Dhyanimani (2017)

My Reviews, ,

Dhyanimani is an expression which means deeply embedded in one’s thoughts, mind, and heart. It describes something you are constantly aware of, remembering, or preoccupied with, even subconsciously. That is the complexity of the human mind and it is difficult to predict its behaviour and reaction to a given situation. This can have a prolonged effect on a person as he/she is unable to distinguish the difference between reality and imagination. The Marathi film Dhyanimani explores a similar theme about human psychology. It also talks about societal pressures that may lead to undesirable consequences.

Dhyanimani is a seemingly simple story of a happy family but all is not “normal.” The film has a limited star cast of Mahesh Manjrekar, Ashwini Bhave, Abhijeet Khandkekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande. Mahesh Manjrekar had produced the play with the same name in the 1990s and adapted it as a movie years later in 2017. Prashant Dalvi is the writer and Chandrakant Kulkarni has directed the film.

The Plot

The story begins with a young couple staying in Mumbai. Dr. Sameer Karandikar (Abhijeet Khandkekar) is a clinical psychologist working at the university. His wife is Aparna (Mrunmayee Deshpande), a microbiology research student. Aparna is not in a good mood. Her pregnancy test result has come out positive. Apparently, the couple have married at a young age and are not ready to welcome a child so early in their married life.

She calls Sameer to give him the unexpected “good” news. Things settle down after they talk at home and share the news with Sameer’s father Vinayak Karandikar (Madhav Abhyankar). Aparna calms down and accepts the situation. They are ready to welcome the bundle of joy in their house. Sameer proposes they go on a short trip for a change of scene and Aparna agrees.

But they cannot go far from Mumbai due to their commitments. Sameer’s father proposes they should go to Roha in Konkan, and stay at a resort that he is aware of. The resort in charge is one of Karandikar’s old students Sadanand alias Sada Pathak (Mahesh Manjrekar). Sada’s wife is Shalini (Ashwini Bhave), who also was Karandikar’s student. Both have a lot of respect for Karandikar Sir and treat him like their father. They have a 12-13 year old son Mohit. Shalini regularly writes to Karandikar keeping him updated about all the happenings in their life. Sameer and Aparna have heard a lot about Sada and Shalini though they have never met. They agree to go to the resort without any prior intimation to the Pathaks.

The couple head to Roha by train and arrive in the morning. The setting moves to the resort guest house where Sada and Shalini reside. Shalini is serving breakfast to Sada. There is routine family talk. Mohit has gone on a school trip and will be back in the evening. Shalini seems to be a housewife whose world is centred around her husband and son. Sada gets irritated by her constant chattering. She reminds Sada that Mohit needs a new uniform, he is growing so fast. They will go this Friday to the market. Shalini keeps talking about Mohit this and Mohit that and Sada asks her to calm down. Apparently, the Pathaks are not very well off and Sada has to keep an eye on the house budget.

Finishing breakfast, Sada is about to leave for work when the bell rings. They see the strangers at the door and look at each other questioningly. Sameer and Aparna greet them. Sada and Shalini don’t recognize them but matters are cleared, and they are welcomed happily. Sameer asks Sada to arrange for a room in their resort. But Shalini tells them that he is Karandikar Sir’s son and like family, the couple will stay with the Pathaks in the guesthouse. Sada seems to be not very comfortable with the suggestion but he agrees and leaves for work.

As the couple settles down, Shalini has a long conversation with Sameer over tea. He informs her that he is not a medical doctor. He is a doctor of  psychology. She says she had studied psychology as a subject during her graduation. She talks about Mohit and child psychology.  She mentions that Sada seems to be having a psychological problem. He is constantly worrying about his work, boss, career progression and so on. She fears Mohit will develop a complex like him. Sameer asks her not to worry, such tensions are normal.

