Manjhi: The
Mountain Man - Shandar, Jabardast, Zindabad!
Vishal
Bhadani
Department
of Communication Skills, MEFGI, Rajkot
Starring Navazuddin Siddiqui, the film Manjhi-The
Mountain Man is a biopic of Darshrath Manjhi who carved a mountain and made
a way through it single handedly. If I use the protagonist’s favourite expression,
I would say the film is Shandar, Jabardast, Zindabad! Ketan Mehta’s
direction is what makes the film even more appealing.
Based on true story, the film is a modern epic
of The Old Man and The Sea but heavily loaded with Indian optimism and
love. Manjhi has set very high standards of hard work, dedication and
persistence. As he lost his pregnant wife collapsing from the mountain, he
could not take her to the hospital on time because of the same mountain blocking
his way. He decides to make a road through the mountain to reduce the forty miles’
distance into one mile or so.
The very first scene is very powerful in
terms of human potential, emotional engagement and the cinematographic frame.
In this sence, Manjhi is challenging a huge mountain and threating him to tear
apart his ego. It’s here that the ‘mountain’ catches fire; both literally and
metaphorically.
Whenever anyone feels he/she has put in a lot
hard work for doing something, that person is advised to watch the film more
than once.
There is a journalist who keeps on visiting
Dasharth Manjhi at his work. One day he shares his frustration on how his
individual journey of becoming a true journalist ended up making him a political
journalist. Manjhi advises, ‘Why don’t you start your own newspaper?’ The
journalist said, ‘It’s not so easy to start one’s own newspaper. The Mountain
Man asked, ‘Is it more difficult than carving a mountain?’ which silences and
motivates the journalist. Later on he starts his own newspaper and when he comes
to Manjhi to share the happiness, Manjhi expressed his joy by saying Shandar,
Jabardast, Zindabad!
There is another inspiring incident in the
film wherein he wants to meet Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India
to tell her a malpractice done in the grant allocated for constructing the road.
He takes up the train but soon he is thrown out of the train by the TC because
he does not have the ticket to Delhi. He starts walking to Delhi which is not
less than 1300 km. He reached Delhi but could meet the PM. I don’t know why all
the men thrown out of train turn into rebels!!!
Issues of Bihar politics, caste and gender
are beautifully incorporated making you glue to the screen. Bits and pieces of
Siddiqui homour would smite you.
I think such people are worth a million books
for inspiration. They personify the motto of ‘There is no option of individual
intervention and hard work.’ The credibility this man has earned is
outstanding. One man did what either the British or Indian government could/should
have done but they did not, courtesy political will! The concept defies our
long-cherished excuse, system should do it. Not that everyone should
start digging up mountains but where this will, there is way!
A must watch! Shandar, Jabardast, Zindabad!
No comments:
Post a Comment