How can you possibly illustrate this documentary in your
own way when there are no set standards of cultural dogma that stands more on
grounds for moral skepticism? I am the very beautiful defies the
conventionality of documentary film making in a manner that might be pragmatic
and self contained, deferring to the moral grounds of a touting neo cultural
and neo secular doctrines of society as well as film making.
Shyamal Karmakar the director of the movie has
paradoxically played a key role to elevate the poignant claimer of the film, as
if to validate the hind side theme of the film “men will be men”. The most
prominent stint to this validation is the most mind boggling scene of the film
where Shyamal reaches to his open pants and pulls out a microphone, a digital
video tape and finally an embroidered prayer cap. The cap symbolizes the
worshipfulness beside lust and desire. Shyamal has endured to expose his own
vulnerability, which is quite what he has intended to do and bring forth the
main motif of the character of bar singer Ranu Gayen.
Ranu Gayen like any other protagonist leads the bits and
pieces on which her life depends. But unlike others she has a way to
commemorate or flaunt about her body more than her inner self and mental afflictions.
I was quite dismayed at the beginning, unraveling the diluted sequence of the
documentary, but upon further glance I
appreciated the beguiling contradictions of self denial spinning around like a
tornado swirling around its eye. It’s hard to occupy Ranu Gayen’s misery to the
gut because there is still an uncompromising flair on her face that lights up
the stage at any instance. The emotional vulnerability of the subject goes
through a test of time as Shyamal (as I have decrypted) plays along with it and
tries to reflect the other more rational facet of the same coin. Ranu Gayen on
other hand doesn’t even bother to become a voyeuristic obligation to which
Shyamal is having an unconditional bond and is more indulged in activities
which pertains to the condition of pervasive relationship with her. Shooting
her nude, talking dirty and trying to revoke sexual desires on her, Shyamal has
evidently carried upon his admiration in a more emotional context, yet some of
the scenes depict the perpetual schism consequently showing the hesitation of
the director.
A very interesting and queer thing that I noticed in
Ranu’s life is that though she is a victim of male chauvinism that wounded her
in the process of consumption, yet her survival is on it now. Her family has
accepted her the way she is, in fact they are in humble debt for all that she
has done for her family. And she is proud of that although she doesn’t hold any
bilateral ties with her family.
It is not quite possible to accept the fact that Ranu’s
perception of herself around this patriarch realm is justified and true to the
Indian context, though her misery (which has molded her as she is now) is just
another example of the extortion and violation women of India face. According
to me the post marriage scenario that she is in now digging deeper and deeper,
has made her a strong, cunning, self efficient and a self worthy women which is
quite contrary to the fact that her source of bread is from an unusual place.
My admiration towards Ranu is her proclamation of not being a prostitute though
she confesses her desire to sleep with men whom she like, even she accepts her
desires toward Shyamal and the rejected offer of marrying him. She is truly a
feminist however she stamps it on to her conscious. Probably she wouldn’t have
been one if it is for her pre martial life which is the reason for her grievous
past. Or may be this hard to shrug off undiffused morality kicks us back to the
path of liberty and self-consciousness.
I believe that Shyamal has cracked the veneer of public
persona and exposed the genuine self. Through this documentary, I affirm that
only portraiture like this, mediated by a sensitive human eye can capture the
delicacy of a persons feature, pinning down in visual form the nature of human
spirit.
She lingers in my mind for a while after the documentary
is over. Probably because there is conflict between the empathizer and the
rationality factor, I force myself into just trying to articulate the
documentary.