Sameer and Aparna decide to spend the day exploring the area. Before leaving they ask Shalini what gift should they get for Mohit. Shalini responds that is not required as he has so many toys and other stuff. She inadvertently mentions that Mohit was talking about a table tennis bat, Sameer thanks her for solving his query!

The young couple have an enjoyable day. They return to the guest house in the evening to find a worried looking Shalini waiting at the entrance. She informs that Sada and Mohit have not come back. Sada comes home and Shalini pesters him to go to the school and find out what has happened. Sada pacifies her and goes immediately. Sameer offers to come with him but Sada asks him not to worry. He will be back soon.

In the meantime Shalini has become hyper and tells Sameer and Aparna about how one of their neighbour’s son didn’t come back after he met with an accident during a school trip. Sameer tries to calm her down. It’s almost 11.00 pm. She asks them to go and sleep. She will wait for Sada and Mohit to come and serve dinner.

Sada comes home alone. He tells her that the bus is yet to return. There are senior students in the bus and there is no cause for worry. But Shalini is in a foul mood. She keeps talking as the lights go off suddenly because of a power cut. It’s 11.30 pm when Mohit reaches home. Sameer and Aparna hear Shalini shouting at Mohit. She is angry because he wants to go to a karate camp the next day. She admonishes him for not spending time at home. His behaviour is not acceptable. The dialogue continues as she serves him dinner.

Sameer tells Aparna that it’s better to meet Mohit now and give him the gift. They will not meet him tomorrow once he leaves for the camp. Aparna agrees. They step out in the darkness to go towards the dining table. Shalini’s non-stop jabbering is on. The lights come back suddenly and they are shocked at what they are seeing. Shalini is alone at the dining table. She is talking to thin air. Reality strikes. Mohit does not exist and lives in Shalini’s imagination.

Aparna and Sameer are too shocked to react and go back to their room. The next morning they step out early and discuss the matter. So, Shalini herself is the “psychological” case in the house. In an intense scene, Sameer confronts her directly but is taken aback at the way she counters his argument. She has been living with this lie or hallucination for years and Mohit has become a part of her life.

Later, a desperate Sada tells the truth to them. The Pathaks were childless for many years. The doctors diagnosed that Shalini can never become a mother due to a medical condition. The revelation sent her into a severe shock. The impact was so serious that she gave “birth” to an imaginary child and brought him home. Sada was obviously furious and left the house for a couple of days. When he returned, Shalini made him accept the reality. He promised never to leave her again and that he will always care for herself and their son Mohit. So, this is how the “three” of them have been living happily all these years.

Sada is fine with the arrangement as he has accepted Shalini’s condition. More importantly, she is happy. But Sameer points out that it is dangerous to live like this. Shalini needs to be treated and the illusion needs to be broken. He is happy to attempt it with Sada’s help.

Will Sada agree? More importantly, what is Shalini’s reaction as Mohit is indeed her heart and soul. Can she stay alive without his existence in her life?

The Music

The film has one song Ashi Kashi Vedi Maya written by Sandeep Khare with music by Ajit Parab. It appears as a male version in Ajit Parab’s voice and later a female solo in Madhura Datar’s voice.

My Thoughts

Dhyanimani is a case of missed opportunities. The plot has great potential with the sudden twist and suspense embedded in it. The story works as a play but it’s film version is disappointing. There are many loose ends and instances of lazy writing. Main issue is the lack of reference to and usage of technology as the film is set in 2017 when mobile phones and social media were prevalent in daily life. Many plot points that would have worked in the context of the play are not convincing in the movie.

An example is when Mohit does not return home, their is no clear suggestion to call the school, the teachers or other parents. (A single mobile call would have solved the problem!) Of course, making this suggestion would have put Shalini and Sada in a spot but such plot holes need to be addressed properly. The suspense build up is good but you feel it could have been better.

