7th A.K.Ramanujan Annual National Paper Reading Contest 2017
Parallel Cinema In India As Movement:Do Bigha Zamin & Bhavni Bhavai
Ami Sojitra
M.A. part 2
Department of English,MKBU
amisojitra23@gmail.com
Abstract
Parallel cinema gives voice of marginalized identities, subaltern and the subjects – the victims of the hegemonic structures within society. The purpose of parallel cinema is not entertainment but awakening. Industrial revolution, social awareness, caste and class, economic disparity, politics, migration from village to city, broken family, development of technology, middle class and their problems, materialistic minds etc. are represented in parallel cinema. The locations as well as the language gave the touch of reality. Everything was represented without glamorization of the
things.
Do Bigha Zamin (Hindi film) and Bhavni Bhavai (Gujarati Film) are well known in the realm of parallel cinema. The reality of the Indian society, which subjected particular identities to the hegemonic structures supported by culture and tradition, is very well captured in these films. Industrial revolution has played a vital role in the economic development of the country but it has also made a disastrous impact on the agrarian society.
Migration and poverty seems similar things in both the films. Bhavni Bhavai seems like film cum stage performance. Social issues widely prevalent in India like untouchability, poverty, education, politics, landlord and farmers are portrayed with deep nuances in both these films. Bimal Roy and Ketan Mehta made sensible use of the language of camera to narrate the story of
resistance and subjugation.
The aim of this paper is to explore how camera angles, focus, long shots and close ups captured
the texture of the struggle of marginalized identities against cultural hegemony.
Key Words:
Politics, Economical disparity, caste and class, reality and imagination, migration,
untouchability, hegemony, subject, subaltern
Parallel Cinema In India As Movement: Do Bigha Zamin & Bhavni Bhavai
Bengal was the first state to be colonize by the British. They have started to rule over India from Bengal. Most of the revolution took place in Bengal and in the initial stage of Indian film industry(Bollywood) Bengali directors have been played vital role in the development and the progress.
It was the time when drama and written material like poem, novel, stories etc. were only the source of knowledge and entertainment. As from the time of Shakespeare only stories of high class people who have a power position used to be the hero of the story even our most of the myths also support this argument.The language must be ornamental because elite people used such language which comman man can not speak.
As the Indian film industry was established in India, the theme was to go back to your roots, Initial films were about myths and Indian great history. Film is an instrument of entertainment but some of the time film become more than only the source of entertainment. film is an audio visual medium so anyone can enjoy the film.So the film makers are not always the deep thinkers they are just story tellers. The story which may provide entertainment, it made us laugh or sad, it gives relief or disturb the audience.
According to Rabindranath Tagore:
"Form in art changes according to the means it uses, I believe that the new art that could be expected to develop out the motion picture has not yet made it appearance. In politics we are looking for independence in and they must do the same. Every art seeks to find its on Independent manner of expression within the world it create; otherwise it's self expression is undefined for the lack of confidence in itself......No creative genius has yet arrived to deliver it from in bondage. This act of rescue will not be easy, because in poetry, painting and music the means are not expensive, where as in the cinema, one need not only creativity but financial capital is well."
Thus, film is not only about creativity it is also about money or finance. Some of the time producers may fail to produce such a kind of film because lake of technology or maybe lack of finance. The film "Sayrat" is the best example that what the producers can do with the film if they have a financial support.
We can divide cinema into two types
1) Dominant cinema
2) Counter cinema
Dominant cinema have been made for entertainment purpose. Basically the cinema is medium of entertainment which is based on fiction and gives aesthetic pleasure to the audience. The things used to represent with the glamorization. Popular cinema can be considered as a dominant cinema. Counter cinema is also entertain the audience but it has real story. it's based on reality which may be fails to entertain the audience but the cinema have more than entertainment. The things used to represent with the nude reality. Art cinema or parallel cinema can be considered as a counter cinema.
