A tribute to Aai (Mother) - Sane Guruji . Review on Shyamchi Ai Movie

Introduction:

All over the world and in every kind of art form, maternal love has always been treated with reverence. The word ''mother'' brings to mind a loving and kindhearted figure for whom her children are the jewels of her eyes. The traditional social fabric of India, where the women are supposed to be the sole supervisors of household, etches out a role for a mother in which she needs to be much more than just loving and caring. She is instrumental in the social, moral and intellectual development of a child.

Shyamchi Aai is one such story where the author Sane Guruji shares with us his experiences of his early days and his relationship with his mother. Pandurang Sadashiv Sane (1899-1950) wrote this novel in five days while he was in jail in Nasik. A very prolific writer, a socialist, a Gandhian to the core, he was arrested for participation in the civil disobedience movement.

The Novel:

In the novel Shyam tells the story of his mother, her teachings and the impact she had on his life. Over forty-two nights the words of Shyam sketch in front of us the childhood of Sane Guruji, the hardships faced by his mother and her efforts to make him a man of character. The style is fluid and a touch of poetic luster brings out the emotions with amazing eloquence.

The Movie

Famous filmmaker and Journalist Pralhad Keshav Atre widely known as Acharya P.K. Atre, who is known for his comedy movies and autobiographies, produced and directed the movie based on the novel. Even though the print is not of superior quality and acting skills are not at par with today’s best, the movie still manages to leave a huge impact on the viewer.

Cast: BabuRao Pendharkar, Vanamala, Madhav Vaze

The Plot:

The protagonist tells us about his days as a kid where he lives in a remote Konkan village. Due to some family rifts Shyam's mother has to leave her comfortable premises and live in poverty. All through his childhood days, Shyam’s mother teaches him about courage, justice, faith and compassion by examples and day-to-day incidents. On one such occasion, when Shyam is terrified of swimming, his mother forcibly pushes him in water. She tells him that courage is as important as all other ideals of life.

In another episode when they make offerings to the ocean and the sun, she tells him the meaning of gratitude. Night after night Shyam spills out the anecdotes, which supplemented in his honorable and ethical growth. The mother sends Shyam away for better education and eventually falls prey to a fatal disease. The ending where his mother dies and Shyam comes home is real tearjerker.

Analysis:

Sane Guruji is considered to be a very prolific Marathi writer, especially when it comes to children's books. He himself loved children very much. The movie Shyamchi Aai is based on the best of his works and kids should certainly see it. But the movie finds its use and merit more so with parents. The morals and principles (Sanskars) that Shyam’s mother develops in Shyam is a guidebook to parenting. But before you see the movie my recommendation would be to know and understand the personality of Sane Guruji, his greatness and his commitment towards his nation. Sane Guruji is known as one of the greatest Marathi socialists and worked for the abolition of caste system. His work for untouchables and his secular thought process finds its roots in the knowledge imparted by his mother. After seeing the movie we are able to understand the bearing and effect of Sane Guruji’s mother on his life and his ideologies. Shyamchi Aai demonstrates the positive influence of a mother over her child and strongly puts the point for women empowerment and education.

Even though the novel and the movie seem to be so old, its significance and influence will be everlasting. A classic in its true sense.

Other Notable Works of Sane Guruji: Aastik, God Shevat, God Goshti.