Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa

Anyone who has 'lived' thru the tense moments of any religious riot in India, can immediately identify with the bus scene in "Mr & Mrs Iyer". Likewise, the actual experience of living in a Calcutta, firmly in the vicious grip of the Naxalite movement, can color your perceptions about the reading of this movie, whether intentional or not.

The movement, which primarily found host in the predominantly communist states of Kerala and W. Bengal, later morphed into various factions and sowed the seeds of separatist tendencies in places like Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland. Results have been mixed and less than spectacular mainly posing a big security risk for state governments.

But this film is not about extremism or the violence it ensues. Instead it tries to diagnose the ideological underpinnings at work, individual and collective psychologies of various proponent groups, as well as the impact on families involved and their relationships with each other. It asks in effect: what is the point of fighting for unity, equal rights, justice, etc when the price to be paid is your own family and the very foundations of civil society, regardless if the fight is just or not? Does the end justify the means?

Nihalani has chosen to use family as a metaphor, to essay the sense of guilt, betrayal, resignation and subordination all captured brilliantly in one time and place. The cast is excellent and has delivered well. In one of her best performances so far, Jaya Bachchan is reflective, yet quietly indignant. Anupam Kher, Seema Biswas, Joy Sengupta and Nandita Das in an introductory role form the remaining cast. Though the editing isn't as slick as "Ardhsatya" and the pace slows down several times, the direction is superb as is the cinematography in capturing the prevalent mood of the time.

Indeed, a very good must-see film.

Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa is directed by Govind Nihalani and is based on a seminal novel by the formidable Mahasweta Devi.In Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa, the Calcutta of the 1970s is captured when the air was alive with revolutionary fervour and Bengali youth reacted with anger against hypocrisies, injustices, betrayals and counter violence of the State. The film is a tribute to all those who gave their lives during the naxalite movement. The people who fought for fundamental human rights. Jaya Bachans, as the mother of Brati, a young revolutionary.I think this is her best performance ever.Anupam Kher, though in brief appearances portrays the elite class of Calcutta very accurately.The movie is a little slow but very accurate. A must see, especially for those who misunderstand the naxalite movement.

->The movie appears to be slightly sympathetic to the Left-wing extremists(then known as the 'Naxalites'). Nevertheless, an outstanding one ! ->In a country like India where the truth dies a horrible and a silent death,such movies ought to add to the confusion of the 'stupid' common man but at the same time make him realize the extent of his ignorance. ->The best part of the movie is undoubtedly it's direction - a gist of the idealistic,dreaming,competent and willing but certainly with-wrong-basics youth of the 60-70's who were the core of the Naxalbari movement;the muscle flexing,brutality and cunning(well-inherited from the English)of the Government;the always-ignorant,hypocrite upper and middle class;the parasitic and infectious thug-clan in India and many more subtle aspects of a national peril manifest well in the movie. ->All actors have done their sweep well.Especially,Jaya Bhaduri(a rueful mother),Seema Biswas(a persevering lady of lower economic strata),Nandita Das(a dynamic,dreamer-turned-astute extremist) take most of the credit. ->The climax of the movie seems apparently off-track but is not - it relates to all the threads spawned in the first half of the movie.

This movie and the original story on which it is based seem to paint a rosy and glamoros picture of the Naxalite movement and the Marxism on which the movement was based.

How can one ignore and forget that the countries like China and USSR have been the biggest oppressor of human freedom and democratic rights.

The film and the story portrays Marxism and Naxalite movement as the ultimate saviors and revolutionary for the society. Alas! such hollow slogans and empty dreams could not be implemented even in the birth-place of those, viz., USSR and China, which are turning to capitalism themselves.

Apart from this heavy ideological bias, the movie is well-made with powerful performances by Jaya Bachchan and Nandita Das.

This much acclaimed film is a narrate of Sujata Chatterji's (Jaya Bhaduri) discovery of her son's (Brati Chatterji played by Joy Sengupta) life. Made in the backdrop of the Naxalite uprising in Bengal's Naxalbari, the film mostly deals with Sujata's quest for understanding her deceased son's ideologies and outlook to life. Starting off with a mere corpse number '1084' (which lends the film its name), she establishes her son's true identity, despite the social barriers surrounding her.

What appealed to me the most was Sujata's character defined as a simple minded mother whose love for her son gave her the strength to not only discover his pursuit in life, but also, find meaning in her own. That apart, Govind Nihalani brings out a nice diagnosis of the varying ideologies of an entire generation - how a protected and almost shrouded environment can co-exist with an uprising that seeks to change the very foundation of society. The movie explodes at a point where Sujata questions this very oddity, thus marking a moment of change in her own life.

The film has some rather intense moments in Nandita Das's portrayal of the character Nandini . In almost a monologue, Nandini converses with Sujata where she not only brings to light a revolutionary and romantic episode of Brati's life but also rescues a mother dwelling amidst ignorance and compromises. A stark contrast to the dignified and contained Sujata, is Somu's mother (Seema Biswas) who despite her troubles, has has seen more meaning and truth in her motherhood.

The film has tremendous talent in its actors like Anupum Kher, Seema Biswas, Nandita Das, Joy Sengupta, Milind Gunaji and of course Jaya Bachhan making a comeback in 1998 after a long gap in her cinema career. On a slight con side, I think the cinematography on occasions could do better. Overall, a very good film to watch.