Chakra : Slum woman becomes poorer in every field of her life
[ Remembring a significant film on the lives of slum dwellers. Advisable for those who want to know about it and its premise and for those who have seen it and want to refresh their memories about the film].
There are few directors who could make only 1 film and there w’d be very few directors who died before the release of their very first film. They could not see the result of their efforts. They could not see how world behaved with their creations? They could not see what place their creations have occupied in their chosen fields?
Rabindra Dharmaraj is one such director who was fortunate enough to make his first film as a wonderful film and which one is sufficient to reserve his place in Indian cinema’s history but at same time he was very unfortunate also as he could not be a witness to the release of his film. He could not see the award trophies his film and his actors won.
He could not see the appreciation which world bestowed upon his film.
Authenticity is of very high degree in this film and an audience may feel after some minutes in to the film that in this slum he can actually see people whose faces have perfect resemblance with the film actors Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Ranjeet Chaudhary respectievly. All the four actors have performed at highest possible level of acting.
Satish Kaushik, Madan Jain, Salim Ghouse and Kundan Shah also acted in small roles.
Film was given very good music by Hridaynath Mangeshkar and Bhupendra got to sing a gem like song. It’s one of his best songs.
Lata also sang a very good solo. Suresh Wadekar and few other singers sang a very good chorus.
Raj Kumar Santoshi and Kundan Shah assisted in the direction department.
Film is based on the novel “Chakra” of Jaywant Dalvi.
Very good lyrics are penned by Madhosh Bigrani.
NFDC co-produced the film.
* * * * * * * * *
A woman is sleeping and watching moments from her past in her dream where she recalls how she had to run away from her village along with her husband and how her husband was killed in a police encounter in the city?
Her sleep is broken by the memories of this saddest event of her life.
Her eyes are opened now but they are lost in vacuum somewhere.
Still she is lost in her memories. Her mind is watching something from her past. That something which is related to the life in the slum comes on screen and in the background Bhupendra’s voice sings
Ubee aankhon mein tooti huyee neend hai
Rang alag sa alag see hai jeevan kee laya
Behichi, bedili, bekali ausatan
Sadte galate huye bhukhe sukhe badan
Hans liye ro liye, pee liye lad liye
Zinda rehna tha karke rahe sau jatanUbee aankhon mein tuti huyee neend hai
Rang alag sa alag see hai jeevan ki laya.Saans lenaa tha khhoon ko paseena kiya
Haath shar ho gaye, paanv ghiste rahe
Roshni ke liye, zindagi ke liye
Raat din ek chakki mein pisate raheUbee ankhon mein tooti huyee neend hai
Rang alag sa alag see hai jeevan ki laya
People like us live in the slums. Life is a harsh struggle every passing moment there. Amidst of all the troubles, people pass through the emotions.
Chakra takes one in to the life of Amma (Smita Patil), who is a widow. She lives with her 17-18 years old son, Benwa (Ranjeet Chaudhary). Chakra shows her life in a slum and two interesting characters Looka (Naseeruddin Shah) and Anna (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) come in to her life. They both are her lovers.
Chakra shows that what can be said as an individual’s liberty in the upper most stratum of the society that becomes a compromised thing to survive in the lives of people living in the lowest stratum of a society.
Morality of middle class is denied by upper class because they are too isolated and society’s normal norms don’t touch their day to day life. Their day to day life is not within the reach of middle class based society.
Lower class of a society has to find ways to survive so normally no moral norms work there.
There are many similarities between lowest and highest sectors of a society. If upper society’s living style knows no boundary as its not restricted by the morality which middle class owns then lower part of society is forced to opt many ways which w’d look immoral to middle class. Physical body is body there also but still its not same body which middle class people carry and shame etc are mere theoretical words in a slum as facilities are not there.
There can be a great discussion on size zero or size this and that and photos of rich women in swim suit etc or special photos of celebrities coming out through paparazzi act of adventurous journalists but such things can be a common scene in a slum because there is no other way because of abundance of limitations there.
Following scene had brought a great discussion about the film.
When Smita Patil had got award for the film, she was asked in an interview telecasted on DD, about this particular scene and she had replied that it’s quite a common scene in any slum. I was not playing Smita Patil there but a slum woman.
Greatness of Smita Patil as an actor is reflected in every single scene of hers in the film. Even her silent moments when she is lying and her eyes are lost somewhere she uplifts the film very high in standard. She was able to be utterly honest before the camera and camera was unable to project her as a lying character. She was able to exhibit the inside out of her character.
