Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
A still from Ankur

To understand a story, a film in a better way, the setting plays an important role followed by on-screen moments which you might ignore in the first place as a minute part of the screenplay. But these moments might have a metaphoric representation, not necessarily every time. In a similar way, the context of Indian Roller Bird in Shyam Benegal’s 1974 film Ankur relates directly with Surya (Anant Nag) as a character. This bird never rarely flies in groups, they do have family groups but they choose to live all alone. Surya is not an exact clone of it, but circumstances lead him to his hometown all alone looking after the farms owned by his family.

If you are reading this, you might have been well aware of the film’s story. So not going into detail, I would like to highlight the psychological aspect of the story which essays realism, and back in the 70s when the detail was not that important, Benegal went a step ahead in reshaping the way of storytelling. And the little moments shown in the film are as important as the main plot. As a viewer, we break into these different lives and their stories are even relevant today.

A still from Ankur

The ending of the film silently plays across the mindset of various characters, as an oppressed one is again being slaughtered, the people watch the scene silently but you see a slight discomfort in their eyes. They are keen to protest against the actions but at the same time, they are bound with fear. A young boy at the closing frame picks up a stone and hits it across Surya’s home, slightly representing the revolutionary nature of the younger generation. Certainly, a fine end of a sequence in a linear story.

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