FILMS
What a climax

Unusual endings of films make even oft-repeated storylines wear a new look, writes Surendra Miglani

THE ending of Ken Ghosh’s recent movie Fida was in news. The makers of the movie even flashed the findings of a survey in a promo to know the audiences’ opinion about the ending. While 82 per cent of the viewers liked it, the promo claimed, 18 per cent did not.

One does not know how genuine the findings are, but it is a fact that the unexpected climax did please a large number of novelty-starved cinegoers. While the plot of the movie in general reminded one of Ajnabee and Humraaz, it was the ending that made Ghosh’s venture wear a new look.

For ages the concept of a ‘good’ ending of a Hindi film has been the elimination/arrest of the villain so that the hero and the heroine could live happily even after. If at all some filmmaker attempted a different kind of ending, it was confined to making the hero and/or the heroine die in the final scene. How desperate the filmmakers were to depict happy endings can be gauged from the fact that the great showman Raj Kapoor made three romantic tragedies — Aah, Bobby, and Ram Teri Ganga Maili — but later all of them end on a happy note. In fact, he changed the ending of Aah after its release. Not only this, he even advised L.V. Prasad to change the sad ending of the Ek Duuje Ke Liye (in which both the hero and the heroine die in the end) but the latter politely turned down the suggestion.

The number of commercial Hindi films where some real off-beat endings were tried can, indeed, be counted on one’s fingers. Bambai Ka Babu (1960), directed by Raj Khosla, was one such film in which the hero (Dev Anand) wants to marry the heroine (Suchitra Sen) but accepts her as his sister in the climax. The endings of Mother India, Ganga Jamuna, Deewaar and Shakti in which the protagonists kill a kin in the climax, too, were appreciated by the masses.

However, for real punchy and hard-hitting climaxes and endings, one had to turn to art and off-beat movies. Who can forget the great climax of Balu Mahendra’s Sadma in which, a badly hurt Kamal Haasan tries to remind Sridevi of her immediate past at a railway station?

Shyam Benegal’s Ankur is another case in point. Its story revolves round a zamindar (Anant Nag) who perpetrates all kinds of atrocities on Shabana Azmi and her husband (Sadhu Meher). A child, who is a witness to all this high-handedness, throws a stone at the zamindar’s house in the last scene, smashing one of its windowpanes. What a way to depict the seedling of a revolution. It is still referred to as one of the best endings ever seen on the screen.

Another recent Hindi movie that deserves mention because of its off-beat ending is Tere Naam. Here the hero (Salman Khan), obsessed with the heroine (Bhumika Chawla), ends up becoming a lunatic and is sent to an ashram for treatment. When he comes to know of the heroine getting married to another man, he somehow manages to escape from the ashram and reaches the heroine’s house only to find that she has already committed suicide.

Ramgopal Verma is one filmmaker who has always tried new ideas in his movies. Even the endings of his movies are different from the usual. Earlier this year he made an interesting movie Ek Hasina Thi. It was talked about not only because of its unconventional theme but also because of its remarkable ending. The hero (Saif Ali Khan), a man from the underworld, uses the heroine (Urmila Matondkar) for his nefarious activities. The innocent girl finds herself behind the bars. The truth dawns upon her only after she is convicted. She, manages to escape from the jail and then takes revenge on the hero and how! First she makes a hell of his life and ultimately takes him on gunpoint to a secluded place, chains him and abandons him so that he can die a slow and painful death.

Take the case of Company. Vivek Oberoi, a member of an underworld gang, is in jail and a police officer comes to the cell to break the news of Ajay Devgun’s (his former boss) death. The movie ends with Vivek just listening to the police officer. No less remarkable was the ending of Darna Mana Hai in which souls of all the characters witness the scene after their death.

What has made the filmmakers take such risks now? Well, one reason could be the ever-shortening queues at cinema halls in the wake of growing popularity of satellite TV. Producers and directors have apparently realised that audiences must be given something unconventional and refreshing if they are to be weaned away from the soap operas and other kinds of entertainment being offered on the small screen.

The growing number of multiplexes in the country could be another factor. These multiplexes cater to audiences that are looking something hatke. And a novel ending sometimes makes even a routine story look off-beat, exciting and refreshing.

Sensitive subject deftly handled
Ervell E. Menezes

An eight-year-old boy has contracted a deadly retinal cancer and that totally devastates his grandpa and other relative who have taken him to the city for treatment. How the three key players react to this deadly trauma is what the Sandeep Sawant’s Marathi film Shwaas (Breath) is all about — a simple strong narrative related most poignantly and sensitively.

It is the Indian entry for the best foreign film category of the Oscars. Parashuram (Ashwin Chitale) is the young boy unfortunate enough to be stuck by cancer and his doting grandpa (Arun Nalawade) and relative Diwakar have to contend with the situation. To save his life, the boy has to lose his sight. But who’s to disclose the shocking news to him? Also, lending a helping hand is a social worker (Amrita Subash). The oncologist Dr Sane (Sandeep Kulkarni) rounds up the cast of the main characters.

