Movie Review: Banaras
Oops, I forgot. There's nothing to spoil that hasn't been already by the movie itself.
Oh God! I dont even want to review this it was soooo bad!!!! The one star it was given was right, even if you are a self-proclaimed Seeker and are excited that even Bollywood might have something to say on the topic. Because that's what I am, and I was interested to see the take Bollywood might have on spirituality.
Honestly, it's a beautiful movie. In terms of visuals that is. Made me want to visit for sure. Not to mention want a house like the kind that Urmila and her parents Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar lived in - right against and overlooking the vast expanse of the Ganga, with ghats leading down from the house itself - an angan inside with rooms leading off it in the od style - an old-fashioned living room upstairs with light streaming in from the doors leading to the gallery overlooking the river - ooooh! I dont think any pilgrimage town in India has ever looked so clean and EMPTY.
It is a vacuous story about Urmila falliing in love with some lower-caste adopted orphan Sohum, played by Ashmit Patel, who could maybe be goodlooking, but who certainly cannot act. Oh God, there is absolutely no progression in the development of chemistry in them! In fact the way they fall in love defies even the lack of logic of regular hindi movies! Even in terms of physical chemistry, it might have worked if Ashmit spent less effort flexing and posing so the camera could get the best angles, and more on his romantic body language. And Urmila prances about Banaras Hindu University in cleavage-hinting tight clothes and even wears a tshirt with a goddess printed on it (a practice I have personal issues with). She meets the guru who has taken an interest in Sohum, which is the name he gave him from Sohan, played by Naseeeruddin Shah who is utterly wasted because the dialogues are so damn bad. They get engaged and then Sohum is murdered. Urmila begins to go mad with grief before she is inexplicably transformed into Shwetambhari 'Ma', after curing the psychiatrist (WRONG usage of the term - a psychologist is one who counsels, while a psychiatrist is qualified to prescribe medical treatment such as antidepressants etc) who had come to India in the final stage of lung cancer to die, and who miraculously survives the cloud of smoke he gets lost in in a trance. Then Urmila leaves home to preach abroad, and makes peace with her parents when her father is on his deathbed. Of course the guru is a vision as he has been dead for centuries, and Sohum is everywhere. *catches throat to gag*
Oh GOD what total timepass! It might have been a decent story without the jingoistic 'ye Banaras hai. Yahaan kuch bhi ho sakta hai" *Rolls eyes*. Only one somewhat decent song - sindhoori Shaam. Not that crap love song they are currently playing on radio.
The 'spiritual' dialogues are intoned in such a monotonous manner that they completely escape you, lulling you into a stupor, not an epiphany. I completely zoned out, concentrating instead on Urmila's pretty saris and the 3/4 sleeve blouse style that Dimple wears. Dimple looks regal, though a little worn out. I love saris even I want!!!
The only thing 'mystic' about this story might just be the haze before your eyes in which white letters swim when the end credits roll in as you wake up from your 2-hour nap. The only 'love' or lack of it you may observe, is that for the quality of the seats in your theatre, or the company of your buddy who likes to comment. I spent the entire movie snickering.
To give it the benefit of the doubt, because i feel bad saying negative things, it could have had potential (unless the director wanted a piece of thd UP bhaiyya and religious aunty market action), but became a miserably failed experiment. My friend's dad says it teaches one about forgiveness and miracles. I say there's nothing to think about unless you want to, and there are many more things wrthy of your attention if you are truly seeking lessons.
Conclusion: Isn't it obvious?
posted by Princess Joya | 4:02 am
10 Comments:
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I personally applaud the makers of this film because they have tried to put such an esoteric subject into a commerical format for lay mans understanding, referring to those philosphy into our daily life and all around the reality which we have shut away and created our own illusions.
And message of this movie is amazing, teaches you compassion, tolerance , understanding, least of the message. One does need to revioke their sixth sense….while you are at it please read basic spirituality book " Autobiography of Yoganand" or even Swami Rama's "Himalayan Masters"
To me the movie unfolds these basic layers:
To my level of understating the layer it unearthens are:
1) first questioning our basic understating of religion
2) our question of do we exist? Or is this an illusionary world
3) we do exist and this world is actually manifestation of our reality
4) so we accept this reality
5) in this reality is it by chance we meet people or is there any purpose?
