Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi

I know I am getting stuck up on this but it has to be the best film of the year so far and also one of the better ones that I have seen.Riding high on a brilliantly written narrative it scores highly on so many counts that you lose count of it after a time.It took me back to the turbulent,confused and revolutionary world of 60s and 70s.The movie is about three people,their aspirations and their lives as the social order crumbles around them and how they chose to react to it and by the end of a gripping tale you get to know if they changed the way things were or they changed themselves.

The cast comprising of Kay Kay Menon,Chitrangada Singh and Shiny Ahuja complement each other brilliantly as they set about their lives guided by a set of values that crashes headlong against the acclivities of a fast changing political scenario of an extremely debauched society. Kay Kay is as usual brilliant without being noticeable.He is the one who believes in bringing in the change that his country could do with while Shiny Ahuja is on the other side of the fence who believes in wriggling his way to the top through any means necessary and represents the segment of society that tries to live off it instead of trying to change it. Chitrangada Singh,predictably the love interest of both, is the one who has to choose her way yet.She has to decide the path she walks and she needs reason for the same.

The film opens brilliantly and picks on pace with time.The events are spread out but at the same time connected through the recurrent theme of the youths yearning for a change.Although brilliant in entirety,three scenes stood out , each involving one of the main casts.The first one has KK smiling when he sees a group of villagers thirsting to chop off a zamindar's son's balls to avenge his misdeeds.As he recounts this experience,he is shown standing away from the mad crowd but smiling at the encouraging signs of an impending revolution.Its a brilliant scene done simply and it is followed by a perplexed side of his when he realizes that even though the villagers were angry a moment ago they became friendly with the zamindar the moment he is taken ill.He admits he cannot comprehend that strange compassion.Traces of left melting into a middle path.A scene with infinite interpretations.

The second scene that was a steal was when the leading lady shouts at a village thanedaar in Bihar for his atrocities.Though it seems routine the way she handles it makes for a rivetting watch.The third scene is right at the end when Shiny Ahuja is being brutally beaten up by two policemen and even as he is wreathing in pain,they search for a revolver they had dropped in the grass.Its a gut wrenching scene seeing that guy wait for a brutal and cold impending death even as he rattles off his high connections in a voice that is almost choked with fear and pain.

The film ends on a sombre note with an ending that may not be as surprising as it is thoughtful.

I have always been fond of this piece of literature which is "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi " though I can't say I am capable of understanding even an iota of it.However it has always signified aspirations,dreams fufilled and dreams that remain so plus a lot more to me and I am happy that a movie based on it actually turned out this good.

Still waiting for my khwahishen to turn true !!!