* * * * * *
Benwa is a fan of Looka and he accompanies Looka to a brothel. A great scene is there where Looka has gone to other room with prostitute and he throws his trousers to the bed where Benwa is sitting. Benwa takes out purse of Looka and steals some Rupees.
Looka comes back after some time and wears his trouser and takes out his purse to give money to the prostitute. He opens his purse and looks inside and for a moment his hands are stopped and he looks at Benwa, who is looking downside, Looka does not say anything and gives money to prostitute.
He is a lover of Benwa’s mother. Back at home with Looka, Benwa watches Looka having fun with his mother but it is fine with him. He makes excuse and goes out of hut and lies on his cot, pretending as if he is sleeping.
Amma asks Looka to marry her but he says that he is unable to remain in bondage of marital ties.
After sometime, Benwa shouts to warn his mother that a truck has come.
Amma, sends Looka out as her other lover, Anna has come.
Amma asks Anna also to marry her.
A small child has died because parents could not arrange for a doctor.
Aag ugaltee huyee jalatee banjar jameen
Janam se ab talak jal rahe hain shareer
Nark kya hai kahan hai kaun jaane hai ye
Nark jaisee jagah par pal rahe hain shareer
Ubee ankohn mein tooti huyee neend hai
Rang alag sa alag see hai jeevan ki laya
A young girl is forced to follow the prostitution because her family has to survive as her father is old and helpless.
Benwa’s friends come to his slum to enjoy the company of this girl. Benwa has promised them that he will arrange this girl for them.
But here at his slum he finds out that her father has just died. People have to arrange for his funeral. Benwa’s friends are not ready to donate money and they still insist that Benwa should arrange that girl and they will spend money on her.
Death saddens the people but as they have to live for another day so they have to forget its impact on them. They have to survive. They try to forget the sadness in a collective manner.
Raat andheri dhoom machi hai, seenon mein angaar lagee hai
Chaltee firatee zinda lashein ye dhartee kya khoob sajee hai
Alcohol is understood as best thing by many people to follow escapism in such situations.
Danga masti khana peena ye jo ghadee hai sabse badee hai
Kya beeta kya beetega kal, yaad kise hai kisko padee hai
Kaisa bandhan kaisa jeevan
Deemak sab chaat chuki hai
Naach rahe hain jhoom rahe hain bhhokhe pyase kale saaye
Jeevan ek bhanvar mein fansta jaaye, dooba jaaye
Kisne badla vaqt ka dhara
Subah rahee na shaam rahee hai
Chaltee firatee zinda lashein ye dhartee kya khoob sajee hai.
Picturiation, sequence and its presence at this occasion is very good.
Film’s all the songs support the film in a beautiful manner and they are very much in synchronization with the theme of the film and provide the philosophical meaning to the topic of the film.
Smita Patil’s sharabi act is to see to believe and same is true with Naseeruddin Shah’s sharabi act in another scene.
These guys were at their peaks in a fabulous manner during those years.
When Looka reappears again he has been infected with a sexual transmitted disease.
Amma is pregnant. Looka arranges a marriage for Benwa.
Lata’s singing presents this phase of Amma’s life very well.
Kaale kale gehre saaye ho jaaye door din wo aaye
Sooni sooni bahon mein phir jhulega munna chanda sa pyara dulara
Life is hard in slums and as inhabitants don’t own the land the way other people in the society own the lands on which their houses are constructed, so anytime bulldozers can demolish their temporary houses and huts.
But before that a cycle has been completed in the life of Amma and she again faces losses. Her life is back to the darkness.
Jeene marne ke chakkar ka anjaam kya, ye samay kya, savera kya shaam kya
Reet kaisee hai ye, kya tamasha hai ye,
Kaisa sidhant, kaisa ye insaaf hai
Kitane dil hain ki jiname hain chingariyan
Dekhne ko sabhee kuch, bahut shant hai
Ubee aankhon mein tooti huyee neend hai
Rang alag sa alag see hai jeevan ki laya
Sar chupane ko chhaya nahin na sahee
Bas hee jayegee basti koi fir nayee
Apne hathon mein chakki hai baaki abhee
Zulm ke kaale Dere ukhad jayenge
Sah chuke hum bahut ab na sah payenge
Na sah payenge
Praan jaye magar ab to lad jayenge
Kaali raatoen ke peeche savera bhee hai
Koi sundar bhavishya tera mera bhee hai
Kaali raatoen ke peeche savera bhee hai
Koi sundar bhavishya tera mera bhee hai
Koi sundar bhavishya tera mera bhee hai
Kaali raatoen ke peeche savera bhee hai
Bulldozers have demolished the temporary constructions from that slum.
