Bhumika

I first saw Bhumika when I was in my college. Now, last week I saw it again from a DVD. And the movie actually is haunting me still. This is not about Usha, not about just the 'Role-playing' (like say, the Gita motif is going to hit you hard: that this reality is nothing but a show, where everyone is just going to play on and on and on everyone's role), it is a movie, that most probably went beyond what Benegal wanted it to be. It is extremely dense, multilayered in its depiction and enactment of coloniality. The colonial subject, Usha, suffering from the colonial lack of self-esteem goes on trying to discover and rediscover herself, only entangling herself into a new layer of coloniality. Why I am calling it 'colonial'? Just see the movie to understand it. Only a newer and more dense power can pluck her out of the older tangle. And that is just a new drama where she plays a new role. Nothing else. And some unfathomable depth and sublimity has come into the film, that is always beyond the conscious scheme of an artist. Great makers can wait for the moment of creation of a movie like that, but, one cannot ever know it before making a film like that.

Bhumika (1977) - A film by Shyam Benegal Sahab

'Bhumika - The Role' is probably the best role ever played by Smita Patil in her career. 'Usha' the character played by her is throughout her life seeking happiness but she never attains. She falls in love and romantic liaisons with a number of men each of whom ends up unsatisfying her emotionally. One is weak and lacks confidence, another is too over the top philosophically who even hates the concept of 'love', another one almost deceives her with charm and confidence only later letting her realize that she will be a prisoner of his family traditions and their culture which won't even allow a women to step outside his house after death.

In the end she is rescued by the man called Keshav, superbly played by Amol Palekar. He is in the first place the reason for all her misery to begin with. He has his own personal needs and agendas. He sees an opportunity to exploit young Usha's charm and abilities and gets her into the film business, convincing her mother with perhaps deceiving arguments and assurances. A young Usha was only supposed to be in the profession for three or fours years but we are introduced to her character when she is her late 30s or early 40s and still in the same business.

Shyam Benegals Sahab has made a brilliant film which for majority of its running time runs in the flashbacks. A shoot is taking place. A mild twisting of an ankle by one of the background dancers halts the shoot where Usha is the lead. Since the scene cannot be completed the director decides to call for packup.

Usha doesn't have any scenes so she can go home. From the this early moment in the film one can start to see her unhappiness. She was delightfully cheerful for the eyes and the mind while she was in front of the camera. As soon as she is back in the real world, she looks sad and disturbed and a bit gloomy. This is further established by an un- importantly tiny gesture that his fellow actor makes for her by giving her a lift back home which irritates Keshav, her much older husband.

It is at this moment in story when the character Keshav is introduced. By his very looks and super makeup and costume, and on top his brilliant performance by Amol Palekar, we can anticipate and predict that the forthcoming interaction between the two characters is not going to be pleasant.

Director Sahab doesn't waste any time in any illogical and unnecessary melodrama and instead take the story right to the point. After this brief interaction and her expression of angst and frustration we come to know that this is a common occurrence in her life. This leads to an argument which is followed by Usha walking out of the house and taking a refuge in hotel.

It is at this familiar hotel in her familiar room that the flashbacks start. The very first flashback is of Usha's childhood which is brilliantly shot in black and white. A much younger looking Amol Palekar and Sulabha Deshpande who plays Usha's mother and a young Usha played by little girl (sorry couldn't find her name) perform with such sheer brilliance and conviction that you are suddenly taken back in their times and you get a feeling of actually being there.

I can keep on going about this film with its wonderful cinematography, direction, editing and performances but I'll cut the chase out and get climax of my point!

JUST WATCH THIS FILM!!!! It's a MUST WATCH!!!

I feel like punching myself in face for not having seen this film earlier!

Hats off to Shyam Benegal Sahab, Smita Patil and a very brilliant Amol Palekar sahab.

Artistically, Bhumika is Benegal's seminal work. Storytelling is convincing, locations play a part and chronology is color coded. It's hailed as a study of feminism and 'male gaze', it's rather a character study of our impulsive protagonist, done impressively by Patil, surrounded by a pool of stereotypical antagonists who, for the length of the film, could have been used a bit better than mere shallow devices. 7/10!

Well nothing much say except that the film really blew me away. What made this exceptionally brilliant is the amazing huge star cast but moreover their amazing appearance gradually.

Smitha Patil is breathtaking as the main protagonist, one of her ever best films on female centric characters. She will surely be remembered for this role. Supporting her is the amazing Amol Palekar who is brutal but human at the same time as Keshav.

Following them is a series of great performances from Anant, Naseer ,Agashe and Sulbha Deshpande. However the biggest surprise was Amrish Puri! Who was really really spellbinding as this calm gentle yet patriarchal man who is very much into his own principles.

Overall worth watching and a total 10 on 10 from my side.

This film has some iconic actors and they all deliver good performances, however, some things ended up putting a damper on my experience. I understand that this was based on a real person's life, but this seemed just a tad repetitive for me. It seemed like the main character was in an endless loop, and I didn't feel like the story progresses much. If I try to think about what the future holds for this particular character, it does not seem like there would be much of an improvement. It seemed like a very bleak ending, realistic in some aspects, but altogether, a little dark.