Parmesan, grated and Cardamom pods!

Ishaqzaades of the season. Parma, Zoya, Atindra and Ela. A period film that goes talk-talk-talkie on discourses and counter-discourses on nationalism and patriotism with the two lovers in the centre while a Hindi pot-boiler that has a pair hurling abuses at each other,all for a political rivalry, till their hearts unite.  What remains, is Ma ja chhilen, tai e achhen. Tagore’s novella is a complex tale of metaphors regarding nationalism and enmeshed in the narrative is the story  of two hearts torn in conflict between the devotion to the nation, to each other and perhaps to the truth, they keep on seeking. The Hindi film focuses on a modern day tale of ma, maati, manush where a mother gets killed, Almore gets a heartless MLA and the common people remain victims to those in power.

Kapoor and Chopra

Habib Faisal’s love saga offers no new story and takes us back to our childhood days of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. But it definitely promises the rise of a new star! Parineeti Chopra is re-introduced (after her extended cameo in Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl) and she is stunning! As a rebellious and vulnerable Zoya, she adds to the otherwise hackneyed plot. As for the producer-son, Arjun Kapoor has a killer bad-boy smile and Parma suits him to the hilt. But what exactly is in store of him, will of course depend on his future works. There is one thing, however, so inspiring about him. He is supposed to have shed a number of kilos and that is an encouraging sign for  those like me, who can dream of atleast a toned family pack, if not a six!

Hindi films really have come a long way. There was a time when the actors changed their clothes thrice for one song sequence. Now, they are seen wearing the same clothes in different scenes. Realism is at its best! And yes, again a rustic hero who struggles to graduate and doesn’t feel the need to talk in English. Colonial hangover is finally coming to an end for the 'man' in Bollywood. The film flies on the wings of these two new faces and every frame is dedicated to promote the new talents, sometimes sadly at the cost of the screenplay. A refreshing face is that of Gauhar Khan whose Chand  is an amalgamation of mehtaab and aftaab, the loneliness of the moon and the scorching sun. Her presence, and her curves, literally make you go “jhalla wallah” .

Amit Trivedi’s score compliments the electrifying performances and Hemant Chaturvedi’s camera does justice in capturing imaginary Alomre. And after a long time, choreographers Rekha and Chinni Prakash make the leading pair as well Gauhar Khan shake their legs (and hips) to the refreshing dance moves. Pareshan has been picturized adroitly and so are Jhalla Wallah and Chokhra jawan re. The film sparkles through the DOP’s lenses capturing the rusticity and the rich colours symbolizing  the vibrance of the two lovers. The supporting cast has new faces and each character does justice to his/her role. The second half, almost like every other film, drags and again Aarti Bajaj, the editor, disappoints. What remains after the two hours of continuous chases and gun shots is the promise of power-house performances by Parineeti in the near future which will definitely make her audience “pareshan.” As for the story (Aditya Chopra and Habib Faisal), the first half is a Hate Story recall and the second, predictable.

If only Zoya could utter the last words like Ela to her Parma, the ending could have been dramatic indeed. What was missing in Ishaqzaade’s last scene was a lip-lock.(Or, may be Zoya would have never liked it; she had once complained about the khula-khula jagah.)“Shesh chumbon aj afuran holo Antu”; Elar Char Adhyay is another tale of passion. Ela’s passion for the land and her love. Bappaditya Bandopadhyay’s film fairly does justice to Tagore’s novella. For a philosophical text that Char Adhyay is, it is a mammoth task to adapt it on screen. Beware audience, if you are looking or sequential plots and dramatic moments, this is definitely not the film. This is neither Ray’s Charulata nor Ghosh’s Chokher Bali or Noukadubi. Here the characters talk, and talk in a language that becomes difficult for a large number of audiience to understand. The riddles and the metaphors, the discourses on patriotism and Ela and Atindra’s nature of love story do not promise an arresting audience. Kudos to the director for keeping the original dialogues from the text. However, the screenplay falters at times to capture the essence of the text.

Indranath (Indraneil Sengupta) looks rehearsed in delivering his part and so does debutant Vickram Chatterjee (Atindra). Paoli Dam as Ela is good but she could have been far better. Her zero-figure is a mismatch for a Bengali Ela. The film only thrives on its dialogues, the continuous talking that the characters engage themselves in and this where the film stands apart from the other Tagorean adaptations. The conflicts and the confrontations become the protagonists of the film. The characters merely fit into the plethora of discourses on motherland, patriotism and love.

Paoli Dam as Ela

The opening sequence is brilliant and it is indeed one of the finest beginnings seen in the recent past. Rana Dasgupta’s cinematography is top notch. Colours, rain,fire and the half done structure of the Durga idol are some some of the leit-motifs used poignantly making it poetic at times. There are a number of Tagore songs and each of them uplifts the film to a newer height. Sayak Bandopadhaya’s rendition of “majhe majhe tobo dekha pai” is the film’s USP.

Elar Char Adhyay needs patience. The dialogues are its necessary evil and if one has to enjoy the film, the talk-talk-talkie has to be endured. Love thwarted remains the crux for the both the films. The lovers are sacrificed at the altar of a power and pseudo-patriotism.  A cheroot smoking ‘mastermoshai’  in a suit talks of uprooting the British and two local groups of Almore fight for the MLA elections. All for the good of the country! And the fates of these Ishaqzaades are sealed forever! It has always been like that and perhaps will be. Both the films remain a document on factual as well as fictional historicities.

By the way, has anyone done Wuthering Heights in Hindi? Well, a Catherine and a Heathcliff are surely in the making!!