Mr and Mrs Iyer: A triumph of human spirit. Review on Mr & Mrs Iyer

I saw Mr and Mrs Iyer when it first came on television about a month back. I had missed it on the cinema screen and meticulously planned my day to accomodate the TV timings for the movie.

I can vouch that the movie experience that I got was worth all the planning and pains.

This is one of the most sensitive and thought provoking movie I have seen in recent times. One can compare it with the spate of parallel cinema which was in vogue during the late seventies and early eighties. Ankur, Manthan, Bhumika, Aakrosh, Ardh Satya and 36 Chowrangee Lane, all bring profound memories of the revolution for realistic thought provoking cinema.

Incidently the last of the above was made by the then dark horse of Bengali cinema. 36 Chowrangee Lane, directed by a talented Aparna Sen won critical acclaim all over the world and catapulted the young director to high echelons of glory and fame.

The same style and subtlety in narration is evident in Mr and Mrs Iyer, Sen's latest offering.

The film deals with the problem of communal violence. Such a sensitive issue needed a deft handling to be portrayed on the celluloid. Sen has not only risen to the occasion but has gone a long way in branding her own stamp of film making in this genre.

The story narrates the journey of a tamilian girl, Meenakshi Iyer, who is travelling all alone by a bus to the station in order to catch the train to Calcutta. In the bus she meets Raja, a wildlife photographer who is also on his way to Calcutta. While in the bus Raja, on seeing Meenakshi travelling, alone helps her in managing the baby. Meenakshi is seen getting drawn towards Raja. Suddenly the bus is caught in a village raging with communal violence. People are gunning for other people's necks. Amidst all this Raja feels the obligation to let Meenakshi know that in reality he is a Muslim and his real name is Jehangir Chowdhry. At this moment the pathos on the face of Meenakshi is very subtly conveyed on the screen. She regrets her decision of having relied on Raja. Again all those principles of purity and asceticism come to her mind. Later on, in order to save herself from rioteers she leans on Raja and plays his wife. Showing this, Aparna Sen wants to convey that at the time of crises, what matters is the soul of the individual no matter what school of sect he/she belongs to.

The film is laced with such subtle cinematic effects as above. Particularly interesting is the director's ability to narrate a story which has a plethora of messages and intertwining nuances. The scene where Raja tells the fictitious story of their honeymoon touches your heart to the core. It makes you realise that there is nothing above basic human values and emotions. On a higher plane it conveys that even relations like husband and wife are immaterial. What matters is the human bondage and trust.

Konkana Sensharma proves to be a seasoned actress in the role of Meenakshi. A hard core Bengali, she rattles of English in such fluent Tamil accent that is sure to put a Tamilian in a puzzle. Rahul Bose as Raja is convincing as a modern, practical individual who has belief in realistic social structures.

The film deserves praise in the music department too. Ustad Zakir Hussain's tunes set the pace of the film in the opening theme. It is as pristine and sublime as the opening shots of the mountains covered in dense fog.

A richly deserved National Award has gone to Aparna Sen and Konkana for their effort.

Mr and Mrs Iyer is the triumph of human spirit in the times of adversities.