'Black’, the film craft deftly by Sanjay Leela Bhansali is yet another attempt by him in making a film surrounding the issues of disabled persons. The first film in this genre being 'Khamoshi', almost a decade back. Bhansali’s films are entrenched firmly within the context of innate human emotions, be it a blockbuster like 'Hum Dil de Chuke Sanam' or the magnum opus 'DevDas'. At the outset, it could be emphatically said that he is one of the talented filmmakers or a fine craftsman whom Hindi cinema has produced in the contemporary era. His stories revolve around love, sacrifice et al-with out which human relations are incomplete.
I had the pleasure of watching his latest cinema 'Black' over the weekend. The story revolves round a 9 year old girl, little McNally, who is deaf and dumb and struggling with life in total isolation amidst her own family, striving to experience the niceties of life and bounties of nature. Then,a stubborn, but a gifted teacher Debraj Desai who is firm on achieving what he aims for.Desai is engaged by the McNallys to bring light into little girl's life. It is no mean task and the teacher in his own way succeeds in making a fine young lady out of the little girl. So far so good, but as fate would have it, the teacher himself would get affected with Alzheimer's disease. Thus forgets his past. Now it is the turn of young McNally to eventually get her teacher back to life, by doing similar exercises, which the teacher does to her in her formative years. To experience life with human touch and to bring in a new herald. The characters played by Rani Mukherjee,the queen bee of Bollywood and the mighty Amitabh as McNally and Debraj Desai are awesome. The performances are simply fantastic. Though it is not the usual box office film, neverthless it is a film for all.
But there are certain hitches as well, the film is set in the highlands of Europe probably and the young girl hails from the rich strata of the society. If I am not being common man centric or anti-bourgeois for a moment, it is of common logic, how many families having differently abled persons as members could afford to hire a teacher for a lifetime? How many committed teachers can we find in today's world, despite being hired for a wage, discard it for a cause for a lifetime? It is not being written by being whimsical, but it just to highlight the fact of life. Would it not be more appropriate for Bhansali to make the film in a 'contemporary middleclass setting’? Then the message of the film could conveyed in a much more stronger manner, because people with physical challenges and others also will then be able to relate the problems to their own life. They may draw a message or two.
But undoubtedly, though the usual colors of Bhansali's craftsmanship is replaced by black and white surroundings, still the appeal is aesthetic.
But any takers for the other side view? I believe there would be many, just waiting for a platform to express. May we see more of such films on social, psychological issues in times to come.