Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
Encyclopedia
Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is a 1992
, India
n Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal
and based on a novel of the same name by Dharmavir Bharati. It won the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
. The movie has also been known for its a subversive take on the 'Devdas' syndrome.
This movie stars Rajit Kapur
, Rajeshwari Sachdev
, Pallavi Joshi
, Neena Gupta
and Amrish Puri
.
The lowest, slowest or the weakest in a group or society determines the speed or progress of the whole. The title of the movie, a metaphor as the movie itself, draws this analogy with the seventh horse pulling the chariot of the sun. As a director of abstract meaningful cinema, Shyam Benegal pulls off another masterpiece that makes you think. Lightly laced with extremely subtle humor, this is a story of love that is markedly different from the many love stories on screen.
An interesting narrative approach adds to the abstractness - as the film is presented as a flashback of a contemporary artist (Raghuvir Yadav
). He remembers the many stories of a born-raconteur (Rajit Kapur) during the gossip sessions of four young men with no better way to pass time. The neo-realism in the stories and the starkness of human character brings life to the narrative.
The film is narrated in a series of independent short stories. The brilliance of the director lies in tying these short stories with the same characters creating a complex matrix of humans and relations. The movie comes alive when the same events are depicted in the different stories. This is captured beautifully by showing the same scenes from different angles, emphasizing different personalities on screen, but the same dialogues.
All along the narrative, the movie amazes you with the realism of the stories - contrasted with the character of Rajit Kapur
as a master storyteller. The audience to his stories add humor as well as an element of human nature to gossip about others.He plays an important role in each of the stories he tells yet he keeps himself aloof from the responsibilities and characters in his stories. At the same time, the personalities within the story portray a strong variety of human traits - positive and negative. Artistes like Amrish Puri
, Samir Khakkar, K K Raina and others from the world of art cinema bring the stories alive. Rajeshwari Sachdev, Pallavi Joshi, and Neena Gupta
play the love interests and vastly different characters. Any attempt to explain the narrative the movie or to divulge information about the characters would make the movie less interesting - as seeing the movie is an evolving discovery.
The music by Vanraj Bhatia plays a distinctive role. The direction is brilliant, and the performance of various lead actors is consistently superior. The script and dialogues are of the highest calibre.
However what strikes you at the end is the closeness between reality and the world of tell-tale; and the virtues and vices that exist in these worlds. How all this come together in the end is explained in a brief message in the end - but that still leaves a lot to thought. And indeed the movie is about thinking, and you leave the movie thinking about a host of issues raised throughout - from the virtues and demands of woman in love, the commitment of men in love - to more explicit and implicit elements of the human psyche.
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Hindi film directed by Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal
Shyam Benegal is a prolific Indian director and screenwriter. With his first four feature films Ankur , Nishant Manthan and Bhumika he created a new genre, which has now come to be called the "middle cinema" in India although he himself has expressed dislike in the term preferring his work to...
and based on a novel of the same name by Dharmavir Bharati. It won the 1993 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi
The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi awards the best regional film in Hindi language. Initially the award was known as the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi. The winners in this category are:...
. The movie has also been known for its a subversive take on the 'Devdas' syndrome.
This movie stars Rajit Kapur
Rajit Kapur
Rajit Kapur is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his award-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1996 film, The Making of the Mahatma. One of his most popular stints is his portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshi in a television series of the same name based on the character created by...
, Rajeshwari Sachdev
Rajeshwari Sachdev
Rajeshwari Sachdev is a Hindi film actress, who is most known for her role in Shyam Benegal's film Sardari Begum , for which she won the 1997 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress....
, Pallavi Joshi
Pallavi Joshi
Pallavi Joshi is an Indian film/television/model actress. She is a one time National Film Award winning actress. She is the sister of child actor Master Alankar ....
, Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta is an Indian film and television actress and director-producer. She won the 1994 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Woh Chokri. She is a popular actress in Indian commercial cinema, but it is her work with art filmmakers of India, like Shyam Benegal that got her...
and Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri
Amrish Singh Puri , ; 22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005 was an iconic theater and film actor from India, who was a key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad...
.
Overview
In this movie, the narrator, Manik Mulla (Rajit Kapur) tells three stories of the three women, (Neena Gupta (the poor), Pallavi Joshi (the intellectual) and Rajeshwari Sachdev (middle class)), he had met in his life at different times. These three stories are nothing but a single story seen from stands of different characters of the film.The lowest, slowest or the weakest in a group or society determines the speed or progress of the whole. The title of the movie, a metaphor as the movie itself, draws this analogy with the seventh horse pulling the chariot of the sun. As a director of abstract meaningful cinema, Shyam Benegal pulls off another masterpiece that makes you think. Lightly laced with extremely subtle humor, this is a story of love that is markedly different from the many love stories on screen.
