IN THE NAME ONLY

Well it’s been a long time coming. Almost three months. Somewhere in the middle of all the bedlam I was eventful contributing my own chaotic ingredient. In all these creative mayhem I happened to indulge in various new stints. One of which was producing a movie written and partially directed by me. And due to lack of actors I even got a role in it. The movie was 6:42 mins long, with a budget of 23 Rs only and my part was somewhere around 30 secs now that explains all your querris. About the script writing part here is the abstract that we submitted along with the mini movie.

IN THE NAME ONLY

‘In the name only’ opens with an unknown man writing an entry ‘democracy?’ in his diary. Then the scene shifts to the office of cabinet minister Kashinath Tiwari where he is busy working on his biography aided by writer A.K. Joshi. They are joined by Kashinath’s political right-hand Ramakant. In the subsequent scenes it is disclosed that though Kashinath has never been to college he asks Joshi to put in writing the contrary and other such bluffs to exalt his image. While choosing an apt college name Ramakant advises sticking to a Hindi name which will support their Hindutva agenda.

In flashback it is revealed that Kashinath used to work at a tea stall where he came in contact with a contemporary materializing leader of a Hindu outfit. During a conversation the leader was impressed by his aggressive remarks and envisages in him the potential of a latent demagogue and hence seduces him to join his outfit. With time the leader’s calculation was established and along with Kashinath he reached to the corridors of power. The stature of Kashinath as a politician rose as he played the self proclaimed savior of Indian cultural and religious values.

The scene returns back to present where Kashinath is attending his son Munna’s call. Ramakant apprises Joshi that Munna was a University topper to which Kashinath reveals that that too was the game of power. The viewer is acquainted with the story of how Munna’s copy was swapped with that of a scholarly student Manohar, in a series of flashbacks. The writer Joshi is appalled to hear this story.

The picture now returns to the opening scene where it is disclosed that the unknown man writing the diary entry was in fact a disconsolate and poignant Joshi himself. After making the entry he takes out a letter addressed to him as ‘Dear daddy’. The letter is actually a suicide note by his son, who turns out to be the same boy Manohar.

Through this short film the creating team wants to communicate the message as what kind of people are running our politics, how the Indian demagogues have baked and elevated issues like religious and cultural discrepancies to assuage their self ambitions, how they are bluntly practicing favoritism and nepotism exclusive of hesitation. In the movie what starts as a normal working day in Joshi’s life in minister’s office develops into the day when he realizes how the politician has played with his son’s future and in a bigger picture with that of nation for meeting their own goals and how still as an individual he is helpless to still work for them, and how still are we the citizens susceptible to sordid politics.

P.S.- You may wonder why at all I posted this crap. Well it was out of sentiment spawned in me by affirmative reaction of enthusiastic fans. You know sometime even a thinking mind plays an emotional fool... and I am not even a thinking mind. Now I really feel sympathy for Rakesh Omprakash Mehra.

P.P.S.- The movie made it to the finals of 'Cognizance 09' in eastern India. :)