Suddenly it is peace everywhere and only sound of flowing wind is there.
Those beautiful eyes of Smita Patil are back on the screen.
Camera goes down and goes very close to her face and slowly covers only her eyes. Sound of drum beats is played in the back ground.
Dhum Dhum Dhum……….
After some moments, her void and still eyes make some movements and they turn toward the camera and expressions come in to them. It seems as if her sad eyes are expressing the feeling,“ I will survive in spite of all these hardships. If this is the cycle of my life then I am ready to accept this challenge”.
* * * * * *
Slums are by products of an uneven economy and uneven society where all people don’t get equal kinds of facilities since childhood. Basic things like education and health care are not available to all in same way and hence people getting lower quality education remain less skilled.
Slums can hardly be seen in small and developed nations where migration is either not there or if it exists then its quite controlled.
Slums are not only because of people living there but they are also because of other people living in the society.
To hate slums is like cherishing politics of few regional politicians who are filled with hatred toward people of other cast, state, religion, country etc.
Slums can not be removed without a thorough and big economic and social reform.
In an under developing and developing country government can not support the farmers by giving suitable subsidies as governments of developed nations give to their farmers. Governments of under developing and developing countries are helpless here as their hands are tied with the restrictions imposed by so many international organisations controlled by developed nations.
Even lower middle class people need domestic help but they don’t have resources to provide shelter of a roof to these people and they can not give much money also so from where these domestic helps come? They have to live in an area which they can afford and such areas are available in slums only. They can not afford to live in a village from where they have to spend many hours only in travelling to reach at work.
Facilities of cities, opportunities in cities motivate people to go to bigger cities and nothing is unnatural in it.
Many less rich or lower middle class persons going to Bombay under the dazzling allurement of film industry might be living life of slum dwellers during their struggling periods.
Slums are almost unavoidable evils in an uneven economy. If rural areas and villages are given same kind of facility which a city enjoys then perhaps migration will be reduced drastically.
* * * * * *
Chakra is the most authentic and sensitive film ever made in Hindi cinema on the life in a slum. Except two weak small flash back scenes, which show married life of Amma, film is an amazing biopic on the life of people living in a slum.
unlike fantasized nature of Danny Boyle’s Slumdog millionaire, Chakra is purely a sensitive film which creates some sensitive feelings and awareness toward realities of slum dwellers and film is quite rich in terms of entertainment quotient also.
Cinema will always remain indebted to the Late Rabindra Dharmaraj for making such a marvellous film.
Tags: Bhupendra, Chakra, Danny Boyle, Hridaynath mangeshkar, Jaywant Dalvi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Lata Mangeshkar, Madan Jain, Madhosh Bigrani, naseeruddin shah, nfdc, Rabindra Dharmaraj, Raj Kumar Santoshi, ranjeet chaudhary, Salim Ghouse, Satish Kaushik, Slum, Slumdog Millionare, Smita Patil, Suresh wadekar
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Nice post! I like your writing style a lot.
“There are many similarities between lowest and highest sectors of a society. If upper society’s living style knows no boundary as its not restricted by the morality which middle class owns then lower part of society is forced to opt many ways which w’d look immoral to middle class.”
I agree and share similar views.
@A Singh,
Thanks for your kind comment.
Have you already seen the film? If not search and watch it and enjoy the examples of pure acting in a pure atmosphere.
Great Post,well written.
Hope to catch this movie soon.
@cinemausher,
Thanks for comment.
If you have not watched it, search it and till then try to listen the music. If you are a music lover and you dont listen ” Ubee ankhon mein tooti huyee neend hai” in magical singing of Bhupendra then you will miss something precious.
Music should be available somewhere. Perhaps in Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s collective works.
RK veryyyy nicely written.It is truly a tribute to one of the most underrated films of the 80’s.You cannot even compare this to Slumdog…Slumdog was more of a fantasy film while Chakra was more real.I saw the film but never paid too much attention to the music.Now after your post I will watch it again.The image of Smita Patil staring with vacant eyes when the slums are being demolished remained with me long after I had watched the film.