Mahesh Manjrekar is good in parts. Maybe some other actor would have been better suited to the character. Somehow his chemistry with Ashwini Bhave does not impress much. Abhijeet Khandkekar and Mrunmayee are adequate. Abhijeet plays a psychologist but his expertise is under utilized. He seems to give up easily when it comes to dealing with Shalini. Ashwini Bhave is impressive in the emotional scenes and the scene where she “deals” with Dr Sameer when he questions her about Mohit. But overall, she is loud and over the top. Her dialogue delivery and tone is unnecessarily artificial from the beginning. Her constant chattering starts to irritate you. A subdued and controlled character would have helped to generate that normal atmosphere before the shocking revelation is made. You don’t connect with the character. As a result, the impact when you know the truth about Mohit and Shalini’s condition is significantly reduced.

A more thoughtful approach would have made it a better film with better results.

Vaastav (1999)

My Reviews,

Its Sanjay Dutt’s birthday this week on 29 July. As he turns an year older, we revisit one of his iconic films – Vaastav: The Reality. Sanjay Dutt plays Raghu, a simple guy turned gangster. He gets sucked into the unforgiving underworld that turns his life into hell. He is given opportunities to return to normal life but that decision is not easy.

Sanjay Dutt won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his impressive performance. This was Mahesh Manjrekar’s directorial debut in Hindi cinema and he made an engaging and memorable film. He is credited for the story, screenplay and direction. The film did decent business inspiring a sequel Hathyar (2002).

The Plot

The film begins with a scene depicting the funeral rites of the gangster hero. His son asks his grandmother about his father. She responds and narrates the story of her son and his transition from a simple to a bad man.

Raghunath Namdeo Shivalkar called “Raghu” (Sanjay Dutt) is the name of the hero. He stays with his family in a chawl in Mumbai. His father is Namdeo (Shivaji Satam) and mother is Shanta (Rima). He has an elder brother Vijay (Mohnish Behl) who is a graduate and searching for a job. Raghu has been trying to clear the matriculation exam in multiple attempts. His parents and brother keep reminding him to concentrate on his studies. It is evident he has no inclination towards it. It will be enough if he manages to complete his school education successfully.

Vijay is in love with his neighbour’s daughter Pooja (Ektaa) but cannot marry her until he gets a job and settles down.

Raghu likes to spend time chatting with his friends, eating, drinking and playing carrom on the terrace. His closest friend and neighbour is played by Sanjay Narvekar who goes by the nickname Dedh Footiya because of his short height. Dedh Footiya is also unemployed. His parents are played by Usha Nadkarni and Kishor Nandlaskar. His father is a mill worker who stays home as the mill has shut down. His mother is forced to work as a maid and is the only source of income in their house.

The other friends are played by well known actors like Bharat Jadhav, Makarand Anaspure, Nilesh Divekar, Atul Kale, Mangesh Satpute and Satish Rajwade who were fairly new when the film was released.

Also living in the chawl is Kishore Kadam (Deepak Tijori) who has recently become a police sub inspector. He tries to help Raghu and his friends whenever they are in trouble.

Raghu’s parents are shown to be quite practical. Knowing their son’s disinterest in studies, they ask him to start some business. Raghu says he can open a pav bhaji stall but for that a capital of Rs 40,000 is required. He is confident of success. His father agrees to arrange the amount from his provident fund. Soon, Raghu sets up a pav bhaji stall with his friends. They sing a song Kad chhota aur pet bada hai, paisewala seth khada hai.

The business is successful. Raghu’s parents are happy. Dedh Footiya’s parents are also relieved that their son is working hard and earning money. There is a grand celebration in the chawl on account of the annual Janmashtami / Govinda festival. Raghu and his friends participate singing Har taraf hai ye shor aaya Gokul ka chor. All is fine until one night an incident occurs at the food stall.

A man refuses to pay the bill and insults Dedh Footiya when he approaches him for the payment. The man boasts that he is Munna, the brother of well known gangster Fracture Bandya (Jack Gaud). Things are about to escalate when Raghu steps in and pulls back Dedh Footiya and apologizes to Munna.