6) Do people who have died in our life cease to exist? Because they leave their physical body? But if you realize people you love never die, they become part of you and live within you example your parents , friends etc…
7) how do you deal with people who cause you pain, have taken away your happiness and most times it always the people closest to us who manage to give us pain. But if we think from their perspective after having dealt with our pain, they themselves don’t know what they are doing, for they are driven by their own blind faith and series and so how can you not forgive them because to their knowledge that’s all that they know.
I have written my own blog for the same and came across this truly connected spirits blogs.
Movie makes you think and think and to put it mildly without giving you all the suspense. It is somewhat like matrix, sixth sense and I think like those movies you understand so many complexes and how it has been woven into the story towards the end and you will want to see again because you realize that so many things which you thought might have been bit boring actually are hidden clues .Infact I think over the years you carry many things with you. infact as I quote Urmila “subtlety” of the movie is an absolutely selling point because it is minus the melodrama which has become the benchmark for Indian cinema. The review where they compare this movie to oscar nominated crash and brokeback mountain have been apt. hats off to the makers to keep that sensitivity. Since I am from Banaras and I have been aware of its history I cannot be amazed that this movie is not a hindu etc movie, but it combines all philosophy including J Krishnamurthy, Buddhism, Hinduism, kabirs etc. and also components of yoganand of whom I am a biggg fan!! I am speechless is what one carries it off. Infact everybody who left the hall were stunned because to put it mildly we have not seen a movie like this and I think maybe that’s why because we have been so used to our conditioned movies that some might want to reject because we don’t want to think and maybe do introspection.On actorsUrmila: I would like to touch her feet!!!!!!! Awesome is mild word and she looks sooooooooo beautiful!!!!!!!!and so elegant!! In so many scenes she just pulls you . man amazing. I mean I am in wonder why she never wins any awards. Dimple: guys she looks very elgant and in climax she rocks!!Raj Babbar;. My second favorite of the movie amazing. I think we all will somewhere connectNasser: WOW!!! Yoganand rocks!! Ashmit: am pretty surprised looks good actually and I think am bit surprised by him. I think he has potential needs to lock into his passion more.The camera work , cinematography folks is breathtaking I mean Banaras has never looked so beautiful and aptly the other main character of the movie and so richly beatufully done.On music. Guys you will cry its really heart wrenching when you see the real picturisation of Himesh Reshmiyya song” kitna pyaar” and holi song in cinema looks awesome!! I cannot compare this movie to anything because I think none of us have seen anything like it and I guess in that way that could be its unique selling point or it could be its negative point. But I guess anybody who has seen life and understand its complexity. I don’t know if it’s a movie for intellectuals but it is a movie for people who believe , a Believers movie. And guys prepare for your imagination to take over just after you have left the cinema hall……
============================
Monday, April 10, 2006
A time for Quest,Awarness(knowledge),Healing and a movie called Banaras.
Have you ever found something so beautiful, so unique that you want to stand on roof tops and yell it out and tell the world to stop its lazy slumber and wake up to this amazing thing that has the potential of changing your life or touching you in a way you have never been touched before. I discovered it, I was touched and since then cant stop thinking about it. So what is this amazing thing ? It’s a movie called Banaras.
Have I gone mad, delusional seeing things that are not their? All I can say is what you see in it depends on YOU. You can see it as a clichéd movie with a bad music score, full of faults or you can see it as a portrayal of a beautiful spiritual world.
Great people say, this is the time of HEALING. They say that more and more people are becoming AWARE of their spiritual selves. They say today’s generation is closer to this awareness than any generation has been before. They say the proof of this can be seen in the mass movement towards spirituality, spiritual teachers, yoga, reiki and spiritual books.
Truly this is the time of QUEST, AWARNESS and HEALING.
