Amu

The DVD for Amu, a movie by Shonali Bose, was released yesterday.

This is great news. I saw the movie on the day of its release four years ago in Mumbai. I had no clue about what the movie was about and I must confess that I bought the ticket ONLY because there was Konkona on the poster. I am glad I made that decision, else I would have missed a great movie.

It was a bitter-sweet experience being inside the hall that night. On one level, there was happiness that the advent of multiplexes was providing a platform for new and lesser known directors. On another, it was sad to see only about 10-15 people in the hall. Shonali Bose was there too and I was trying to imagine her state of mind. After incubating the idea of this film for several years and then taking the trouble to actually make it, she had to see a sparse audience on the day of its release. Imagine, 1^st day, last show, 15 people to watch.

The movie itself is a deeply moving experience. In spite of the violent backdrop of the story, Shonali has dealt with the subject with subtlety and sensitivity. Konkona as always is outstanding. The movie is not just about the '84 riots of Delhi. The terrible riot and its aftermath on the common man become a character in the movie (like in Jack London stories, the cold climate becomes a character rather than remaining just the canvas.) And then the story becomes an interplay of a young girl's inquisitive mind and this character, which is her past, and hence a part of herself.

It brings to the surface some existential questions that all of us carry in our souls – Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I now? Where will I go from here?

Don't miss it.