So I overheard
this rather interesting conversation today.
It so happened
that I landed up in a cab with a stranger in the front passenger seat. Cabs were hard to come
by today, and we were both headed in the same direction- the cab guy was
gracious enough to suggest that I hop on as well, (for he had taken on the
other guy first,) and the dark, lanky passenger nodded his agreement.
As soon as the
cab started the lanky boy in the front seat started fiddling with the newspaper
on the dashboard.
Ye aaj ka hai?
Nahin, kal ka.
Aaj ka nahin hai mere paas.
Arre, aaj ka
paper dekhne ka hai.
Kyun, kya hua.
Burma mein logon
ko kaat rele hain.
(Incredulous)
Acchha?
Haan, bahut logon
ko. Bacchon ko bhi nahin chhod rahe. Ek mahine ke bacche ka sar kaat dala. Usi
ke liye log jama hai Azad Maidan pe.
Acchha? Kyun maar
rahen hain.
Kya maloom, bahut
kuchh to gadbad kiya rahega.
Ye Burma kidhar
hai?
Nepal ke baju
mein.
Acchha. matlab
India mein hai?
Nahin. India mein
nahin hai. India mein Assam mein maar rele hain. Kaat ke phhenk rele hai.
Acchha? TV pe
dikha rahen hain ye sab.
Nahin, TV pe
kahan. Sab daba dete hain aisi khabar ko. Kahin nahin milegi, na TV pe, na
paper mein.
Cabdriver gets a
phone call- his mom has called to apprise him of the trouble at Azad Maidan,
and to ask him not to go there. He speaks to her, hangs up and relates the news
to us.
At this point, my
destination is near. Much as I would have liked to hear more of this
conversation between the very interesting passenger and the
simple, rather ignorant and easily believing cab driver, I had to ask the cab
to slow down. The lanky guy shuffled around as I paid up, he got out of the cab
and left without offering to share the fare. As I entered the building, I realized he was there in the
foyer, not ignoring me but not acknowledging either. We entered the lift
together, and got off at the 10th floor. On the way I stole a couple
of glances at him- there is something oddly familiar about him. He waits for me
to get out first. Chivalry, I thought, or has he just decided to let me lead
the way since I obviously know where I’m headed.
I was late, and
even though I was curious to at least ask his name, or check if he has come for
the screening, (in which case I would have asked him to come with me,) I just
rush through to the theatre. A minute after I find myself a seat, I see him
walk past and sit a few rows ahead. The first film has ended and the second one
begins.
'Have you seen
Harud? Its the best film on Kashmir yet, absolutely brilliant. Has convinced
me, if there was any doubt, that fiction is the way to go.'
A couple of years
ago a friend of mine who had made a documentary on the women of Kashmir, sent me this message. I mostly agree, though I also feel
that we live in a fool's paradise when we imagine that the films we choose to
be associated with make any difference at all. And yet, we go on believing.
Here’s another
film then, very different in style from Harud, and yet equally relevant. I hope
it does for farmers what Harud could or could not do for Kashmir.
Baromas
(from its facebook description)
Baromas is a
feature film in Hindi based on the Sahitya Academy award winning Marathi Novel.
The movie is produced by Sajith and Priyanka. The director is Dhiraj Meshram.
