A touching tale, but…
Movie Review
By Derek Almeida
Paltadacho Munis (The Man Beyond the Bridge)
Director: Laxmikant Shetgaonkar
Last Friday writer-director Laxmikant Shetgonakar’s internationally
acclaimed film ‘Paltadacho Munis’ was released in the State to local
audience for the first time…and the response was not as good as expected.
The film is a delicate and warm tale about a lonely man who takes in a
demented woman, much against the wishes of the community. Then he takes
her to bed, and matters get a lot more complicated after she gets pregnant.
The film, which is based on a book by Mahabaleshwar Sail, won the
critics award at the Toronto film festival in 2009 and recently bagged
the Grand Jury Prize for the best narrative feature at the 8th Annual
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2010.
Vinayak (Chittaranjan Giri) is a forester virtually condemned by the
department to look after a large swath of forest. His constant requests
for a transfer are turned down by higher ups. He undertakes his duties
with diligence. Alone, Vinayak pines for his lost wife who died in an
animal attack. His only interaction is with the labour force that tends
the trees, men at the market and an elderly lady whom he refers to as
‘mausi’ played by Prashanti Talpankar.
Life is quite mundane until he, one night, spots a seemingly demented
woman lurking near his quarters. Initially, he tries to drive her away,
but she is persistent. He first leaves food in a vessel for her to eat.
Next he forces her into the bathroom and gives her a bath, some of his
wives clothes and gradually a relationship build up. This sets the stage
for a clash between Vinayak and the local community.
Shetgaonkar’s strength lies in the fact that he never loses grip of the
narrative with actors coming and going but always pushing the narrative
forward. The flip side is that this approach leaves little room for
sub-plots, dramatic scenes, memorable lines or a touch of humour.
Besides, the audience is not told who the woman (Veena Jamkar) really
is, where she comes from, or the reason for her present condition.
The focus is kept on the two main characters at the expense of all
others. Shetgaonkar’s dependence on visuals and symbols to tell the
story results in poor dialogue lines and hence no other character really
develops as the film progresses. This poses problems because intolerance
of the community to Vinayak’s relationship is vital to the film.
The film, which runs at a rather slow pace, has some trying moments and
some warm ones. The intimate moments between Vinayak and the woman are
handled with great sensitivity with Shetgaonkar stopping short of going
abroad.
Another touching scene is when ‘mausi’ crosses the bridge for the last
time leaving Vinayak alone on the other side. But overall, the film is
more cerebral than a play of emotions, and yet a little heart warming.
‘Paltadacho Munis’ is definitely not a ‘multiplex’ film. It is not
something made for a target audience. It is a simple film about a simple
man who is forced to react when posed with a change in circumstances.
However, for the first film, Shetgaonkar has shown that he has a grasp
of the medium, a rare talent for telling stories and a potential to
scale greater heights. His greatest challenge in the future will be to
keep a balance between the narrative, interesting dialogue and
simultaneously create lasting characters. Even the best of directors
lose their way along the path to making great films. (ENDS)
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First published in Gomantak Times, Goa - May 25, 2010
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