I see it in the mass awarness spread by books of Dr. Brian Weiss.
I see it in the quest for knowledge started by Dan Brown’s book( a book that has started people on a journey(quest) to rediscover God).
I see it in healing that brought about reopening of the Jessica lal’s murder case.
I see it in the minorities coming out to protest the blasts in Banaras.
I see it in a movie called Crash.
I see it in a movie called Banaras.
So what is this movie that got me blogging.Well it’s a story…………
It’s the story of human’s spiritual experience on earth or the story of spirit’s human existence on earth.
It’s the story of a man of a lower caste, people fear to be touched by him, its impossible to think of him as a teacher for their children ,the very thought of his marriage to an upper caste girl is sacrilege. Yet the holy river and God don’t make that distinction and bless him with eternal-knowledge.
It’s the story of a man who gets “seeked-out” by God , even before he starts to “seek” for God. It’s the story of a man who finds God’s spiritual love at the site of Sarnath and human love of a girl against the backdrop of Banaras. It’s the story of a man who cries when he knows he has to go away from his beloved, because she has to continue her journey of human existence, has to live through the deceit of humans and evolve /progress from a university student with a golden voice to a spiritual teacher and then find in her heart to forgive those people who caused her pain.
It’s the story of a girl, a modern girl, who studies science at the university and prays at the Ghats of Banaras. Who finds peace in the ruins of Sarnath. Who questions about the “THING” that made a King renounce his kingdom. Who finds her soulmate in a lower caste man and through him finds that “Thing” for which spirits wander on this earth and take birth repeatedly.
It’s the story of the SPIRITUAL city of banaras ,the seat of Shiva, of Sarasvati, the site of Sarnath where Buddha gave his first preaching, where Tulsidas wrote Ramayan, where people from all over India and the world come to die so that Shiva may take their souls.
It’s the story of the HUMAN city of Banaras; where thugs and fake holy men roam on the ghats and con people of money, where people wear big tillak and talk of what is religiously wrong and right and at the same time carry out illegal activities like smuggling ,where people find it inappropriate to be touched by a lower caste man ,and the same higher castes wont even stop at murder to stop a high caste girl marrying a lower caste boy(because an untouchables touch to them is more polluting that the sin of murder).
It’s the story of the SPITITUAL-HUMAN city of Banaras; where human beings may seek and find spirituality on the roads ,on the ghats,in the dark corner of a temple,or in the ruins of Sarnath. It’s the story of a city where Soham cannot die but the physical (human) exsistence of a girl limits her from seeing him. Where a girl finds it in her heart to forgive another human, the murder of her beloved.
Yes its BANARAS : A MYSTIC LOVE STORY.
Maybe the realities of life will catch up with me and this Euphoria will die down. But I believe what I have found is not a pseudo spirituality but Knowledge. Euphoria may come down but when you brush away the dust of time and harsh realities of life, Knowledge still remains Knowledge.
And people are saying that it is the time for quest, awareness and healing…..
Hey Anonymous: What's wrong with you man? Posting your unbreably long blog twice. Please show some blogging courtesy and keep it short. Ok, so you are from Banaras, and you love Hindu and other philiosophy. Good for you man. So if the theme of the movie is so powerful, as you said, why is the acting so below par? And I agree with Aranyi- that screws it up. I have found very few Indian directors who can make movies that show subtelty. Even when they "try" to be subtle, they make it obvious. As for Banaras, I have been there. It may be holy and all, but Jeez, please clean up the place and make it tidy. The way people abuse and pollute the sacred ganga would certainly NOT make the Gods proud of their people.
Dear Anonymous and Indy3000,
It's a nice concept, granted. It's an exquisite movie visually, granted that also. It's just that the movie has so obviously been made for the layperson that it's a bit insulting to the avergae person's intelligence. Our values, and Hindi movies in general, teach one to respect one's parents and realise that even their mistakes are a result of their wishes for our well-being, however skewed they may be by their own perceptions.