Parallel Cinema:
One movement occurred in Indian cinema which was leaded by such directors and producers like Bimal Roy, Satyajit Ray, Ketan Mehta, Ritwik Ghatak,Raj Kapoor etc. have been introduced some avoidable part of India behind The Great Glory parts. The unheard voice was raised in parallel cinema. The glory of India is the various culture languages of the people which was reflected in Kotadi or the rural spaces.But generally in the great stories these things used to hide behind the curtain.
Cinema is not always only made of dialogues but it has meaningful frame, eye of camera, light-dominant, action, location and background music,Pause, Slow motion and fast motion which suggest more than dialogues and action. Popular cinema have also used this but parallel cinema has used this all in sensational way. Some of the time the frame suggest more than describe in the picture.
Cinema used to describe every descent things and if it is not that than it will be cover up by glamor. Most of time the brite part of country shown more brighten in the cinema. But the parallel cinema has focus the upon the dark and the gray part of country. The things which may provide entertainment and it gives feeling of relief or the reality will disturb the mind. Those who have money and power have been never at the side of victims may they never feel that so it was always voidable part of them and without feeling of such a pain one may not understand.
In parallel cinema, camera watched the things from both side and then audience can decide or give the judgment. Parallel cinema has been focused on the small corner of the India it maybe corner of a small village of Gujarat or the corner of Calcutta. Parallel cinema in India were produced after the Independence. After the exploitation of 200 years how the Indian looks is described in the most of the parallel cinema. Not the people are exploited by British but now their own people have started to rule and again poor become worst.
On other side the growth and progress of town and city where industrialization has attract the people from villages so the migration from City to village in some of the film is describe positively while some film have described disastrous impact of industrialization and migration. Film like Manthan shows how people of rural are uneducated and their life, politics, Social awareness, life of women, untouchability is shown in Bhavni Bhavai and Achhut Kanya, and industrialization, power, hegemony, subaltern, subjectivity represented through Do Bigha Zamin and other social issues were highlighted by parallel cinema.
Two films Bhavni Bhavai(Gujarati Film) and Do Bigha Zamin(Hindi Film) are such films which have been covered many issues of the time. Both are kind of intermingled with each other.The movement of Parallel Cinema is carried out in these two films.
Do Bigha Zamin:
Do Bigha Zamin(1953) is directed by Bimal Roy who is Bengali director. The film talk about landlord and agrarian society, politics, industrialization, subaltern, hegemony, economical disparity which are captured in camera and made a meaningful cinema.
The protagonist Shambhu stands for the poor farmer who are just so called farmer without having land and have been exploited by the landlords. The educated people of the town were worst in the nature and feel superiority on these backward people. Rather than helping them they used to harass them and being unfair to them. This is something like Franz Fenon has described in his essay 'Black Skin White Mask' that those who are educated and learn English mannerism behave differently with white people and other Negro.' He used the phrase 'Educated elite' and here the landlord of the village is one of the people who live in the village but he become rich through the money of others. Here when the group of people come for watching the land and conform the deal gave dream to he landlord. Here the landlord is someone who knows the western mannerism and so he behave with villagers like they are fool.
Shyam Benegal has been noted:-
“During the colonial period, Indian films often dealt with subject that shows Indian tradition as being threatened by the corrupting influence of Western culture. Colonialism and Westernization were projected as being synonymous and therefore, inimical to Indian Social tradition. Villains tended to wear Western clothes. Even in Hero v/s villain situation it was always the villain who was westernized,depraved and perverse"
In the film The group of people visit the village and they decide to established the mill. They gave beautiful dream of electricity, job and the lifestyle of people will be increase due to earn money from job in Mill. It look decent and the person who came to meet landlord have been weared western clothes and his character was described in negative way as Shyam Benegal has been said. As Shabhu has been gone to Calcutta and here he has struggled more but his life become worst after hard work. Parvati came to Calcutta and she experienced the worst side of the city while in the village people have beautiful dream about the city. They talk like, in the city money is in the air catch them and become rich. But As the things of Shambhu which he carried from village was stolen by someone and he realize about life in city.Parvati met an accident with car is also stand for harsh and urban life just like western Life.