An interesting narrative approach adds to the abstractness - as the film is presented as a flashback of a contemporary artist (Raghuvir Yadav
Raghuvir Yadav
Raghubir Yadav is a two-time International Award winner Indian stage, film and television actor, music composer, singer and set designer.-Biography:...
). He remembers the many stories of a born-raconteur (Rajit Kapur) during the gossip sessions of four young men with no better way to pass time. The neo-realism in the stories and the starkness of human character brings life to the narrative.
The film is narrated in a series of independent short stories. The brilliance of the director lies in tying these short stories with the same characters creating a complex matrix of humans and relations. The movie comes alive when the same events are depicted in the different stories. This is captured beautifully by showing the same scenes from different angles, emphasizing different personalities on screen, but the same dialogues.
All along the narrative, the movie amazes you with the realism of the stories - contrasted with the character of Rajit Kapur
Rajit Kapur
Rajit Kapur is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his award-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1996 film, The Making of the Mahatma. One of his most popular stints is his portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshi in a television series of the same name based on the character created by...
as a master storyteller. The audience to his stories add humor as well as an element of human nature to gossip about others.He plays an important role in each of the stories he tells yet he keeps himself aloof from the responsibilities and characters in his stories. At the same time, the personalities within the story portray a strong variety of human traits - positive and negative. Artistes like Amrish Puri
Amrish Puri
Amrish Singh Puri , ; 22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005 was an iconic theater and film actor from India, who was a key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad...
, Samir Khakkar, K K Raina and others from the world of art cinema bring the stories alive. Rajeshwari Sachdev, Pallavi Joshi, and Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta is an Indian film and television actress and director-producer. She won the 1994 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Woh Chokri. She is a popular actress in Indian commercial cinema, but it is her work with art filmmakers of India, like Shyam Benegal that got her...
play the love interests and vastly different characters. Any attempt to explain the narrative the movie or to divulge information about the characters would make the movie less interesting - as seeing the movie is an evolving discovery.
The music by Vanraj Bhatia plays a distinctive role. The direction is brilliant, and the performance of various lead actors is consistently superior. The script and dialogues are of the highest calibre.
However what strikes you at the end is the closeness between reality and the world of tell-tale; and the virtues and vices that exist in these worlds. How all this come together in the end is explained in a brief message in the end - but that still leaves a lot to thought. And indeed the movie is about thinking, and you leave the movie thinking about a host of issues raised throughout - from the virtues and demands of woman in love, the commitment of men in love - to more explicit and implicit elements of the human psyche.
Cast
- Neena GuptaNeena GuptaNeena Gupta is an Indian film and television actress and director-producer. She won the 1994 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Woh Chokri. She is a popular actress in Indian commercial cinema, but it is her work with art filmmakers of India, like Shyam Benegal that got her...
... Satti - Pallavi JoshiPallavi JoshiPallavi Joshi is an Indian film/television/model actress. She is a one time National Film Award winning actress. She is the sister of child actor Master Alankar ....
... Lily - Rajit KapurRajit KapurRajit Kapur is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his award-winning portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1996 film, The Making of the Mahatma. One of his most popular stints is his portrayal of Byomkesh Bakshi in a television series of the same name based on the character created by...
... Manik Mulla - Amrish PuriAmrish PuriAmrish Singh Puri , ; 22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005 was an iconic theater and film actor from India, who was a key player in the Indian theater movement that picked up steam in the 1960s. He worked with notable playwrights of the time, such as Satyadev Dubey and Girish Karnad...
... Mahesar Dalal - K.K. Raina ... Elder Brother of Manik Mulla
- Rajeshwari SachdevRajeshwari SachdevRajeshwari Sachdev is a Hindi film actress, who is most known for her role in Shyam Benegal's film Sardari Begum , for which she won the 1997 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress....
... Jamuna - Veerendra Saxena ... Soap-Seller
- Himani ShivpuriHimani ShivpuriHimani Shivpuri, is Indian, film, theatre and television actress, who is most known for her role in Sooraj R. Barjatya's film Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! , and as 'Devki Bhojai' in TV serial Humrahi .- Biography :...
- Lalit Tiwari ... Ramdhan
- Raghuvir YadavRaghuvir YadavRaghubir Yadav is a two-time International Award winner Indian stage, film and television actor, music composer, singer and set designer.-Biography:...
- Riju Bajaj ... Tanna