Fandry!

Living in Mumbai for almost 2 years now, my only interaction in Marathi happens on a daily basis when I converse with the "Maushis" in the canteen. I make it a point to ask them in Marathi 'kasa aahis tumi?'  and sing the only marathi song I know (Apsara Aali!) :-)
If nothing, it makes them giggle and jabber in marathi with each other (apparently making fun of me!) but nontheless, in return, they sometimes they give me free stuff and let off the currency change in case I don't have it. I am quite happy with the little arrangement we got there.

But I finally decided to watch a marathi movie and a good opportunity came today when one very famous movie of Marathi in recent days, Fandry was showing in the nearby screens. The ticket prices were also quite low as apparently the government has forsaken the taxes for promotion of Marathi film industry.

Fandry was released last year, travelled to many national and international film festivals, was released theatrically on 14th Feb a.k.a. Valentine's Day. It's only apt because the movie talks, among other things, a love unattainable!

Based in a dusty & arid village in Marathwada, the movie is about a 12 year old boy from an untouchable caste and his family headed by a man who does odd jobs in the village among which killing pigs (considered untouchable creatures) is one.

The movie takes us through the innocent love budding up in the boy for a upper caste girl in same school and keeps a beautiful and simple love letter for her. The wordings of the letter sound so pure and naive that only the very first love can generate.

The concept of purity and pollution which is the basis of caste system has been brought out really well in the movie. At times, the scenes are so intense that they actually make you feels squeamish. The deplorable treatment by one person for another belonging to lower caste has been brought so subtly, and yet so painfully.

The presence of 'Black Sparrow' in the movie was metaphorical for me. For the boy, it meant as a way to gain the girl but it also signified that elusive thing we all search for that would break away the shackles in the jail of our minds, our world. That intense desire of freedom, breaking free, was beautifully and realistically captured through a dream sequence.
The climax scene has all the elements of a thriller. It makes you want something majestic, something grand to happen. something that will lessen the 'kheej' (can't find the right word in english for it!) to dissipate.
And it doesn't disappoint :)
I loved the ending, though there can be a whole new story post the climax.

As the movie ended, I was taken back to the time when we were told about Casteism and Brahmanism in the class room. Through  this movie I realized that how internalization of centuries of repression has made some people that they are & then we talk about 'merit' should be the criteria and not caste!

On the whole, the movie experience was awesome! An evening well spent :)

If any of you get a chance, do watch the movie at least once!