*Past*Present*Future*. Review on Trikal

If Prahalad Kakkar becomes what he is today by polishing Shyam Benegal’s shoes, what could I do??? Anything man! So what’s with Kakkar these days? He sells Cuban cigars that are rolled on the bodies of Cuban virgins (if there were any!), practices Art of Living and of course makes Ad films! And what about Shyam Benegal??? The Shyam Benegal!!!I just love the movies he makes! They are so … so… any word I can think of will fall short of what I feel about his films! In 3 short words, I can say … HE IS GOD! Do I hear god saying, “Who am I?”

So coming back to what I intended, Trikal… a film about 3 generations, a film about the past, present and future, a film that I managed to see thrice!!! And no! It wasn’t because I couldn’t figure out the first 2 times!

Winner of National Award for best direction and costumes, invited to the London Film Festival; this 1985 film is what they call Middle Cinema, something that’s neither Parallel / Art nor Mainstream. Sounds a wee-lit-bit influenced by the Middle Earth funda to me! Call me ignorant, call me a LOTR freak, but that’s the way it is. Probably the thin red line comes in because of the couple of songs in the flick.

Song 1 featuring Alisha and Remo. Song 2 sung by Remo, I love the way the song happens, in true-blue Romeo style, a guy on his knees, red roses in his hand, singing (should I say lip-synching) himself hoarse, a bunch of musicians singing behind the bushes and Lady Love peeping out of the window! (Is someone listening? That’s supposed to be a clue!)

So what sets Trikal apart from Tridev, Trikon Ka Chautha Kon, Trilok Sundari, Trimurti, Trinetra, Trisandhya, Trishagni, Trishakti, Trishna, Trishul, Triveni Sangam, Triya Charitra or Triyatri?

The story, the flawless casting including the finest talent in Hindi films - Naseeruddin Shah, Dalip Tahil, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Anita Kanwar and Leela Naidu. Neena Gupta in an unforgettable role of an epileptic maidservant and of course Shyam Benegal!

Finally … the story!

Ruiz Pereira (Naseeruddin Shah), returns to Goa after ages, visits the old sprawling villa where he grew up and his memory goes into a rewind. (Don’t I love movies that run backwards?) Ruiz senses the drastic changes around him… a distinctly different Goa, a place that had changed his life forever! The old mansion still stands strong but visibly empty! Activity: Rewind! … That night in Goa, everything seems so real all of a sudden … the struggle, the tears, the laughter, the mourning, the lovelorn and wooing … all come wrenchingly alive for Ruiz.

Big crowd in black, supposedly mourning, loud music playing incongruously in the background … and who’s listening? The dead man’s wife, refusing to believe in what has happened! And the crowd is of course visibly appalled. Away from all this chaos, a world beyond, the ruins of the past, to the life and tragedy of Maria Soares and her three daughters. The eldest of them is a talk-to-me-and-I’m-ready-to-boohoo type. The middle one, a beauty anybody who’s somebody would fall for. (Btw, why do people keep arguing about the fact that you cant FALL in love, you only get uplifted???!!!)The third one, a foster daughter silently screaming … I’m pretty, I’m young, I’m a slave! Ruiz has a fascination tie! Not the one married to a drunken man, not the dame who is in love with a guy who’s been hiding since ages, so it’s got to be the only one left!

So why is the movie being called trikal? What’s the past, if this is the present and is there a future? Why is an image of Maria Souza-Soares family still lurking Ruiz? Will Ruiz’s reverie end as he steps out of the lifeless mansion? Watch Trikal to find out!

Going back to the 3 times I saw the movie… …

Take 1: I was probably a bit too young to make much sense of it! (I can hear someone saying, “You are never gonna grow up J!)

Take 2: Made more sense to me and I wanted to see it again… but somehow I felt that I still had missed out something!

Take 3: Delighted to see it yet again! This time enjoyed each scene, dialogue and underlying meaning… don’t mind seeing it one more time! Definitely a better watch than this current generation Karan Johar movies!

Last words on Trikal!

~~ Speechless! ~~