Disha- A simple movie that got me thinking

Watching a movie on a flight is a difference experience. It actually is a very up, close and personal encounter. I tend to focus more, listen intently and grab details which I might not have in a large auditorium with several other individuals sharing my screen space!

I watched "Disha" all over again after several years. I love this movie for it is a depiction of the true industrial revolution, urbanization and the impact it has had on lives of the "aam aadmi". It showcases beautifully and yet in detail the implications of the change and the impact of the failure of a democracy to have changed the life of a rural struggling farmer.

There are moments in this movie when reality hits you hard. It shows the frustrations of a man wanting to work hard, but having no means to work in a small village. He is at the mercy of chance to get work on a particular day. He then moves onto a city - Mumbai in the hope that the various employment options will change his life. He sacrifices his happiness by leaving a socially warm, rich life to struggle in a city away from his family. Mumbai the land for mill workers in the 70's and 80's attracted loads of rural folks and gobbled them up in ways you and I cannot even fathom. "Sone ki jagah hai lekin karvat nahin badal sakte. Sote hai shift mai!" This line pretty much describes the standard of living.

The madness of a man to change his fate is depicted brilliantly. He believes he can actually dig dig and dig to find water. He digs for 12 long years, most people call him crazy and one day he does strike water. The depiction of the scene and the madness captured is brilliant. The movie does not glorify anyone or preach change. It very realistically takes us through the lives of all these characters weaving a story around different kinds of realities that existed in the 70's and 80's. I loved the movie , the characters and the small details that brought about the depth of struggle and kept me glued to reality.
There is a scene where a couple wants to "make love" but need to drive their kids outside to sleep, there is a scene where a villager asks his wife to smoke a beedi and enjoy a few vices, there is a scene where dead machines showcase the redundancy of man! I recommend this movie to anyone who has an appetite for reality and social art house movies.  The movie has had a special impact on me and has made me want to understand more about the lives of people I rarely meet, individuals in rural India , individuals who are the majority of India! Someday I hope, I can make a film with this much depth, simplicity and brilliance.

I bow down Sai Paranjpaye!