The next night is a repeat. Munna arrives with his friends for a free meal. This time they intentionally call Dedh Footiya and beat and abuse him. Dedh Footiya retaliates. Things become unpleasant and Raghu hits Munna with the heavy iron tava. Munna apparently dies. Dedh Footiya crushes Munna’s friend with a stone. Both friends are shocked with what has happened.

Circumstances force Raghu and Dedh Footiya to abscond from the scene. Kishore hides them initially as their parents come to meet them. The parents are equally shocked. They discuss that Raghu and Dedh Footiya should surrender but realise that this may not be the best solution. The local police are hand in glove with the influential Fracture Bandya and will follow his instructions. The police cannot be trusted. Kishore tells them to remain in hiding until he can think of something.

The local corrupt inspector Rane (Sunil Shende) visits the chawl and threatens the families with serious consequences if they try to hide anything and help the absconding friends.

Kishore suggests them to go to Vitthal Kania (Ashish Vidyarthi), a gangster and Fracture Bandya’s enemy. They tell Vitthal that they want to surrender to the police. But he reiterates that the police are corrupt and they will not receive justice. He welcomes them to stay with him until the matter cools down.

Fracture Bandya is not amused. He, along with Chhota Fracture (Ganesh Yadav) goes to Suleiman Bhai (Paresh Rawal) who works as a negotiator between gangsters. Fracture Bandya demands Rs 20 lakhs from Vitthal Kania in return of sparing the life of Raghu and Dedh Footiya.

Vitthal Kania is reluctant to go ahead with this proposal. Fracture Bandya used to work for him but had back stabbed him and set up his own shop some 5 years ago. He doesn’t trust the man. But Suleiman convinces him and the mandawali (settlement) date and venue is decided.

Unfortunately things don’t go as planned. Raghu ends up killing Fracture Bandya. Raghu is totally broken and wants to give himself up to the police. He cannot carry on like this. But Vitthal Kania calms him down and convinces him that what he did was right. He offers him liqour and welcomes him into his gang. Raghu becomes Raghu bhai. Extortion, killings are business as usual for him.

Later, Vitthal Kania gets killed by Chhota Fracture. The revenge drama continues. Raghu gets introduced to the state home minister Baban Rao Kadam (Mohan Joshi). He is a corrupt politician who makes use of gangsters like Raghu to fill his own pockets.

So, Raghu becomes a dreaded gangster. His family and Kishore try to convince him to give up this destructive path. But that is easier said than done. Raghu has to live with his insecurities and inner conflicts. In between all this, he gets introduced to Sonia (Namrata Shirodkar), a prostitute. He marries her when he learns she is expecting his child. They enjoy a honeymoon in Switzerland courtesy of the home minister. (They sing a duet Meri duniya hai tujh mein kahi). Sonia hopes to bring some normalcy and stability in Raghu’s life. They have a son called Rohit.

All this leads to the climax where Raghu looks for a way to relieve himself from all the pain and suffering that he is undergoing. It seems death may be the only solution. The death scene involving Shanta and Raghu is highy impacting and an emotional high point of the film.

The Music

The songs are written by Sameer and composed by Jatin Lalit. They suit the mood of the movie. Kumar Sanu, Vinod Rathod, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Atul Kale and Sonu Nigam lend their voices to the earlier mentioned songs. The Ganpati aarti Shendur laal chadhayo is composed by Rahul Ranade and sung by Ravindra Sathe.

Kashmira Shah performs an item number Jawani se ab jung hone lagi, sung by Preeta Mazumdar.