It is a film which works on many levels. First it brings out the contrast between village and city life. Then there is that deep love between the granpa and the little boy. There is also the indifference shown by hospitals to sensitive problems and of course the vacillating doctor who blows hot and cold with his patients in general and Parashuram’s case in particular. The character of the social worker is unduly overplayed, maybe because it is meant to provide female relief, but the effort is in vain.

The screenplay by Sandee Sawant is brilliant and there are some deft touches which he is able to put across as director. "What is a surgeon," the grandpa asks and here ignorance is not bilss. At one time the doctor tells him his questions will be answered the next day. But can the old man take such an answer?

When the doctor tells the old man it is one case in a million that the boy is afflicted with cancer, pat comes his reply, "so is Parashuram, one in million" and that line goes to the soul. The telephonic talk between the grandpa and the boy’s mother in the village is also handled brilliantly. But one thing the grandpa is unable to do is tell the little boy of his fatal illness. It is just beyond him.

So what does he do? He decides to show the boy as much of life and in this specific case, city life in the one day that is left for him. It is a whirlwind tour of the city and this makes the child happy but meanwhile it causes a crisis in the hospital. They think that the old man is running away from reality and when there is a suicide case reported, tension runs ever higher.

But director Samant takes a dramatic turn. The film’s ending is unusual and unlike most films it leave much unsaid and in that lies its strength. Maybe the middle is a wee bit weak and the entire film could have been a little less sentimental but like most good films it has a good mix and content and most of the players excel in perfectly natural performances.

If young Ashwin Chitale is excellent is the child actor, Arun Nalawade is even better as the grandpa who confronts a Herculean problem.

Sandeep Kulkarni as the doctor is rather patchy and Amrita Subash as the social worker tends to overdo her part. But there are two other very fine cameos: one of the relative Diwarkar and the other of the shirking hospital worker. The outdoor locales are brilliantly shot, but the shift from the village to the city is a bit predictable. Still, cinematographer Sanjay Manane has done a good job on both fronts, the languid village life and the chaotic urban setting.

I am not very conversant with most of Indian and regional cinema to judge whether it is the best Indian film this year, yet, I’d rate it above Lagaan.

“I am not insecure about Kareena” 

Shahid Kapoor is just two films old but he is already being touted as a good actor. After his debut hit Ishq Vishk and the subsequent flop Fida, he is back as a young lover boy in Anant Mahadevan’s Dil Maange More, due for release this month. Excerpts from an interview with Vickey Lalwani.

I am pretty instinctive when it comes to signing films. I have no written rules and it’s not necessary to have a big director or a huge production house. Obviously, these are important matters but at the end of the day, I should feel excited when I hear a script. I should want to be a part of the project. When I heard the story of Dil Maange More, I thought that it was very novel, particularly as it had three heroines and that set it apart from the other scripts that I was hearing. Secondly, I wanted to do a comedy after Ishk Vishk and Fida.
Doesn’t it bother you that Anant Mahadevan (who directs Dil Maange More) made a very average film (Dil Vil Pyar Vyar) the last time?

I don’t think the success or failure of a film should decide whether you work with somebody or not. The biggest of directors who started with disasters have gone on to make the biggest of hits. When I interacted with Anant, I saw that he was very passionate about his film and he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t want the film to be very dramatic. He wanted the film to be a fun caper from beginning to end.

For that, you will have to see the film. The protagonist is a 19-year old trying to discover love and making all the mistakes that a 19-year-old boy makes. All three girls are very talented and have done a great job. They have well-etched-out and important characters.
Soha Ali Khan is making her debut in the film. What do you think of her?
Watching her it is difficult to believe that she is making her debut. She is so confident and is a natural. She reminds me of her mother, Sharmila Tagore.

After Fida, the audience will get to see you and Kareena together in Milenge Milenge?

I won’t give away anything on that film. It is a conventional love story and we make a special pair. Fida got too much publicity and it sort of backfired. I am little superstitious about Milenge Milenge.

Obviously, Fida did not have any romance between us. I don’t know how people spoke and wrote about our chemistry. We just had one song together. There were no romantic scenes, and in fact, Fardeen had more romantic scenes with Kareena than I had with her.
Apparently, you were insecure about Kareena and Fardeen’s friendship during the making of Fida and passed some uncharitable remarks against Fardeen?

Absolutely false. I am not a fool to feel insecure about Kareena’s relationship with her friends. If I pass comments against my co-actor, it would be highly unethical and unprofessional. A film is a team effort. If I run down a co-actor, I would be killing my film. But I guess I’ll have to stop being emotional and move on. Fame comes with a certain amount of baggage in Bollywood.

(Laughs) That’s funny. What else can I say? I fail to understand that why two and two always make five in Bollywood.

Where is your relationship with her heading?
It’s too early and too premature to comment. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But yes, everything is fine and positive. We are very happy with each other.

There’s Dil Maange More. Then there is Life Ho To Aisi with Amrita Rao, Jeevansh with Ajay Devgan and Deewane Huye Paagal with Akshay Kumar.

— TWF

 

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