"We are mere players". Review on Bhumika

Shakespeare said: “All the world is a stage and we are all mere players.”

Legendry director Shyam benegal truly understood above lines, probably that's when he thought of making Bhumika "the role". This 1977 movie “Bhumika” is a journey of an actress Usha aka Urvashi (played by Smita patil) from her childhood to late 40’s. Movie opens with a dance sequence shot in Film studio. Usha aka Urvashi entered film industry when she was a kid (Baby Ruksana has done a good job) and currently she is a successful actress. Movies proceeds with urvashi recollecting pieces of the past. Her childhood days where her only job was to learn singing from her “aji” who herself was a famous singer of her time and to run between her drunkard father/ helpless mother and sycophant “Keshav” (amol palekar) who in turn of pennies use to force her to swear that she will get married to him.

After sudden death of Usha’s father keshav comes ahead to help them and that’s where Baby Usha reaches film studio as a child artist. Youth wasn’t that great as well where she did achieve fame but ended up marrying Keshav (just double her age) becaz of his constant reminder of “her promise or marrying him” and how much he has done for her family. There starts the actual struggle of a “woman”

My Take:

I would look at Bhumika as an essay of a women journey (not just an actress) who has been in constant search of harmony for which she tries all possible “Bhumika” (Role) in her life. She starts with a role of an obedient kid then a wife, a mother and later a lover even a mistress which can get her close to what she understood as love. “Bhumika” is USHA’s persistent attempts to understand:

--“Her Mother” – who has once beaten her (when she was a kid) for not singing on request of Keshav and years later beating her again becaz she chose to marry Keshav…

--"Her doubting husband Keshav” who has been pursuing her to get married to him and ultimately when she did he only ended up being her “business manager”…

--“Rajan”(Anant Nag) the popular actor who claimed to love her but couldn’t be more than a caring friend.

-- “Her ownself” her attraction towards “the mystery man” Sunil (Naseeruddin Shah) whom she loved and attempted a failed suicide attempt as well.

Throughout her life she yearned to lead a “house wife’s life” and she presumed, she will be content with that. When she get an opportunity (not with the husband though) to be a housewife she enjoys it but only to an extent and ends up pleading the most detested person(Keshav – her husband), to come and save her from the trap.

Usha’s aka Urvashi trial and error has to end somewhere and it did. Movie end with Usha last realization “Mujhe apne akelepan se khud hi Nipatna hoga”(I am the one who has to take care of my own loneliness)

Moral of the story:

Life is not all about searching happiness in someone else its “YOU” who can make a difference in “YOUR” life, Its “YOU” who is responsible for your own happiness. I remember a quote by someone:“Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen”

Why watch it?

The director Shyam benegal has brilliantly written & directed the movie without any flaws utilizing the complete potential of actors like Smita patil, Amol Palekar, Nasrudeen shah & Amrish puri. You will not find a single scene irrelevant the switch between the present and past memories has been handled without any disconnect and detailing has been cautiously worked on as it shows the era between 30’s and 50’s.

It’s one of Smita Patil remarkable performance and this is the movie which actually made her career. She even won a national award for the movie.

PS: I chose this movie to be my first review because I have always repented on Smita patil early demise from the industry. It’s a big loss for parallel cinema as she could work only close to 73 (approx) movies in her life time.

Another reason to choose this movie is the fact that I have been very close to my mother whose life is not less then any struggle till today ….

And for majority of women this battle continues even in this era.