@Anindya,
Thanks for comment. In last 29 years, it has happened few times only that songs have taken story on a higher level or they have represented the total philosophy of the film and Chakra is one such great example where lyrics have represented the solid base on which theme of film is based. They are part of the film and not patching work done for some irrelevant purpose or to exploit the music field.
If you have V CD/DVD/VHS, please pay full attention to the song as soon as it starts in the begining when Smita Patil goes on memory lane.
Please write more on other films like Mirch Masala,Salaam Bombay,Sparsh,Masoom.I really liked your writing.
@Anindya,
Chakra can not be compared with Slumdog Millionaire but SDM can be compared with Chakra.
Remember when Black was released it was compared with Sparsh which surely was much higher on sensitive side.
And life brings strange situations before the people. many people and I have some such friends, who were accusing Black for being less sensitive toward the real issues of deaf and blind people, are seen raising SDM on their heads.
Life surely tests authenticity of one’s sensibility and justified approach.
SDM is less or no sensitive toward the real problems and it has to be mentioned. Its a reference point. Because Chakra provides real sensitivity toward the real issues and it has entertainment also.
—
Mirch Masala, Sparsh, Masoom etc – Will surely write on such gems like films in future.
Rk- I haven’t seen the movie so far but after reading it I’m really looking forward to seeing it sometime soon.A great post which has brought out the effectiveness of the film very well.
@Sethumadhavan,
Only way to know the LOVE is to BE IN LOVE
Be the witness.
All the best for the search and happy watching.
Thanks for comment.
I remembering seeing part of the film on TV recently and being impressed with what I saw. I didn’t see the clip you have put up though and don’t see any clear reason why the scene needs to be a two minute long one except to tittilate the viewer?
@D&C,
First watch the film yourself and with full devotion and let film decides for you also. Titilation, litigation, mutation, permutation etc etc and all the ations can wait.
There may be other titilations for many.
Looka (Naseer) to Benwa (Ranjit Chaudhary) : lagta hai pack khali karna hee padega
Benwa : kya?
Looka: are tu nahin samjhega.
—-
Salim Ghouse making advances to his neighbour, a much older woman than him.
—
watch and there are many titilating things and decide yourself for what purpose they are kept in the film.
Dont forget its a film based on a novel.
After going through this post I wanted to watch this movie, went to a local shop to get DVD/VCD but it wasn’t available. Will have to look somewhere else.
I had got into a habit of watching these older classics after reading your posts on them. Loved that exercise, but the online store www.italkies.com from where i used to rent all these movies has closed down..what a shame..another account of recession hitting. Now i want to watch Chakra, not sure how i would be able to get hold of it
@Jahanpanah & Om,
I checked on Amazon. Its DVD (~ 10 $] seems to be available and its released by Shemaroo so your local Shemaroo dealer may arrange it.
It should definately be in film school’s libraries. when dont get in market, please check there also in case of such films.
Thanks sirji but I think I’ll try some other ways to get it before going to Amazon. :-)
I really like what you write, Rk. Simple yet meaningful. Have a great understanding of going beyond the what is depicted even what is is deep.
After reading this I dont think ill be able to watch this movie; till when not sure. the film’ll be depressing i think…
@Arthi V,
Depressing?
From B Gita to medical science, so many sources emphasize the fact, who has taken birth he will die, is it depressing?
BTW, film ends with
———————————————
Sar chupane ko chhaya nahin na sahee
Bas hee jayegee basti koi fir nayee
Apne hathon mein chakki hai baaki abhee
Zulm ke kaale Dere ukhad jayenge
Sah chuke hum bahut ab na sah payenge
Na sah payenge
Praan jaye magar ab to lad jayenge
Kaali raatoen ke peeche savera bhee hai
Koi sundar bhavishya tera mera bhee hai
———————————————–
Home, shelter, etc are man made things. Life is much bigger. Its beyond anybody’s catch.
The feelings inside that can not be expressed in words matter.
One can come out of the socio-political, economical circus created by man and society any moment, even if existing in same campus where circus is going on.
That freedom is important and that may come to anyone at a certain time in the life. Against all odds, morning can dispel darkness shadowing the mind and understanding and vision.
Its not depressing.
helpful in making aware about issues, yes it does that. so please watch and enjoy the quality.
one question
Is this movie based on novel of the same name by Jayawant Dalvi?
er.. sorry it is.