Here the protagonist use the word 'Sarkar' for the landlord and there are two meanings of 'Sarkar' first is 'Government' and 'my lord' through the symbol of landlord it was satire on government. The government is doing work on the money of common people who payed the tex and here the landlord earn from the hard work of poor farmers.When Shambhu come with money to pay the landlord behave cruelly and also told him for court.
When poor farmers Shambhu came and describe his feelings for his land, the language has been used to like a selection of words. Some reality of agrarian society comes out from the mouth of Shambhu. Shambhu represent the subaltern who have not raised their voice. Even in the court also he fails to argue against educated people. During the whole film the fight of protagonist against nature, society, life, Dragon of industrialization and at the end with his luck in which he fails that disturb the audience.
Migration from village to city to earn money was kind of Movement in India during the time of film but the reality of the city where its not anyone's cup of tea to survive. Humanity represented through the poor people. They used to help each other like Lalu Ustad help Kanhaiya and Rani gave shelter to Shambu.
According to Partha Chatterjee,
"Bimal Roy's portrayal of women with sensitive and if we will and understanding of their hearts and Minds uncommon in Indian cinema"
When Shambhu left village Parvati was crying and also mothering natural of Rani gave him shelter was described in the film. Even when Kanhaiya have fever the old lady take care of him. Two girls to whom Shambhu used to carry to the school were portrayed in such obedient daughter of India. Where girls learn to sacrifice from the childhood.It is also satire on Indian community. Here people live in joint family no doubt it make the sense of teamwork but in Indian culture it is something different.
Leemamol Mathew and Sony Pallissery has written in the research of poverty. shame and social exclution,
" Though India has relatively small adult population; the condition of elderly person are not the prosperous due to the absence of formal, social security system.Often an elderly people depends on Children and immediate friends for physical mental and financial support. In India there are many elderly who don't have enough food, medicine and shelter. In the film Do Bigha Zamin Sambhu's father finally has a mental broken down and is seen wondering in the street. He fears he will lost the remaining land unless his son bring good amount of money to repay the debit he has taken from rich landlord."
Even Kanaiya has also started to work to help his father. The economical disparity is not only limited to the film or that time but in present time also its still there in the society. As described in the figure-2 through the frame of woman who was applying make up on her face and sweating body of Shambhu whose face was highlighted and the man at the side who is riding bicycle is watching him and at the corner one fellow who was walking also watching them who looks very poor and just like in the search of employment.
The another thing to be focused in that the film is the language which is not performed but it's like a language of the person who belongs from some particular community. Language of Lalu Ustad, the person who ask landlord for the land, Kanhaiya, father of Shambhu and the girls to whom Shambhu used to give rides,they all have a different languages. Not only the words but the tone is also differs from the person to person. Some of the time the film has selection of words which directly appeals to the heart of the audience.
The name of the characters reminded the great myth of Shiva. Shambhu is another name of Shiva and Parvati is wife of Shiva. While thier son Kanhaiya point out the myth of god Krishna. Shambhu and Parvati believe in honesty while as per the nature of Krishna here also Kanhaiya took the money from his pick pocketer friend like god Krishna and his friends used to steal butter. Shambhu went to Calcutta to earn money and leave his wife behind in the village like when Shiva used to go on hardwork for betterment of people and at that time Parvati used to live alone at home.
The frame and the eye of camera have been filled the empty spaces between dialogue and the action. Camera has been gone inside the room of poor man and also focussed on the big bridge of city. The camera has been seen the things from the different perspectives. As mentioned in figure-1 for the people who sit on the hirarchy, used to see others who are at the bottom as only group and group never have faces. The identity of the person is vanished and only they remain as group.
