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iView Author: Sukhada Gokhale (USA)

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SUMAN by Madan Bavaria

This 16 min deceptively simple coming of age story of a 15 yr old village girl Suman, directed by Madan Bavaria in 1970, is a true gem of the old cinema. One should not be fooled by its simplistic appeal that skilfully hides the depth, charm, and intelligence of its images and construction.

In an age where cinema has lost its identity as a visual art form and is slave to the spoken word that mercilessly tries to explain everything; Suman takes us back to a nostalgic time in cinema where directors relied on the power of images to weave stories. An attribute that is singular only to cinema as an art form and should never be forgotten.

The film draws us into its lyrical images right from the first shot. The music adds to the sense of frivolity and playfulness. We begin to follow Suman as she wanders through fields and dusty village streets. We are intrigued by her free spirit and want to know her more. But the camera keeps its distance from her, almost like it was invisible, letting us sneaking into her intimate moments.

The director then carefully selects scenes which help create this vibrant, real and complex character. She is not just a one dimensional, timid village girl, but is a layered, constantly shifting young woman who is rebellious, kind hearted, childlike and innocent all at once. She also has her own unique sense of morality, wherein she finds no guilt in stealing from the God she loves so much to buy herself an ice-cream, only to give it up at the realization of her own cruelty, when she heartlessly stamps on a butterfly. These contradictions of moods and characteristics might take hours to capture on film or pages to write about and yet the director achieves this with a brilliant economy of shots. He does not explain or justify her actions, but merely lets us observe her. Needless to say, this makes Suman’s character so much more memorable and life like. The acting also helps create this realistic canvas wherein characters are celebrated for their spontaneity and imperfections. The lengthy shots allow them to be, giving them a sense of ease that theatrical acting rarely allows for.

Of course the big moment in the film is when Suman becomes aware of her youth- a certain loss of innocence that perhaps can only be best described through those contemplative shots. For the first time, Suman is stopped dead in her tracks and is ready to introspect. This realisation that after that day she might never be the same again, is a big moment in the character’s life and yet it creeps up to her ever so gently and unexpectedly. This ability to move characters and the audiences without resorting to sentimentality or overt explanations is what made Suman a good film for me. It was not my intention to turn my lazy Sunday afternoon into anything thought provoking or meaningful, but Suman left me with no option. It was the charm of the film that would not let me rest and I choose to write down my thoughts, instead of peacefully enjoying my afternoon nap. You can watch the film too, if you like, at the online festival at Culture Unplugged . You might find this and many more films that might inspire you just as I left inspired by Suman. Thank you to the festival for letting us see this little gem of a film.

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