My Thoughts

In a way the story is predictable and we know the outcome but Mahesh Manjrekar manages to keep the viewer engaged. There is too much of action and violence as the story progresses. There are many characters but they leave their impact in spite of the limited screen time. Shivaji Satam, Rima, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, Usha Nadkarni, Himani Shivpuri, Deepak Tijori are impressive. The villains are convincing. This is undoubtedly one of Sanjay Dutt’s most memorable roles. He looks older for the character but manages to carry it off with his compelling performance. You feel for the character when he feels helpless and cannot get out of it. Special mention for Sanjay Narvekar who plays the loyal friend. He owns the character of Dedh Footiya.

“Songs Addressed to the Wind”

My Lists,

Songs depicting the wind in various forms have been popular in Hindi cinema. Hawaa or its variations pawan, purwai, purwaiyya, saba, vaat are used by lyricists to create memorable songs. They evoke a wide range of emotions including romance, separation, mischief, pathos etc as per the situation.

Today’s post features songs where the onscreen performer is addressing the wind. It is either a request, a pleading or an invitation. In spite of being invisible, the hawaa makes its presence felt enabling the actor to converse with it freely. It becomes a means to voice out their feelings. So, over to 10 songs on this theme.

1) Song: Ae Baad-e-Saba Ahista Chal
Film: Anarkali (1953)
Credits: Rajendra Krishan | C. Ramchandra | Hemant Kumar

This is a nice song which is less talked about compared to other hit songs of this movie. The song plays during the titles. The singer is narrating the love story of Salim and Anarkali. He requests the gentle breeze (baad-e-saba) to blow softly as this is the resting place of Anarkali. The eternal wind blows over the mazaar (shrine or tomb) which is a mark of their romance.

Ae baad e saba ahista chal…
Yahan soyi hai Anarkali…
Ankho me jalwe Salim ke
Liye khoyi huyi hai anarkali

2) Song: Hawaa Dheere Aana…Nanhi Kali Sone Chali
Film: Sujata (1959)
Credits: Majrooh Sultanpuri | S. D. Burman | Geeta Dutt

There was a time when lories were popular in Hindi cinema. This is a beautiful lullaby where the mother (Sulochana) tells the wind to be mindful as her young one is about to sleep. The lyrics begin with the phrase hawa dheere aana. The picturization is interesting as an orphan baby girl is crying nearby and she calms down after listening to the lullaby. The girl grows up to be the protagonist “Sujata.”

Hawaa dheere aanaa…
Neend bhare pankh liye jhoolaa jhulaa jaanaa,
Nanhi kali sone chali hawaa dheere aanaa,
Neend bhare pankh liye jhoolaa jhulaa jaanaa

3) Song: O Basanti Pawan Paagal
Film: Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960)
Credits: Shailendra | Shankar Jaikishan | Lata Mangeshkar

Basanti pawan is the term used in this song. It is not clear whether the heroine is referring to the wind or using it as a metaphor for the hero. It is difficult to stop the flow of the wind. Whatever, it is a great song where Padmini pleads Raj Kapoor to stay back for the sake of love.

O basanti pawan pagal,
Na ja re na ja roko koi,
O basanti…

4) Song: Dheere Dheere Chal Ae Bheegi Hawaa
Film: Boyfriend (1961)
Credits: Hasrat Jaipuri | Shankar Jaikishan | Mohammed Rafi

A rare film starring Shammi Kapoor and Madhubala. Madhubala is pretending to be asleep and enjoying the hero’s attention. He sings and requests the moist wind to blow softly as his beloved is sleeping. Strangely, it is a fast faced song which makes it irritating to listen and watch! A softer approach would have created a winner of a song.

Dheere chal dheere chal ae bheegi hawaa,
Ke mere bulbul ki hai neend jawaan,
Ke kahin laage naa kisi ki use badnazar,
Ke meethe sapnon mein khoyi hai wo bekhabar,
Ke dheere chal dheere chal ae bheegi hawaa..