Some of the frames of the film Do Bigha Zameen are very important to be noticed which can be described as below:
Figure 1 The camera is seeing from the side of these high class people. The space between them shown the Distance.
Figure 2
The perfect frame which shows economical disparity. Lasy is applying make up on her face and Shambhu was sweating because of carried hand cart. On his side one man was riding bicycle and looking at them.
Figure 3
The agriculture was covered by industrialization. May the the industrialization made wall between farmer and the land just like the land is now not in the hand of farmers.
Bhavni Bhavai(1980)
Bhavni Bhavai is the film directed by Ketan Mehta in 1980. The plot was located in the small village of Gujarat and the film is narration of king and his story by some untouchable people.The focus area film is untouchability, satire, politics, imagination v/s reality,traditions etc.The film have touch of reality at the every point.
The title of the film is 'Bhavni Bhavai' and here the word Bhavai means street play. Asait Thakre has been established these kind of street plays which used to perform at the night time in the village. Generally it tells the story of great warier, king, myths, gods etc. Through Bhavai they used to entertain the people and introduce great history of India and some of the time they used to pass some moral message among the society.Here when the film begins the background music is taken from the original Bhavai.
The most noteworthy thing of the film is action and reaction, framing and dialogues which creates such harmonic atmosphere. The film is satire on politics and untouchabilty. The plot is not about the great king who fight in the war and a great warrier, in any condition he must be capable to control the situation is seems like a fool and so innocent people have to suffer.
The character of king is symbol of Andher Nagri Gandu Raja.. The most of the decisions used to taken by the other courtiers because king was fool. The name of the King Chakrasen(world ruler) is totally opposite from his character because when there was war rather than going on battlefield and fight against the enemies he stayed at home and enjoying the time. Even Jivo(life) is like a cursed. He born as prince but his luck has leaded him towards his death. He lived life as untouchable and without committing any kind of crime he was forced to death. From none of the angle he was “Batris Laxano” and here on that myth of Indian society the directors made deep satire.
On the name of caste and class as well as untouchability the one who is marginalized have to keep mum and just sacrifice everything. The film begins with Migration of untouchable from village to city and they stayed at one place where the elder person told the story and it was narrated like Bhavai(Street play). The worst situation of subaltern is described through the character of Jivo and other untouchable people.
According to Shyam Benegal,
" Tradition in popular Indian cinema is not the reality but an ideal.It has been sanitized, concerning itself not with the harsh realities of caste, untouchability, gender discrimination in the varieties of feudal economic oppression that exist in traditional society, but rather to evokes a nostalgic sentiment and sense of belonging to the uncertainty of tradition. The idea of inviolability of the family-sacrificing oneself for the family is considered the highest virtue."
And the name of tradition some of the time people were exploited a lot and on the name of virtue,sacrifice for family or country is known as martyrs. The sacrifice of Jivo considered as a martyrdom but here he doesn't want to die but he was forced by king and later on by family. For water in step well he have to sacrifice himself so others can live happy life. He has asked one question at the end which may disturb the audience. He has asked,
"my head goes this way
my rest was that way
which side will be I on?"
It disturb and make audience think about existence of human being. Human being always have a search of self existentialism. suits to connect it with the question of Jivo.
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak has been asked 'can subaltern speak?' the film has given voice to them but still film has fine answer and it's show the state of upper class when Jivo put some of the conditions and if king will accept than he will surrender himself. King was discussing with others and one of them said,
"Even if we accept the conditions we know how to crush them down"
According to Vidyarthy Chatterjee'
"If Ketan Mehta has chosen to retire from film making after Bhavni Bhavai, he would still have been remembered for long as a major director, such was the strength, skill and subtlety of his first film. Bhavni Bhavai left the audience speechless with its then 28 year old director Ketan Mehta's daring innovative style, its formal experimentation, its visual richness, the hilarious, energetic performances of its leading players, and its deeply moving story which could be easily followed despite its disinterest in linearity. The film is radical as much in form as in its politics.”
