Ek Ghar

Rajanna {Naseeruddin Shah} and Geeta {Deepti Naval} arrive in the city in the fond hope of building a cosy little home. When they discover just such a house their happiness knows no bounds. Things are fine till, one day, a workshop opens up next door and brings with it a wide variety of sounds. When the noise crosses the bounds of tolerance, Ranjanna is indignant but cannot do much, until he discovers that his wife has achieved the impossible task of getting the shed vacated, but only by yielding to the demands of the police inspector. Rajanna now wants to take Geeta away from the environment. He seeks the help of the workmen who had earlier occupied the shed, but discovers that their slum is being demolished to make way for a multinational business.

The sets and sounds are quite authentic and do lend the aura of times the movie represents...Be warned that this is an art film, and a really good one at that.

The story is of Rajanna (Naseeruddin Shah) and Geeta (Deepti Naval), who movie into their newly rented house. But the neighborhood is not what they thought it would be. There is a mechanic shop which is very noisy and they cannot sleep at night due to constant noise. Geeta takes help from her aunt(Rohini Hattangadi) who from the help of a police officer closes down the shop.

Director has crafted the film with utmost honesty. And some scenes will just strikes you hard. The core plot of the movie is two couple just want to sleep well and avoid the noise surrounding their home and want to live a peaceful life and are fed up of that mechanic shop noises.

Both Naseeruddin Shah and Deepti Naval looked convincing and even their faces convey you the story and plot of the movie.

Ek Ghar is a piece of art and colors are every where dominant in the movie. The struggle of a man trying to leave a peaceful life seems real and they way Deepti Naval has portrayed the character of Geeta is beyond belief. For me she was eve more convincing than Naseeruddin Shah.

I watched the movie, and I have conflicting feelings about it. I still don't fully understand who were those people occupying the shed, and why they needed to make those factory noises at night. I suppose the film wanted to show that all their neighbor-related problems are actually perceived and mask the real failing marriage problems. Also, the social issues are attempted to be explored. The childless auntie is a typical victim of circumstances and male chauvinism, and the heroine seems to go down the same path also. The demolished slums and homelessness are touched also, but no farther explanation is provided on how it relates to the initial noise problem.

As I am facing the same problem of failed childless marriage, without our own home, constant problems with noisy neighbors in rentals, and financial and social insecurity, I very much connected to the movie and its characters while the movie was playing. So everything said, especially by the auntie and all emotions shown by the characters echoed my own feelings. Surprisingly, I thought, how did they know what's going on in my life and my head? Genius, I thought at first!

But apart from connecting with all that, I still don't understand who were those people in a shed and what did they do there, and why at night. Were they even real? Whatever the movie tries to convey, we all need to sleep at night and feel safe at home, aren't we? Was something illegal produced there at night? Or did they specifically try to drive a couple mad? After 2 hours of watching and waiting, I didn't get my answers. To feel fully connected and impressed, I lacked closure, some explanation, some clue. How does everything connect? In the end, I got even more questions than in the beginning, unanswered.

That's why, 4/10, just for a bold attempt and fantastic performances.