Banner: Shree Venkatesh Films
Film: Raincoat
Cast:
Ajay Devgan, Aishwarya Rai, Annu Kapoor, Surekha Sikri, Sammer and Mouli Ganguli.
Producers: Shrikant Mohta and Mahendra Soni.
Screenplay, Lyrics,direction: Rituparno Ghosh.
Cinematography: Aveek Mukherjee.
Music: Debojyoti Mishra.
Editing : ArghyaKamal Mitra
Art : Indranil Gosh
Costumes & Interior : Sushanta Pal & Bibi Ray
Sound Design : Biswadeep Chatterjee
The story is heavily inspired from The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry ( Pen name of William Sydney Porter ) which is inspired from an incident in Bible.
So First Let me start with the original first and then on to subsequent inspirations.
The magi were the ones who gave gifts to the Lord ( Baby Christ when he was Born). The Magi brought three gifts, each also having a prophetic meaning: gold, the gift for a king; frankincense, the gift for a priest; and myrrh-- a burial ointment, a gift for one who would die.
The first is said to have been Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard ... who offered gold to the Lord as to a king. The second, Caspar by name, young and beardless and ruddy complexioned ... honored Him as God by his gift of frankincense, an oblation worthy of divinity. The third, black-skinned and heavily bearded, named Balthasar... by his gift of myrrh testified to the Son of Man who was to die.
So inspired from this incident was our O.Henry?s ?The Gift of Magi?, which talks about a lovely poor couple ? Della and Jim . Left with little savings on the day before Christmas, with no other choice Della sells her hair to gift her husband Jim , a Platinum Chain for his Watch. Where in at the same time Jim has sold his watch to buy his beloved - Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims- just the shade to wear in the beautiful hair of Della. Thereby confirming their love by performing a sacrifice with the things they love most. They sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house.
O.Henry ends this short story, like this ?But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi ?
There by confirming it is not the gift that mattered but the extreme sacrifice for the love of the beloved is what that does matter.
Similary Ritupurna Gosh in this Painting on Canvas talks about the Sacrifice two souls perform in defence of their Beloved.
Now on to Raincoat?s synopsis,
All he wanted was to see her just once. Manu [Ajay Devgan] was from a village in the backwoods. Neeru [Aishwarya Rai] was the girl next door, his lost love.
No one supported him in his desire, neither his family, nor his friends. After all, she was the woman who had broken his heart and married for money when all he had to offer were his dreams.
He came from his small village to the big city of Kolkata with hope in his heart. His pockets were empty and he was desperate for employment. He found his way to her house on a wet afternoon in a borrowed raincoat. She met him draped in silk, and shrouded by darkness in a strange gloomy house crowded with furniture.
There in the dark, hidden from the world by the rain, the two relived their past. His eyes expressed pain; hers' an inexplicable language. They talked and talked and yet said nothing.
RAINCOAT is a story of how love can hold out despite all odds rising to surprising acts of selflessness. Of how one afternoon can prove to be greater than a lifetime..
I?m not telling more folks, lot have been told about this movie but let me say it is a movie to be experienced in movie hall , one would surely find himself/herself to be associated with any of these characters coz it talks about the unconditional love , the true loved for the beloved.
Now on to Credits,
Ajay Devgan ? His portrayal of Manoj Kumar Ala Manu needs accolade. The way he exhibits the body language of an ardent Giver- the defeatist of the character which he brings out in the screen is amazing, the pain he shows in his eyes, his act of crying in the rest room on his helplessness- mind blowing. This is his best performance till date.
Aishwarya Rai ? My Goodness, is it our Dream Girl no way what we see in the screen is the deglamourised, helpless Neeru ala Neerja the Girl with Big dreams ? treated shabbily by turn of the fate.
Annu Kapoor ? Wow , our man is leagues ahead when it comes to perfection, he plays the role of the intruder of a particular afternoon meant only for Manu and Neeru and he brings with him astonishing revelations.
Mouli Ganguli ? she is the secret weapon of the movie , she stuns the viewers in her portrayal of Sameer?s wife. It is the strange Bond which is embedded in pain , she shares with Manu. Her performance is of First rate.
Sammer ? as Manu?s friend ? he has done his job well and so is Surekha Sikri.
Debojyoti Mishra, has done an excellent work in Music Department, all his songs are of first rate, special kudos to him for the song , Mathura Nagarpati. It lingers in viewer?s mind even after the show is over.
Ritupurna Gosh as he admitted in his interview , has fused Meghadoot (work by Great poet Kaildas in which Radha meets with Lord Krishna during Rain ) with O.Henry?s Gift of Magi and the Result is Raincoat ? though not fully waterproof.
But This Rain coat is handy.
Rating : 8.5 /10
Verdict : Memories to be Treasured for our Life
