Earlier in the year, I decided to catch up on some classic films made by master film maker Satyajit Ray. The resolve continues. It is wise to give some space between his movies so they sink in and you get time to think about them.
As more and more of the world seems to get materialistic, easily swayed by the flashy, glitzy urban lifestyle, watching these movies takes you to a ground level that is as earthy and real as it can get. It is life from a different viewpoint in every film. An eternal search for something elusive stays on with you long after the movie credits roll up. The sad truth is that years after the movies were made, the situation hasn't changed much for so many people. Yet there is hope.
I recently watched Teen Kanya, an anthology film, based on three stories by Rabindranath Tagore. It is the first part that I wish to talk about today. Postmaster, an approximately 45 minute film, set in a rural setting, is a moving story of a young orphan Ratan who forms a tender bond with the new postmaster. He is a city bred young man who uses his spare time to teach Ratan who cleans and cooks for him, to read and write. He also encourages her to sing and reads her poetry that leads her to love him like a brother. She cares for him when he falls sick but in the end, which you can watch here, things end abruptly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtm__gZqbnY
How Ray managed to get such a young girl to emote like she has in the film is beyond me. His fine touch as he shows her emotions is unparalleled. Nothing over the top, yet the look in her eyes, lonely tears shed by the water well while doing her chores, and the few things she says in the film stay with you long enough to make you feel restless. I felt hopelessly inadequate for a long time after watching the film.
The mind tries to find refuge somewhere, and in this case, it helped me connect two seemingly unrelated truths. The first is that there are so many such Ratans that need a family. The second - there are young souls with hearts of gold who are stepping up.
A friend had once shared something about his sister. Apparently, she always wanted to adopt a child. She kept her word. She got married and after having a child of their own, the young couple adopted a baby girl. They did their bit. It was so heartening to listen to that story. I stumbled upon a picture of mom with the kids and it was wonderful to see the little girl so secure, so comfortable.
The mind sought peace by connecting two dots, very different yet related in a cosmic sort of way for me.
As more and more of the world seems to get materialistic, easily swayed by the flashy, glitzy urban lifestyle, watching these movies takes you to a ground level that is as earthy and real as it can get. It is life from a different viewpoint in every film. An eternal search for something elusive stays on with you long after the movie credits roll up. The sad truth is that years after the movies were made, the situation hasn't changed much for so many people. Yet there is hope.
I recently watched Teen Kanya, an anthology film, based on three stories by Rabindranath Tagore. It is the first part that I wish to talk about today. Postmaster, an approximately 45 minute film, set in a rural setting, is a moving story of a young orphan Ratan who forms a tender bond with the new postmaster. He is a city bred young man who uses his spare time to teach Ratan who cleans and cooks for him, to read and write. He also encourages her to sing and reads her poetry that leads her to love him like a brother. She cares for him when he falls sick but in the end, which you can watch here, things end abruptly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtm__gZqbnY
How Ray managed to get such a young girl to emote like she has in the film is beyond me. His fine touch as he shows her emotions is unparalleled. Nothing over the top, yet the look in her eyes, lonely tears shed by the water well while doing her chores, and the few things she says in the film stay with you long enough to make you feel restless. I felt hopelessly inadequate for a long time after watching the film.
The mind tries to find refuge somewhere, and in this case, it helped me connect two seemingly unrelated truths. The first is that there are so many such Ratans that need a family. The second - there are young souls with hearts of gold who are stepping up.
A friend had once shared something about his sister. Apparently, she always wanted to adopt a child. She kept her word. She got married and after having a child of their own, the young couple adopted a baby girl. They did their bit. It was so heartening to listen to that story. I stumbled upon a picture of mom with the kids and it was wonderful to see the little girl so secure, so comfortable.
The mind sought peace by connecting two dots, very different yet related in a cosmic sort of way for me.
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