Dharm-Excellent piece of cinema. Review on Dharm

This is the film that vied wiith eklavya for the INdian entry to Oscars and I can bet any day that had this been the approved entry, the Oscar would have come riding home to our country. Its THE finest film to have come out of Indian cinema is last few years.

So austere, so artistic, so poignant and yet steely in its strength and message.

Its the tale of Pandit Chaturvedi, enacted by Pankaj Kappor. AS he strides the famed benaras ki galiyan, his aura as the righteous carekeeper of HIndu rituals and HIndu propriety shines through. He is orthodoc yes but his character through the narrative, unveils slowly to reveal his  moderate stance in religion that finally culminates in a crescendo of humanity that supercedes any religious bigotry.

The crux of the drama is provided when his idyllic household consisting of real life wife Supriya Pathak (who plays the part of devoted yet assertive wife with complate elan and an endearing demeanour) and teenage daughter is shaken up by the entry of an infant, brought home by his daughter.

At first Pandit refuses to acknowledge or touch him, not knowing for sure his caste antecedants but  very doon his external severity gives way to playful moments and tender emotions as the toddler grows up and becomes a darling prototype of senior panditji. INtermission point reaches its high with the real mother coming to claim her child and thats when the battle between the twin meanings of "Dharm" or religion is explored in bold and vibrant shades.

Is Dhaarm merely a chanting of vedas and spouting of vedas or is it the core principle ruling our lives? It reminded me of the dilemma Ashoka faced centuries ago when he questioned whether his DHAMMA was merely ritualistic religion or a humane way of life.

Thats exactly the issue explored in this movie and the climax is so strong, it hits you with a force. There is no unnecessary drama, no preachy language, merely eloquent silences and meaninful few words. The eyes comvey the deep messages and all the actors in this spell binding movie are so in tandem emotionally(even when on warring sides) that they understand each other perfectly and move in perfect synchronicity.

The ultimate victory is of humanity as the innocence of childhood  and father son bonding

compel the swords to drop and the boy is rightfully united with his foster family.

Coming to the technical aspects of the movie, Sonu Nigam has been credited as the Voice of the film and his sonorous melodies dance ethereally in the misty waters of the Benaras ghats. The cinematography is exceptional. Each frame is like a painting(without the deliberateness of  a Bhansali movie). There are no sets, each stone and each temple is real and yet lit up so beautifully that one is caught by both the visual aspect as well as the acting.Editing is also very good. The 10 mins after intermission seem to drag a bit else the movie is surprisingly well paced.

There are few dramatic moments and no smart jerky camera angles but very intelligent camera shots esp when Panditji does his pooja in front of the mahadev shivalinga. His house is charismatic with a big aangan with  abig tree. My favourite scenes have to be the domestic ones with the everyday life of his household like cooking , washing , drying of red peppers, preparing 1000 things for the pooja etc. They are real and very interesting.

The strongest part is the characterisation. Kapoor is mesmerising in the male lead. The depth of emotions in his kohl lined eyes is amazing. He walks and talks his role and his short stature rises high over all others in the cast. Supriya is excellent as the soft spoken wife who wont let go of an issue till its decided her way. Both the children are very good.

Dayashankar Pandey as the commercially inclined pandit who runs his own website for american bhakts is a delight. Witness Pandit Chaurvedi's reaction-Janam se to pandit go, lekin karam se vaishy!

Here is an ensemble cast of "manja hua" actors who cant go wrong and only add more sparkle to an already strong screenplay.

Go for this movie asap. It may not be commercially too visible but trust me, it will be a movie that will stay with you for a long time for its simplicity and profundity. It explores communal harmony and the life of Benaras in a never before way.

Strongly strongly recommended.

Also recommended is an Indian oscar for the strong directorship of Bhawna Talwar.