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Bioscopewala

Image Courtesy: Indian Express Website

Some 10 years back, I read a book titled "Short stories by Rabindranath Tagore". One of the stories in the book was "Kabuliwallah". The story was very short but it had all the ingredients a story needs. The emotions, the laugh, the humour, the hatred, the love, etc. It was a story of a man from Kabul, who used to sell the nuts and raisins he use to bring from Kabul, Afghanistan. Set in late 1800s or early 1900s it had all the emotions before the India was freed from the British Rule. The story is narrated in such a way that you can literally feel the streets of Calcutta. The story takes you through the relationship between Kabuliwallah and the sweet girl named Mini who he meets while selling his nuts and raisins. The relation between both of them is warm and friendly. One day when father of Mini sees police taking away Kabuliwallah in the jail and is charged for a murder. After completing his jail term (mostly 10-15 years or so) when the Kabuliwallah returns, he is shocked to see that Mini getting married and that she does not recognize him. The Kabuliwallah, have a daughter back in Afghanistan who would be same as the age of Mini. When the Kabuliwallah finds out that Mini no longer recognizes him, he leaves the place and take Mini's dad's advice to return to Kabul, to his daughter. The name of the Kabuliwallah was Rahmun. Being a very short story, it was really a good read and I would have read it at least 10 times. The story touches your heart and make it ache.

Today, I watched the film Bioscopewala inspired by the characters from "Kabuliwallah". The film is set in current era and explores the start of Taliban Rule in 1990s in Afghanistan. The "Bioscopewala" portrayed by Danny Denzongpa (Rehmat Khan) is awesome. The story explores the relationship further between father-daughter (both Mini Basu -Roby Basu and Rehmat Khan-Rabiya). The narratives of Wahida (Tisca Chopra) and Gazhala (Maya Sarao) reminds of how the it was difficult to deal with Taliban Rule started in Afghanistan. The communities from all over Afghanistan crossed the border to Pakistan and after that to India through Kashmir. The exploitation of one Afghani businessman who had crossed the border sometime back and is running a boxing club-cum-brothel for women shows how the people taking refuge from other countries are falling prey to their own people. Back in Afghanistan, Rehmat Khan runs a small theater in a small village not very far from Kabul. He stays with his family in that village and depends upon the earnings from his cinema. The films he show is naturally from India. A happy family till the Talibanis reach there. Rehmat Khan is made devoid of his business and the Talibanis burn-down his small theatre to set an example on the consequences of going against the Taliban rule. Still, after burning his films and projector, Rehmat Khan does not lose hope and creates a bioscope from the burnt films. He roams around in the other villages showing the children and people the famous songs such as "Mera Joota Hai Japani", "Ina Meena Deeka", and "Mera Naam Chin-Chin Chu" and other romantic melodies from Bollywood films. One day, he is caught by Talibanis in a village and is threatened to shut-down his business or would lose his daughter. Rehmat Khan crosses the border and comes to Calcutta leaving his family behind hoping that the Talibanis will spare his daughter and his wife. The rest of the story is borrowed from Kabuliwallah. Rehmat Khan is termed for 10 years imprisonment for the murder of the Afghani businessman (boxing club-cum-brothel wala). Before his imprisonment term is over, some Naxalites break the prison and Rehmat Khan escapes. Rehmat Khan straight away comes to Mini's house to meet her. Rehmat Khan sees the Mini on the staircase of the house but does not recognize her nor Mini recognizes him. Roby Basu immediately informs police and Rehmat Khan is again arrested. During the short meeting, Rehmat Khan shows a piece of cloth on which he have carefully taken Rabiya's fingerprints and Mini's fingerprints side-by-side. He asks Roby Basu to not lose the piece of cloth. Roby feels so embarrassed for calling the police and again handing over Rehmat Khan to him. Son after the release of Rehmat Khan, Roby plans a trip to Kabul in search of Rabiya, but unfortunately the plane he is travelling crashes near Karachi and Mini is being called from Paris. Mini after learning all this, reaches Kabul and finds out that Rabiya is dead. She returns to India with grief and shows the images she had taken in his village. Rehmat Khan now very weak and diagnosed with Alzheimer's goes near his bioscope and shows the videos of Rabiya to Mini. The film ends here.

The film ends; but as the taste of sweets we eat after meal lingers on out tongue, the film lingers in the our mind. The acting of Danny Denzongpa and Geetanjali Thapa at last remains. While Mini travels to Afghanistan, Rehmat Khan is admitted to hospital because he is found unconscious to Mini and Bhola. Mini meets Wahida, Gazhala and other people in this twisting journey of Rehmat Khan. Mini remembers bits and pieces of her memory with Rehmat Khan while she was in school. Their first meeting, how Rehmat Khan saves Mini from the riots, how she names her doll, etc. The expressions of Rehmat Khan are so natural and so intense, it feels that Mini is really his daughter. He makes us feel how special a relationship between daughter and father should be. The film revolves around Geetanjali Thapa and she has given a good justice to the her role. The cinematography of the film is great especially the scenes in Afghanistan. It makes us feel about how the Taliban Rule would have been. The deserted villages and highways, the destroyed houses and buildings, the facades, etc. Completely deserted country. Makes us feel so fortunate, that we are not at least under these circumstances. We are very safe and secure in our country. Tears roll down the eyes watching the last scene, where Rehmat Khan asks Mini to peep into Bioscope and he shows the pictures of Rabiya dancing to the local tune.

The film ends and does not go away from the memory and remains still imagining what Rehmat Khan have been thought when he left behind his family. Kudos to the director Deb Medhekar and the team members worked on this film.

Do watch if you get it. I watched it on Star Gold Select.