Farooque Sheikh passed away on 28th December, 2013. He was the real hero in the context of our country. Idealist yet vulnerable. Sensitive yet prone to human-weaknesses. A layman sans any larger-than-life traits. A handsome boy in the traditional sense whom any girl-next-door may fall for. I am paying my tribute to him through the review of Gaman (1978).
Gaman (departure / migration) is the story of Ghulaam Hasan (Farooque Sheikh) but it can be viewed as the story of millions of rural youths who migrate to cities, leaving their families behind in the villages, in their bid to earn money which they are not able to while living in their places of origin. Mumbai (then Bombay) is known as the city of dreams but does it fulfill every dreamer's dream even when the dream is as modest as to manage a reasonable living with his family ? No! A majority of the immigrants to this so-called city of dreams and many similar cities is not that fortunate. They perish after pursuing their cherished dreams throughout their lives. Life gets over but the dream remains unfulfilled. So many people die everyday in ocean-like metropolitan cities. Who cares ?
Ghulaam Hasan also migrates to Mumbai (or Bombay) under hope to earn and save some money to support his family which he is not able to do while living in his village. He leaves his wife Khairoon (Smita Patil) and his ailing widow mother behind under a hope that after some time, he would have saved enough money to get reunited with them and they all will be able to live together peacefully and comfortably. He moves to Lallu Laal Tiwari (Jalaal Aagha) who belongs to his village but now lives in the metropolitan city. Now he finds that Lallu Laal himself has not become capable enough to manage a proper residence and marry his sweetheart Yashodhara (Geeta Siddhaarth) even after living and working for so many years there. Anyway, he starts his life there from cleaning the cars and after learning driving, becomes a driver. But he is never able to save so much money as to visit his village to meet his mother and wife (the train fare itself is too much) and he remains content with sending money(through money-orders) to them from time to time.
Ghulaam Hasan passes his days witnessing the tragedies with many like him. But he manages to keep his dream of living with his family again intact despite the dark of despair thickening day-by-day. Khairoon keeps on writing highly emotional letters to him, urging him to come back but the monetary issue is too strong to ignore and he is not able to visit them even once. He also sees the ticklish problem of love-birds Lallu and Yashodhara when the family members of Yashodhara are hell-bent upon to forcibly send her to Dubai in order to get money and the hollow assurances of Lallu to her that he would solve the issue very shortly. But the highly tragic end of their story proves to be the last straw on the proverbial camel's back for him and he decides to leave Mumbai (or Bombay) forever and go back to his family in the village. But while standing on the railway station, he keeps on staring trains departing before his eyes, not finding himself as strong enough to act upon his emotional decision. Poverty has become the manacle in his feet, stopping him from going back.
The movie does not present any solution to the hero's problem or any hope that it will be solved in foreseeable future. It also does not show whether the hero could come out of his dilemma as to whether to go back or not. How hard does the monetary stringency strike, just ask from the heart of a poor person.
The movie could not be an excellent one. Despite its utterly realistic set-up and touching portrayal of the characters and their situations, it appears to be a painful saga which could not be told properly. A kind of incompleteness is felt throughout its duration and also when it is over. Perhaps the filmmaker (whose debut venture it was) was also undergoing the financial hardship while making this movie and therefore, he could not make it with perfection or the desired standard of making. Many characters have not got scope to be evolved properly.
Outstanding performances have helped in covering the deficiencies of script. Farooque Sheikh has delivered a marvellous performance in the role of honest, innocent and simple Ghulaam Hasan. He was a master in underplaying. Without any gestures or dialogs, he makes the viewer feel what he is undergoing. Smita Patil has got just a few sentences to speak (mostly in her letters written to Ghulaam) but her eyes are so communicative that dialogs are not required for her.
Jaidev has composed unforgettable music with the immortal lyrics of eminent Shaayars(Urdu poets) Shaharyaar and Makhdoom Mohiuddin.
The issue dealt with in Gaman is still a burning one. The song in the voice of Suresh Wadkar says it all - Seene Mein Jalan Aankhon Mein Toofaan Sa Kyun Hai, Is Shahar Mein Har Shakhs Pareshaan Sa Kyun Hai (Why is there a burning inside the chest as well as something like a storm in the eyes ? Why does everybody in this city appear to be disturbed ?).
