From the Heart

On a chilly, windy night at a sleepy Railway Station, Amar Varma asks for a maachis. His hopes of lighting a cigarette went in vain, but it unexpectedly kindled something else – love.

Ishq par zor nahi, hai yeh woh aatish Ghaalib;

Jo lagaye na lage, aur bujhaye na bane.

He would soon find out. 

When Mani Ratnam decided to take us on a journey through the seven shades of love, little did people expect it to be a heady mix of politics – 50 years of Indian Independence, Kashmir unrest, the troubled North-eastern region – love and terrorism. And in an irony of sorts, the lead pair comes from two opposite worlds – one is a terrorist, the other works for a Government organization (AIR); one has gone through harrowing times, lost loved ones and is hardened by harsh realities; and the other has all the comforts life has to offer. And the twain shall never meet. Or so we thought.

A smitten Amar Varma ends up following the mysterious Meghna; else fate sees to it that their paths cross. And what follows is a saga of unconsummated love – with violence, unrest and terrorism for a backdrop. What starts as an attraction, moves through the stages of infatuation, love, reverence, worship, obsession, and culminates in death.

It was not a commercial success, post its release in India, and I feel this is still an under-rated movie. The moment I caught this movie for the first time on TV, back in eighth standard (the day before my Maths exam, at that!) – I knew this one was for keeps.  I could go on and on about what I love about this movie, but given the limitations, let me mention why it works for me.

Music – Do I need to say more? This album is one of Rahman’s best. Whether it is the peppy Chaiyya Chaiyya, the romantic Dil Se Re, the painful Ae Ajnabi, the lustful Jiya Jale or the intoxicating Satrangi Re – each song sets the mood it intends to create, touching the soul like no other. Chaiyya chaiyya was a landmark in choreography, which Shahrukh Khan and Malaika Arora immortalized by dancing on a train. I can still break into a jig on hearing it. Dil Se Re stands out for how beautifully it weaves terror and love in a seamless fashion – it’s a melange of beautiful moments. I love the video and the chemistry between the pair. Talking of chemistry, it reaches a high in Satrangi Re, where they get ensnared and enslaved by each other – a kind of passion that is intoxicating and irresistible. Ae Ajnabi brings out so much angst, it’s hard not to feel it – whether one is in love or not. The picturization of each song is spectacular – and they are as much a delight to watch, as to hear. Santosh Sivan and Mani Ratnam create magic on celluloid.

And to realise that I actually missed Shahrukh Khan, when he came to my hometown for shooting Jiya Jale – remains a regret for me! Yes, the next time you watch Jiya Jale, look out for a shot of him doing Kalari Payattu-inspired steps, surrounded by elephants on a hill – that place is called Vilangan kunnu and is just a fifteen minute-drive from my home! My Mom’s cousin got there and took a picture with SRK! Till date I am insanely jealous of it. Enough said!

Chemistry and Performances – The relationship (if you could call it that) of Amar and Meghna has this beautiful tension that runs throughout the entire movie – it almost drives you crazy when they are so near and yet so distant. I particularly love the scene where they spend a moonlit night in Ladakh – how the casual conversation on likes and dislikes  turns intense when he claims that the thing he hates the most are her eyes – for the more he looks into it, the lesser he sees anything; and he loves it the most for the same reason. I admit – maybe I am a sucker for the SRK charisma; but the man has a way with it – the look in his eyes, the searing passion, the smouldering expressions… ok I should stop it right there!

And as for Manisha Koirala – I think it’s her best performance in her career. I fail to recollect other exceptional performances of hers (maybe Bombay and 1942 – A Love Story qualify). She was a complete natural (appearance and otherwise) in her role – and brilliantly wove the mystery around her character. She enacts the torment of being torn between two worlds, to perfection – one she was forced to choose, the other she didn’t know existed. The dichotomy of the head and heart baffle her and tear her apart – and that is demonstrated in various ways – like when Amar plays Ae Ajnabi (on air), and she can’t decide whether to listen to it or not.

The climax is the highlight, where after much coaxing, she comes as close as ever to admitting that she loves him – and it cost them their lives – and thus their story (and the movie) ends with an explosion. The flame that was kindled works itself into an uncontrollable fire – taking them along with it.

Ishq par zor nahi, hai yeh woh aatish Ghaalib;

Jo lagaye na lage, aur bujhaye na bane.

She found out too.

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Images: Courtesy Google