Eklavya

Vidhu Vinod Chopra's 'Eklavya' is the kind of film that makes you think. Not only about the film and the issues it raises but also about the filmmaker's immense abilities. What is he going to come up with, the next time around? I am already waiting for '64 Squares' (hope the wait is not as long as the one for 'Eklavya').

The film boldly defies convention in not adhering to bollywood’s song and dance routine (okay, it has a song, but only one and it is very well shot). The film starts of with Big B's baritone invoking the legend of Eklavya. Off screen, a child to whom the narrator is recounting the legend keeps repeating that Eklavya was wrong. This brings to fore the crux of the film- ‘Dharma’ (not in the sense of religion but in the sense of morally right conduct). It questions the belief that ‘Dharma’ is fulfilled by observance of custom or law. Instead it upholds the belief that ‘Mati’ or ‘Vivek’ is the fountainhead of ‘Dharma’ and that customs and traditions are only guiding principles and they need to be questioned and modified in view of the changing situations. That it is as subjective as anything else.

To quote Sahir Ludhianvi -

“Ye pap hai kya, ye punya hai kya, reeton par Dharma ki muharein hain

Har yug mein badalte dharmon ko kaise adarsh banaoge”

The story of palace secrets and royal intrigue has no direct relation to any Shakespeare creation (if you leave out the references to the Bard’s 18^th sonnet) but it is Shakespearian to the core. (Not surprising since Shakespeare is a major passion of one of the writers, Prof. Abhijat Joshi). Ekyavya has a dark sombre feel to it and the intensity forces you to be glued to the screen.

You can feel the filmmaker’s passion for perfection while watching the film. Technically the film is a triumph for Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Quite simply, it is international quality cinema. The frames are picture perfect and the cinematography by Nataraja Subramanian is top class. Pradeep Sarkar as the visual director gives that extra punch to the film. Shantanu Moitra comes up with an inspired score. The screenplay by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Abhijat Joshi is multi layered and allegorical. The taut editing by Raviranjan Maitra never lets the film slacken. The production design by Nitin Desai and the costume design by Subarna Ray Chaudhuri and Raghavendra Rathore are spot on.

The performances by the cast are generally first rate. Boman Irani (as Rana Jaywardhan) gives a nuanced performance and potrays the insecurity of his character in a seasoned manner. Jackie Shroff as the scheming Rana Jyotiwardhan is good (it is a pity he does not have much to do in the film). Jimmy Shergill as Udaywardhan gives a decent performance in a negative role. Sanjay Dutt gives a crowd pleasing performance as the DSP. Sharmila Tagore (as Rani Suhasinidevi), Parikshat Sahni (as Omkar Singh) and Vidya Balan (as Rajjo) do justice to their roles. Raima Sen displays her acting prowess in the role of Nandini, the mentally fragile daughter of the king. But the two powerhouse performances are delivered by Amitabh Bacchan and Saif Ali Khan. Amitabh’s act as the conflicted royal guard is definitely one of his best (I know that is a big statement to make, but I will stick my neck out on this one).He has used his eyes in a manner that only a actor of his calibre can. And what has happened to Saif ? Boy, he is just marvelous in a role that required him to be restrained yet forceful. After last year’s ‘langda tyagi’, Saif is again firing on all cylinders.

The film contains quite a few references. ‘Mahabharat’ and Shakespeare are the most obvious, but there are many others. The desert, camels, train, and murder sequence is riveting. Oh, what the heck it even invokes the westerns of yore. Brilliant. The director’s penchant for pigeons in important sequences of his films is again displayed. He references his own film ‘Parinda’ in one of the finest scenes of the film. The blackout in the theatre sequence is a tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s blackout trick in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. Brilliant again.

In the end all I can say is, ‘Eklavya’ is an epic saga of duty, honour, loyalty, jealousy, revenge and deceit; one that will be with you long after the lights come on.

Rating (3.5 on 4)