The technique of two ending gave choice rather to choose happy end or tragedy.The film can be consider as tragedy as well as comedy but one must not only focus on the narration of the story but when the film begins they were going somewhere. They wre exiled from their own home. Here untouchability is not represented the way it was on the time of Gandiji bcause here not a single person have sympathy for subaltern. The king was greedy and also kind of cruel. Because he ordered to kill the child so he can live a longer life as astrologer have been suggested. The first end given by the narrator gave relief to audience as it was happy ending but the second looks realistic and just like Franz Kafta said 'Axe for the frozen sea within us'.
Action and reaction is something to be noticed throughout the film. Economy of the kingdom is reason behind the foolish King the scene like declared but himself he was not capable to pull his own sword. The narrator described the king was crying because he doesn't has son and just after that was bathing by milk which is totally opposite from the character of king which was narrated the old person. When the news of Queen's pregnancy declared by the lady which symbolized the new life and just after that, the mourning of group of women suggest the death of the person. The king has punished untouchables because they were busy on attending marriage so they have not cleaned the palace. One of them was dead. All those scenes were intermingled with each other and its combination of opposition and satire.
Life and death, the king and queen, tears and milk were satirized in the film and the directors have been given this opposite action to them. With the help of these scenes may the director do not need to elaborate everything but the sequence of the action is enough capable to represent the satire.
In the film the word 'Vaas' shows two meanings. The first one is for 'bad smell' and the another is 'the place where untouchable people used to live at the outside of the village'. Ranglo made satire on the king as he said about the bad smell,
'This is our own shit that smells'
The sentence looks very simple but here it is game of words. As per the idioms-'As you sow so shall you reap' the king has not done any work for the people who live in the kingdom. Even the last scene of the film has footage of the time independent. It was there for symbolic representation. People thought that Independence is the end of every problem but the real war begins after the independence. When people of the village went to city they have dream of end of every problem but actually it was the beginning of real problem. Here in the town the person have to fight with himself.
The myth and history are something which never ends. They used to repeat on again and again. As Karl Marx has been said,“History repeats itself, first as tragedy second as farce” The history was represented through the film but the tone of the film was comic.
In the film when the king was discussing about the conditions of Jivo with others one of argument raise to kill him forcefully and on that time one argument says,
'If we will kill him than martyr become myths and
it is difficult to kill myth than man'
Here they were also taking care of the things after the death of jivo and it reminds the dilemma of Hamlet when he saw the king Drunken was praying and he has chance to kill him and here rather than action he thought that,
Now might I do it but, now ’a is a-praying;
And now I’ll do’t—and so ’a goes to heaven,
And so am I reveng’d. That would be scann’d:
A villain kills my father, and for that
I, his sole son, do this same villain send
To heaven.
Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge.
’A took my father grossly, full of bread,
With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May,
And how his audit stands who knows save heaven?
But in our circumstance and course of thought
’Tis heavy with him. And am I then revenged,
To take him in the purging of his soul,
When he is fit and season’d for his passage?
No”
They thought that "if water will come out from the step well after the sacrifice of Jivo than also he must become famous on the name of the king but if they forcefully killed him than he will become immortal. So they choose the middle way."
The whole film is story of one night. From which angle the story was told that decide the victims and hegemony. Post colonials has started to look from the side of victims and the story changed. Aime Cesaire has told the story from mouth of Calliban while for Shakespeare the white man was doing was adventure. Even Daniel Defoe has also written 'Foe' to give voice to Friday in 'Robinson Crusoe'
Here both of the films have plot which were revealed the Post colonial perspective. The marginalized and the one who always forced to keep quite get voice and their pain was captured in the camera and it has given life to those deadly area of the country.
