Director: Jahnu Barua
Rating: ****
The task of taking an inspiring piece of art film across to the audience lies in the hands of a filmmaker, and one such filmmaker is Jahnu Barua. Unlike other filmmakers who spend a fortune in creating films with superstars, this intelligent director narrates a touching story in the most sensitive language.
Uttam Chaudhary is an acclaimed scholar of Hindi and a retired professor
with high values and integrity. Widowed with three children, Ronu in the US supporting the family financially, Trisha an NGO worker and youngest Karan, a carefree guy who wants to enjoy college life with no additional responsibilities at home.
Professor Chaudhary starts suffering from frequent bouts of forgetfulness turning into a serious case of dementia/schizophrenia. He enters the class and starts lecturing about Nirala’s writings
forgetting he has retired and the students are waiting for the chemistry lecture. In another scene, he is arguing with a barber over the high rates of haircut considering it to be year 1979. The situation worsens when Trisha’s boyfriend’s family comes to see her with a marriage proposal and prospective father in law places used tea cup and ashtray on news paper bearing Mahatma Gandhi’s photo. The sudden outburst from professor ruins the chances of marriage, with prospective groom’s family fearing, the dementia runs in the family.
Professor Chaudhary pleads for not murdering Gandhi, but what is the real reaso
n behind blaming himself for murdering Gandhi, though the doctors provide various explanations to the disease, the problem lies deeper? The professor has a guilt deep inside since his childhood days being blamed by his father for being unlucky and killing Gandhi while playing; accidentally the day happens to be 30
th January 1948. Uttam’s father vows to never see his son till his death.
Trisha decides to do what all she can to get him well against all odds and opposition from brothers, and in the end she finds a doctor who is willing to adopt an unorthodox way to cure professor and set him free of the guilt and she wins.
Maine Gandhi ko Nahin Mara, is a remarkable movie and one of the best of Anupam Kher for portrayal of Professor Uttam Chaudhary. He convincingly brings out the paranoia and the inner conflicts of the character and brilliantly supported by Urmila playing Trisha.
This is not a movie about a diseased man but showcases many aspects of our socie
tal being. It raises questions on many issues from forgetting Gandhian ideals; the ordeal of old aged people, the indifference of parents towards children and of children towards parents, how compassionate a doctor or medical practitioner should be towards his patient. It also captures the sympathy we need to render to elders even if they are not related and mostly puts a big question mark on how sympathetic and giving should a child be towards his own father if he is suffering through an illness.
There are instances when the brother tries to convince Trisha of sending their father to a mental asylum as he has gone mentally unbalanced and even doctors support that and Urmila shouts –“ Case nahin hain Karan. Tere, mere aur bhaiya ke baba hain.” (He’s not some case Karan; he’s our father) Children borne from the same parents and with such difference of attitude and love is something more than just thought provoking!
Jahnu Barua tells the story with great finesse and impeccable cinematic presentation that always focuses on the content and the emotive appeal. Background score by Bappi Lahiri has been extremely supportive to the pulse of the movie and carrying it forward.
Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara is a must watch!!!
