Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
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Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, (2005) is an Indian movie made by director Sudhir Mishra in 2003, but released in 2005. Set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, the movie tells the story of three people in the 70s, when India was undergoing massive social and political changes.
It went to 12 film festivals in 6 months including Turkey, Estonia, River to River (Florence), Berlin, Edinburgh, Washington, India (Goa), Bite The Mango (Bradford), Commonwealth (Manchester), India (Los Angeles), Dallas, and Pacific Rim (California).
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[edit] Synopsis
The film opens in Delhi University with the story of three students, Kay Kay Menon (as Siddhartha Tyabji), Chitrangada Singh (as Geeta Rao) and Shiney Ahuja (as Vikram). It follows their lives over the next five years in a story of politics, love, and ambition. Shiney Ahuja's role has him as a pining lover one moment, a political fixer and a wheeler-dealer the next and ultimately a lover boy in the climax of the film. The film's socio-political statement retains the intellectual power and depth and is not overshadowed by the strongly emotional (almost sentimental) love story its woven with.
[edit] Plot
The movie deals with the aspirations of three protagonists - Siddharth, Vikram and Geeta. Siddharth is a driven revolutionary who dreams of bringing a revolution in the state of Bihar that will end the caste-based discriminstion there, bring social justice and change the society for the better. Vikram is the son of a Gandhian politician who has grown up in less comfort than Siddharth and Geeta but wants to climb the social ladder no matter what the cost. Geeta is a simple South Indian girl in love with the firebrand Siddharth. She is very sheltered, and clueless about what to expect from life. While she finds Siddharth's communist rhethoric attractive, she is not sure if she can whole-heartedly subscribe to it. And when Siddharth chooses his ideology over her, she is heart broken. Vikram is a middle-class boy who dreams of makig it big, whatever the cost. He is particularly afflicted by his father's Gandhian ideas, irratated and frustrated at the same time, and sees no greatness in his father's ideas. The movie begins with the three protagonists leaving college and heading towards their respective goals. Siddharth leaves for Bihar to bring about a revolution; Geeta leaves for Oxford to get a degree, and Vikram sets up an office in Delhi. A few years later, Vikram is a fixer in the power corridors of government, Geeta is married to a promising government servant who has it all, and Siddharth is still trying to foment a revolution. But all is not as it seems. Below the mask of happiness, each is quite unhappy. Vikram has 'made it', but he still cannot get Geeta, the love of his life. Geeta is married, but she still meets Siddharth on the sly, cheating on her husband. Siddharth has moved beyond simply trying to foment a revolution, and has started caring for the downtrodden so much so that he is prepared to delay a revolution because he feels that the people are not ready in spite of their saying otherwise.
[edit] Characters
The story revolves around three friends, Siddharth Tyabji (Kay Kay Menon), Geeta Rao (Chitrangada Singh) and Vikram (Shiny Ahuja) and how each tries to find his or her purpose in life.
Siddharth is the son of a retired judge, born and brought in in luxury and privilege. But he is attracted by the communist movement, especially the naxalite movement of West Bengal. He sees the social inequalities around him, and is convinced that a communist reveloution is the answer to all the problems. That he lives in wealth, smokes pot and and listens to western rock while espousing Lenin and Mao does not affect this decision — just as the class origins of many such revolutionaries that originate from similar circumstances in the real world are often similarly undeterred.
Geeta Rao, meanwhile, is from a middle class South Indian extended family. As such, she is a sheltered person. She is in love with Siddharth and his firebrand personality. But while she likes to hear him talk of revolution, she herself is not so sure about taking part in one. Vikram is from a middle class family, with a Gandhian father who is an idealist. Vikram is very ambitious, and wants to be successful, by hook or by crook. He is also in love with Geeta, but his love is not reciprocated.
Other characters playing a significant part in this film are Saurabh Shukla, Arif Zakaria, Yashpal Sharma, etc.
[edit] Cast
- Kay Kay Menon ... Siddharth Tyabji
- Chitrangada Singh ... Geeta Rao
- Shiney Ahuja ... Vikram Malhotra
- Yashpal Sharma ... Randhir Singh
- Saurabh Shukla ... Bihari Constable
- Anupam Shyam ... SHO Jhanda Singh
[edit] Crew
- Director:: Sudhir Mishra
- Story: Sudhir Mishra
- Producer: Rangita Pritish Nandy
- Music: Shantanu Moitra
- Cinematography: Aseem Bajaj
- Editor: Catherine D'Hoir
- Lyrics: Mirza Ghalib, Swanand Kirkire, Ajay Jhingran, Bhikhari Thakur
[edit] Trivia
- Shiney Ahuja won the Filmfare Best Debut Award for his performance.
