Thoughts on anything & everything

After watching the trailer for this movie some time back. my instant reaction was, "there is no way I am ever going to watch this movie." I am a very picky movie-watcher and horror is an untouchable genre for me. But It so happened that I decided to watch it under the spell of Subodh Bhave fever, which actually is Vikrant Saranjame fever - I have talked about it here - https://lazermonkey.webs.com/apps/blog/show/45993279-vikrant-saranjame-and-the-female-subconscious-mind

Looking back, I am glad I made that decision because this movie is one of the best I have seen, ever. Let me try and put my thoughts in words so I can catch the essence of why I liked it so much. This is not a traditional review that film critics dish out for you where they touch on certain aspects, summarize and give stars and we are done. It is SDP (Savita Damodar Paranjpe) from my point of view and what matters to me when I watch movies.

A quick few minutes into SDP, I forgot about the real reason I was watching it - Subodh Bhave. That's how caught up I was in the story. The story of a young, seemingly happy couple, the husband, a successful writer who looks like, well, a writer and his beautiful wife, Kusum. This exquisitely dressed, stunning woman catches your attention right away and never lets you go. You can see her strength in the way she places her hand on her husband's when women are gossiping about them still being childless and Sharad looks up to a room on the upper floor of the chawl. What beautiful piece of screenplay and direction. The whole conflict of the movie is encapsulated in that one moment. Stupendous work.

Kusum played by Trupti Toradmal is this femme-fatale par excellence. She is slim and tall, has a strong, chiselled but still feminine face and piercing eyes that add to her mystic aura. I was so mesmerized by this character all throughout the movie, even in the horror parts, that I thought she was the sexiest woman alive. But after coming across some of her interviews and appearances, she looked like any normal, pretty girl. She becomes all of the above through her fabulous acting and of course her costumes, lighting, makeup, great camera work and notably the director who presented her in a way that she comes across as the seductress who is oblivious to her sexual prowess. I think it comes from having a woman director (Swapna Waghmare Joshi) to show a sexy woman with no body hugging dresses, no gaudy makeup, zero show of cleavage or too much skin. Classy and still seductive. The contrast between the couple, in terms of looks, is set up that way right in the beginning. The plain-Joe looking Subodh Bhave and this goddess of a wife he has. A mildly intimate scene between the two right in the beginning makes you assume, ahem, things about their married life. Most men must be like "One lucky guy this Sharad Abhyankar dude" right in the first few minutes. 

Such smart direction and screenplay here, in the way that the groundwork is laid in viewer's minds within the first few minutes about this couple, their supposed conjugal life and happiness. Not too many words are used and we are already sure we know this. The conflict is thrown at you soon after when Kusum doubles over in the bathroom with a stomachache and we find out that she has had some undiagnosed disease for years. That to me is the oxygen for any movie-watching experience. If within about 10-15 minutes, I am not asking the "What next?" question, I lose interest. It gets more and more interesting from there. Sharad has called upon Ashok, (Rakesh Bapat) for help with his wife's condition. He has some expertise in astrology, palmistry and the occult as we find out later. This, he believes could be another avenue after years of tests and mainstream medical advice.

The movie quickly picks up pace from here on. Ashok spots the problem in his very first session of palm-reading. He brings out the latent personality in Kusum, Savita Damodar Paranjpe. The discussions between Sharad's doctor friend, Sharad and Ashok are so rivetting. I was hanging on to every word all three men were saying. The doctor, as expected, considers this a psychiatric issue and he has theories explaining those. While Ashok is convinced Kusum is possessed. The exact kind of discussions we have in real life about what science tells us and anecdotal tales that we all hear. This conflict, and the downstream effects of SDP making her demands is the crux of the movie, a unique conflict and unique set of circumstances. Overall, it's nice to see these three men discussing solutions while Kusum throws a wrench in their theories and plans. The doctor is not happy with Ashok's methods and conclusions, but he tells Sharad in a later scene that he thinks of Ashok as a genuine guy who knows how to handle Kusum while she is in the middle of her attack. That part was endearing where you can appreciate someone you don't agree with. 

By the time you are almost in the fourth decade of life, you have pretty much seen all story lines and conflicts that a movie could tell you. Even in the most suspenseful movies, I am guessing the end halfway through and more often than not, I am right. That is, if I make it to halfway. Most stories never take a grip. Lot of moviemakers get too involved in developing characters all through the first hour. Honestly, if I am not asking "What next?" I don't care for the characters and their relationships. A hallmark of a good story is that you first get the viewer involved and then introduce your characters at peace. Tell me all about Sharad and Kusum, how they met and what they like to eat, anything. What matters is WHEN it gets told. This movie is a lesson in concept for introduction of conflict and characters and how it should be done. The story just grabs you by the collar and keeps you until the credits start rolling. It's what separates class from other run-of-the-mill movies that we are subjected to. All credit to the original story by Shekhar Tamhane. In the original play, they say, when the curtains fell people stayed in their seats shell-shocked forgetting to clap. I can totally imagine that goosebump worthy experience.

Rakesh Bapat as Ashok has in my opinion given as good a performance as Subodh. He has managed to tone down his expressions in a role where it was easy to get carried away. The one scene where Kusum just comes on to him and he has to resist her advances while fighting his male basic instincts is done very well and tastefully. At no point does it get disgusting or obscene. And what do you even say about Subodh Bhave? He is classy as always portraying the frustrated, defeated, desperate Sharad. The scenes between these two men are intense and captivating, especially the second one by the bunglow gate. They argue back and forth about ethics and the paap-punya concepts as it relates to the situation. "Jar shwaasach nasel tar hya concepts na kay artha aahe?" Profound. Angad Mhaskar as the family doctor has done a great job. His blue-green eyes only adding to the mystical topic at hand. We see a glimpse of the handsome Subodh in flashback scenes which I will avoid talking much about. This might be a bit of a spoiler, but I have to mention the girl in flashback. She is a talented girl, a singer and a dancer, but average looks is her nemesis. We all know how that dagger of rejection feels like, most of us have been there. A rare Kusum, if any, among us might be clueless. The sister, Pallavi Patil, is simple yet pretty. Loved her pairing with Rakesh Bapat and their subtle, cute love story.

I have talked enough about Trupti already, but at the cost of repeating myself, she is absolutely stunning as Kusum. She looks scary in the trailers, but once you get used to the style and the fact that she talks like that when she is Savita, there is no horror left. The most important thing here is of course the original story which is unparalleled. But equal credit to very intelligent direction and screenplay. The way the story unfolds in front of you is almost bewitching. Last but not the least, music. Perfect blend of haunting and melodious. Velhala song is superb, so is the wedding anniversary one. Nilesh Mohrir's music is a class apart, always. All in all, it's not really a horror story. There are no dead cats or howling winds or people turning up dead. There is no blood in any scene, absolutely no 'It' or 'Annabelle' parallels, no rustling leaves or creaky floors.  It's a story about love and obsession with a paranormal element thrown in. I was worried about getting nightmares after watching it, but got none. What I got was just a satisfaction of having watched a rare good movie with an actual good climax. Must, must watch!!