5) Song: San Sanan Jaa Ri O Pawan
Film: Sampoorna Ramayana (1961)
Credits: Bharat Vyas | Vasant Desai | Lata Mangeshkar

This is a film based on Ramayan and this song depicts the period when Sita is held captive by Raavan. Sita desperately pleads to the wind to pass on her message to Lord Ram. This is arguably one of the best songs of Lata Mangeshkar with its piercing high pitch rendition. It is based on raag Chandrakans (rare in Hindi films) which is effective in bringing out the emotions. Great composition by Vasant Desai.

San sanan sanan sanan jaa ri o pawan,
Door desh leja sandesh jahan mere sajan,
Jaa ri o pawan

Chhu ke charan kehna pawan, birha agan ab ho na sehen,
Tan hai yaha aur praan waha, meri puja yaha aur bhagwan waha,
Ye doori sahe kaise man ki mayuri, baraste hai naino ke ghan,
O o san sanan…

6) Song: Jaa Ri Pawaniya
Film: Do Boond Paani (1971)
Credits: Kaifi Azmi | Jaidev | Asha Bhosle

Feeling wise the song is similar to the earlier song. Simi Garewal requests the wind to deliver a message to her husband. Her husband has left the drought ridden village and gone to work far way on a canal construction site. She is left alone and remembers him.

Jaa ri pawaniya, piya ke des jaa,
Itna sandesha mora kahiyo jaa,
Piya so sandesha mora kahiyo jaa..

7) Song: Sun Jaa Ae Thandi Hawaa
Film: Haathi Mere Saathi (1971)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | Laxmikant Pyarelal | Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar

This is a catchy, romantic song from the blockbuster Haathi Mere Saathi. The picturization is unique as the hero and heroine are swinging in hammocks throughout the song. They invite the wind to visit them but warn her not to gossip about their romance. They remind her that she too goes to meet the cloud who is her companion.

Sun jaa ae thandi hawaa,
Tham jaa aye kaali ghataa,
Kuchh pyaari pyaari baatein hamaari,
Aa jaate jaate tu bhi sun jaa

8) Song: Sun Ri Pawan, Pawan Purwaiyya
Film: Anuraag (1972)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | S.D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar

Anuraag was the story of a young blind girl who falls in love. In this raag Bhairavi based song, the heroine Moushumi Chatterjee talks about her life by speaking to the pawan purwaiyya. She talks about being alone and if the wind can become her companion.

Sun ri pawan pawan purwaiyya,
Mai hoo akeli albeli,
Tu saheli meri ban ja sathiya..

9) Song: Chupke Chupke Chal Ri Purwaiyya
Film: Chupke Chupke (1975)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | S.D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar

The well known title song from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s classic is picturized on Jaya Bhaduri and Amitabh Bachchan. She addresses the eastern wind or purwaiyya. The reference is obviously to the young woman’s feelings, about blossoming of love and the accompanying hesitation.

Chupke chupke chal ri purawaiyya…
Baansuri bajaaye re, raas rachaaye dayya re dayya,
Gopiyon sang Kanhaiya,
Chupke chupke chal ri purawaiyya

Pagal pawan se, kaise koi bole,
Gori ke mukh se, ghunghata na khole, dole,
Haule se man ki naiyya, gopiyon sang Kanhaiyya..
Chupke Chupke…

10) Song: Ae Ri Pawan Dhoondhe Kise
Film: Bemisaal (1982)
Credits: Anand Bakshi | R. D. Burman | Lata Mangeshkar

Picturized in scenic Kashmir, the song stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhee and Vinod Mehra. In a literal sense, Rakhee converses with the wind, but deeper, a woman is thinking about her loneliness, relationship, and her purpose.

Baadal se tera kya hai kuchh naata,
Ho, baadal se tera kya hai kuchh naata,
Kaahe jhoome naache gaaye aaye jab saawan,
Baanwari si tu phire, Kaun hai tera sajan,

Ho, ae ri pawan dhoondhe kise tera mann
Chalte chalte