In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones

Just a small intro on how the TV situation in India was in 1989 when this film was released on TV. We had one channel (two in Metros) that was supposed to educate/entertain/family planning/national integration/news/sports/movies/foreign movies/grammys/Oscars, you name it. To say the least it was boring most of the time with the prime slots used up by Krishi Darshan (program to educate the farmers on better crops, farming techniques, fertilizers, water harvesting, crop diseases and what not discussed by three people sitting stoic among TV cameras and around a coffee table). There used to be a late night movie once a week (foreign or Indian) and every other time it used to be cancelled and no reason given for the same.

Anyway, once while I was flipping channels (just kidding, only one channel, remember? :) ), I saw this movie. It was one of those great college movies, not the American Pie kind, rather the American Graffiti kind. It happens in the SPA (School of Planning and Architecture) formerly NID/A Delhi. This is one movie that will inspire you to become an architect and study in a cool college. It really inspired me and I applied for Architecture (till my dad put an end to my ambitions, but that is another story).

Everything about this movie is so cool, its cast, their attitude, their life, the college/sets and the generous helping of Beatles songs (the movie is set in the 70's) makes this movie all the more endearing. The story is about a bunch of final year architecture students in SPA and how they prepare for their final year presentation.

Considering that Arundhati Roy had gone on to become a Booker prize winner and Shah Rukh Khan (who has a 2 minute cameo in the movie, his first) has gone on to become India's current number one hero, it has proved to be a star cast :) And one more thing. The movie was not interesting because we had only Krishi Dharshan in comparison. Exactly 3 years later I (and much of India) got cable and MTV and Baywatch. A few years after that I got the VCR tape of the movie. I still loved the movie and watched it title to title a number of times again and introduced my friends to it too.

My heart goes out to people who love art this much.

Just imagine the era when this was made, so ahead of time.

The story is manifold, intelligent, dark, humorous, smart and intriguing , all at the same time.

It showcases how in the early 90s hostels and institutes used to operate. How when you are young, you have dream in your eyes to be different; to change the world.. and eventually hunger and materialism teaches you the reality. There are so many characters and each one has been given enough appearances and lines to establish themselves and boy did they do it beautifully. It takes you on a ride, a wild and bold one, yet it's a happy movie , there are no twists or unnatural shocks to gain the audience's attention, it's a very simple heart-warming movie. It flows like a river, little ebs and turns here and there but rest it just is!

This is a wonderful departure from the typical Indian movie in many regards, the least of which is the language, English. It chronicles the life of students in the hip Delhi School of Architecture and has many intelligent twists and turns. Annie is a male student and I would be giving out too much if I explained what "those ones" are. The movie feels more like an episode from MTV's "Real World" than like any Indian movie I have ever seen. The movie features the writing debut of Arundhati Roy, who later rose to prominence with her novel "God of Small Things". She also stars in the movie along with Roshan Seth. A must see.

I ventured this as casually as possible, my curiosity limited to seeing Arundhati Roy, Roshan Seth and Shah Rukh Khan. Within minutes though, I was hooked. By the time I was done with it, I kept thinking that this had certainly been one worthwhile outing among many cinematic excursions of late.

Written by Arundhati Roy and featuring her as well, 'In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones' is a slice of student life at the fictional National Institute of Architecture in the mid seventies. In a way, it foreshadows the significance hostel life and elite education would have in India in the years to come. Especially the former. However, that isn't Miss Roy's intent here. As is evident, she sources from The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand), draws from her School of Planning and Architecture experience, peppers the scene with 70s counter-culture and makes room for her own observations and witticisms. Along with Pradip Kishen at the helm, the cocktail is achieved with delightful ease and is a breezy proposition for the sampler.

The less said about the narrative the better for that is best left to the viewer for his / her own discovering and viewing pleasure. Labels can add their weight to a movie and become a burden but I am tempted to say that this is easily the finest among campus or hostel life movies made in India. The only competition I can think of must come from Rockford. Unlike Rockford though which has a devoted following among movie buffs and Star Movies enthusiasts, this one seems to have gained in obscurity over the years. Sadly, that means people have and will continue to miss out on a gem.

There are many aspects that commend themselves to the movie. Arundhati Roy tops the list. She scores as a writer and as the quirky architecture student Radha (if she isn't playing herself, this is some performance). One triumph I should like to allude to is that her material here rises above the constraints of time, place and context. This is a top architecture school for sure but it could be any elite Indian institution. The year is stated as being 1974 but change it and only the outfits and the cultural influences change. We are more aware of opportunities today and a globalized world has changed the way we perceive our lives and careers but if this movie can be taken at face value, our attitudes as students have undergone very little transformation, if any. Also, given her journalistic ambitions, she could have very well taken a potshot or two at what transpired during the Emergency. Her restraint in all these quarters serves the movie very well. This freedom from time and place is a strong suite of the movie. Roshan Seth is well, Roshan Seth. He revels as Y D 'Yamdoot' Bilimoria, the post-colonial elitist dean of the institute. A competent cast including Arjun Raina as Annie Grover adds to the proceedings. Amazingly, Annie's character sketch isn't merely piggy-backing on Ayn Rand's Howard Roark. Tellingly, Roy denies him Roark's uncompromising obduracy making him more of a vulnerable character to the bulwark that is an institution. In the process, Annie is also more endearing and comes across as a bit of quixotic dreamer.

For anyone wishing to engage in a trivial pursuit, there is also the matter of Shah Rukh Khan in a miniscule role during his pre-Circus days.

Easily the best campus movie I have seen. Still so relevant. The characters are so lovable and relatable, especially for anyone who has studied in a campus like that of a national institute. Makes one wish to go back in time and live those years of the beginning of the 70s counter culture as a student. I wish these people made more movies. Arundhati in her screenplay, and through her character, asks the right questions. It also is a nuanced and insightful exploration of privilege within the context of higher education in India. Like Radha says, 'May be there is no solution".

P. S: Wish they had a better print of this gem of a movie.