I am no critic and given the handful of movies I could treat myself with, in my short span of life, my opinion is plainly drawn from a non-critic audience-who-goes-out-on-weekends-to-movies-for-entertainment point-of-view. If you are thinking that this article will spoil your experience of the movie, rest assured this is in no way a spoiler; moreover, you might feel more motivated to go and watch it after you read it. Which you definitely should, unless you already have. The story-line is clichéd in some ways and there have been myriad films made in Bollywood that tell you the same story, give or take a few episodes. What sets this film a class apart from the mundane others, is the way the story has been narrated. Audiences in India aren’t new to the triangular love-story. Nor is it new to the portrayal of the lives of the disabled- the deaf, the dumb, the blind, the autistic, a patient of the Alzheimer’s and other kinds of handicap. What is common to all these films is that the story-teller attempts to draw the sympathy of the audience, banking on a deluge of emotions- mostly lachrymal- to achieve success, in Box office and award functions.
The trailers and promotions might
have given you a similar experience- a movie that you can go and watch with
your family or with your loved one- a movie devoid of sex, violence or even
verbal abuse. You might even have imagined yourself exiting the multiplex with
a heavy heart or a soggy hanky, contemplating about those unfortunate beings for
the next few minutes before going back to enjoying your own fortune. On the
contrary, this movie is meant to be an enriching experience, for it doesn’t harp
on the emotional string, doesn’t produce that monotonous pensive tune, doesn’t
moisten your eyes all wild; instead, just when you start feeling the deep
undertone of melancholy the characters are experiencing, the actor will
brighten up your face by his caricatures and antics. This is not the story of
two handicapped people; it’s about love and more importantly, the timing of
love. This certainly has to be a first in Bollywood: in its depiction of how
the experience of love changes over time.
The use of symbolism is so aptly
crafted that it would certainly have made even the master Ray proud. The use of
choirs with musical instruments out of nowhere isn’t meant to have the same
implication as the nonsensical dance sequences the Indian audience is so used
to, where the hero and his lady-love move across continents dancing on top of
snow-covered peaks to dense tropical jungles, ignoring the unity of time, place
and action and of course visa complexities! The glass ball showing an inverted
image of any object is an absolute treat to watch. The director brings to the fore
the difference in perspective with which we all view the world and how each is
equally valid. The spherical cage with the rabbit incessantly trying to climb through
its walls is another of the numerous superlative images used in the movie. The
reflection of light from broken glass, the shoe thrown up in the sky, the asynchronous
steps of a deaf dancer all add to the poetic beauty of what is deemed to be one
of the best-made films in Indian cinema.
The beautiful script is supported
by some of the best acting Bollywood has seen in recent times. After the
release of Gangs of Wasseypur, I had little doubts that the acting skills of
the likes of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Manoj Bajpai would be surpassed anytime
soon. Within only a couple of months, I am forced to think otherwise, umm, at
least think twice and still be unsure! Raj Kapoor would certainly have been
extremely proud of this young man, Ranbir. It might be too early to compare him
with the legend Charlie Chaplin, as some reviews apparently point to, while at
the same time it would be extremely unfair to criticize him for “copying” the
legendary silent-movie star, for Basu’s portrayal of Barfi is not meant to
serve either purpose. Instead, it is an Indianized version of a happy handicap,
with which he lives his life to uphold the beauty of life itself. PC proves her
mettle yet again with a challenging role. Music, specially the background score,
plays an important part in keeping the spirits high, never letting the audience
drown in the ennui of silence. The lyric of the title track sounds funny when
you hear for the first time, makes you think the second time and touches the
soft part the third time.
I must admit that I have a soft
corner for the locations used in the movie: Darjeeling and Kolkata. Because I
can relate to my childhood trips to the unofficial summer capital of Bengal-
Darjeeling, a beautiful landscape nested in the lap of Himalayas, with its
narrow-gauge lines and the tea-gardens. The occasional Durga idols in the
making, the lush green fields, the pot-belly policemen, the lackadaisical tram
and the magnificent Howrah Bridge standing guard to the City of Joy, add to the
beauty of the brilliant cinematography.
Is there a lesson that you take
home? Not once will the message be slapped on your face; instead it is learnt
collectively through small episodes of apparently trivial importance- the
lesson of finding happiness in the humblest of events in life, of being happy
and being loved despite the greatest challenges and handicaps. Truth is: only a
combined effort of a hand-picked team reflects in the making of a good film. And
Barfi is a perfect example. So, do not wait to see if it sweeps the award
ceremonies or box-office collections, because some movies are made to help you appreciate life, happiness and love.
