretched. The best parts of the film are the sequences with Shah and Azmi.

Once the film focuses on the couple's 'quest' to make a life for themselves in the city, the viewers are involved and rooting for them to find a solution. Their struggle mirrors the harsh reality of the streetlife that most villagers experience when they're looking to make a life in the big busy Asian city (with no connection to anyone). Yet, Naurangia and Rama are not without hope. Their love for one another is solid and they are each other's strength.

When an opportunity, that promises enough money to at least get by for a few days, presents itself to Naurangia he is excited but also cautious. This proves to be a dangerous challenge that involves his four-month pregnant wife but he sees this as the only way out now and they'll both just have to succeed in this task to survive.

Despite the initial confusion, Ghose's direction is very good, especially in the second half. I also liked his occasional use of dark humour. The subtle cinematography and score are impressive. Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi are at their best. That's not a surprise as these two actors have always brought out the best of each other. Furthermore, Azmi looks beautiful and authentic. Of the supporting cast, Om Puri stands out while the others are competent.

'Paar' succeeds in both its depiction of a reality that is often overlooked and telling a character driven story about survival.