We have been taught from childhood about karma, about the fruits of our actions, defending the right path, and faith. I don't know about miracles but we know they do occur too. And it's not the first time it's been shown in films. We also know that people rarely seek a highter Truth of their own accord, and the path is usually revealed to them only after great distress. Of course we'd like to believe that those we love never die, unless we decide to kill them in our memories. Of course only when we make peace with ourselves can we make peace with others. Of course we're all looking higher, though very few people actually even come close to realisation.
My objection to the movie is that it doesnt say anything new. This caste nonsense is still going on. There was no move to talk about stopping the social evils prevalent in Banaras, such as the casteism, smuggling, conniving.
What was Sohum's purpose? Only to help Shwetambhari realise her true destiny as a teacher? Was there no way she could live on in the world with fortitude and grace? Did she have to remain single forever? Hindi movies like to idealise and idolise love. Its sweet and nostalgic in this era, but still.
I havent read the books you have mentioned but my mother has and has raved about them. Maybe its because I'm still young, or because Ive already thought about most of these things.
Dear swana,
you are right of course, and no, you werent harsh at all! It was nice to hear a different perspective.
For me, and this is a personal opinion, besides the visuals, and maybe the song she sings as a kid and the holi one, there was no appeal. I came with low expectations, but ready and willing to enjoy the movie, and somehow nothing about the sialogues themselves, or even the delivery, appealed to me. I'd completely zone out, bored, because things just happened randomly. Unless the makers wanted to create the illusion of things being inexplicable. sohum didnt seem to have any quality to be chosen by the guru, or be gifted with the gyan of music, or to be loved by Urmila, or even to die. His death was more of a social message than a spiritual one, which only comes upon Urmila gradually after she finds his ring and spends time dealing with her anger and sense of betrayal. what was the point of showing naseeruddin as an immortal type of guru? to create belief? in what? in miracles? how does that make a person a better person? Isnt that the aim of spiritual awareness? Is it simply to bring what the makers deem the agnostic urban classes back into the fold of faith? What i DO like though is that there was more emphasis on spiritual faith than on that based on rites. Ill let you know if I think of anything more.
Aranyi, Thank you. For watching Bollywood crap so we don't have to. :)
You are a better person than I am for being able to do that.
The movie is pure eye candy I guess for the way the camera caresses Urmilla?
Me keeping it short. :)
swan76: I hate to say this to you, but you're being a spoiler on this blog. Please keep your comments short and to the point, and better yet, do not participate, although that is Aranyi's call, and as she is a kind person she may still forgive you. But your loooooong comment is utter nonsense, and I think you seriously need some therapy. Go Feast on Life.....
Dear Swana76,
Thank you for your comments. I did miss out teh Sohum-Shwetambhari birth-death dialoguse because I was getting really restless because of Ashmit patel's woodenness and lack of Hindi inflection. Spiritual people are supposed to induce peace, not sleep!
Yes, Dimple's and Raj's role was great, it showed that what parents think is right isn't always, as it is marred by prejudice, but that either way, destiny catches up on one no matter what.
You are right though, what permeates society most is fear - fear of censor, of disapproval, of non-conforming, that prevents many from truly realising themselves. Especially when young people think that those who are attempting to find themselves or make peace with the cosmos are old-fashioned or uncool. People think too much, instead of just BEING (and this includes me). Im glad you're so passionate about this topic!
Jay and CO,
!!!
okay , im jealous. why is this discussion going on this blog . you should do it on my blog(he he he)i made a new space for it.
and dont mind swana76 for the negative coments of people ,just cheer up cause what ever brickbats come your way ,there will be a truckload for me ,so cheer up!!(lol)
oh sorry aryani for messing up this space ,but right now i have gone loony for/because of this movie . so do forgive me
hi aryani , your blog has become the place for some heavy weight discussion for this movie. and your friends are complaining . so i am copy-pasting your review and arguments on my blog (thats cause im compulsivelly-obsessed with this movie)
so if you have a problem pls tell me and ill delete it .and if you wanna read my view then do drop in
bye!!
Post a Comment
<< Home