I was raised in a cosmopolitan environment. A devout Muslim family were our neighbors for 20 years. Playing Cricket with their children is the reason I can speak flawless Hindi today. Caste never entered in our family and I am grateful to my parents for it. Later on, I slowly learnt that those around me were not always this casual about it. More often than not, the intention behind two innocent questions – “What is your name?” and “Where are you from?” – is to place you in the hierarchy of castes and sub-castes.
Reason behind this prologue is a brilliant movie by Nagraj Manjule called Sairat. Sairat means passion. As the name suggests it is a love story. Then again, it’s so much more then that. It’s futile to put Sairat in a category. It’s predictable in parts and just when you think you have it pegged, it makes a complete U-turn and you are back to the square one. It starts out as a typical love story between two teenagers – Parshya (Akash Thosar) and Archie (Rinku Rajguru). It then metamorphoses into a movie depicting harsh realities of the cast system. And then you realize that the first part – the part that you thought was too typical – was in fact the reality. So much of our culture is shaped by movies that the teenagers trying to imitate their screen idols becomes a strange reality in itself. Sairat is an emotional roller coaster. While watching the movie you laugh, you sing, you dance, you cry. I cry maybe once a year. Sairat brought tears to my eyes.
So much has been written about the movie. The amazing score by Ajay-Atul, fresh non-actors – a rare occasion in Marathi cinema where the tradition is to cast well known actors. (Manjule’s previous movie Fandry also had non-actors.) Cinematography is a rare treat, very rarely you see such compelling visuals. The most appealing aspect of the movie is its authenticity in every department.
Usually the audience and the critics sit on opposite sides of most movies. Very rarely comes a movie that pleases both the audience and the critics – most prominent example being The Godfather. Sairat has pleased the critics immensely and the audience is going crazy. Just before the interval, I spotted the popcorn seller standing at the door, watching the movie – for the 20th time perhaps.
If you do not understand Marathi, the movie comes with subtitles – a very welcome move for Marathi cinema.
I do not know the technicalities or the decision making that goes on in deciding India’s entry for Oscars. I do very much hope that Sairat gets picked for the next year.
