Mr. and Mrs. Iyer

I am at a complete loss of words after seeing this sensational love story. Directed by Aparna Sen, a true master of her craft, it is set against the backdrop of tribal war and communal violence. The story starts in a bus, in which a young westernised Muslim photographer named Raja (Rahul Bose) and a traditional married Tamil Brahmin woman with a young child named Meenakshi Iyer (Konkoka Sen Sharma), meet by chance on a cross-country bus ride to Calcutta. The bus includes varied passengers from noisy teenagers to an old Muslim couple to a mentally ill boy with his mother to card-playing men. Raja and Meena had been introduced to each other just before the trip started and they eventually sat together. When she finds out that Raja is actually a Muslim, her first reaction is "Don't touch me!". However, later the bus is suddenly stopped by Hindu extremists looking for payback for a Muslim act of violence. This is one of the film's most heartbreaking sequences. When asked, Meena introduces both Raja and herself as Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, thus saving Raja's life. Upon a curfew, the two leave the bus and find shelter in a remote forest guest-house. That's where the love story begins. They initially do not get along due to differences in their views, but finally develop a liking for each other. From their first real interaction and reconciliation in the beautiful forest to the scenes in which they are forced to cook up stories of their "honeymoon" to different girls who seek for some romantic fairy tales, they get increasingly closer and ultimately fall in love. But one question really starts worrying us: what about the real Mr. Iyer?

Fascinating and engaging, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer is definitely one of the best films made in the early 2000s. It is not a film about Muslims or Hindus, it is about Raja and Meena, or better known as Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. It is a love story at heart, a subtle one, an inhibited one, a poetic one, an authentic one, a heartwarming one. Never does it get sidelined by the film's basic background which is communal strife. It's amazing to see how Meenakshi gradually overcomes her prejudice and learns new things about herself and about life in general thanks to her acquaintance with the intelligent and worldly Raja. The film is beautifully shot, some locations are breathtaking, and everything--from story and direction to cinematography and editing to music and background score--is nothing short of excellent. As for the casting, I cannot see anyone else but Konkona Sen Sharma and Rahul Bose as Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. Bose is fantastic in a greatly restrained act, and as the carefree and kind Raja, sets a great example to all of us of how to live life with passion. Sen Sharma's preparation for the role is more than evident. She is absolutely outstanding as Meena. Everything, from her perfect Tamil accent and dialect to her mannerisms to her worried facial expressions, is so aptly displayed that there seems to be nothing more precise than to say that this incredibly talented lady is one of the finest actresses of recent times. The film's ending is deeply moving. In a few words, this film is about humanity, kindness and love. It shows us how love conquers hatred, and it shows us that humanity and love know no religion, caste or colour. This is an outstanding picture.

I disagree with the reviewer who says that this is a film made just to win awards in the West. On the contrary, one would have to be an Indian to understand the nuances throughout the film and I don't think the average Western viewer can appreciate the cultural connotations within the story. I was brought up as a South Indian Brahmin for the first 30 years of my life in an area of intense religious tension that frequently boiled over in violence. Therefore, I do not need a Yale researcher to tell me the meaning of religious intolerance or the background of Meenakshi Iyer's character. I don't think the film gives a biased view of the religious or cultural divide in India. Apart from the scene in the bus, the faith of the fanatics is kept deliberately vague so that we are not quite sure of the identities potential killers or their victims. This is sadly true in today's India where a slight misunderstanding can easily flash out of control. Until all concerned learn to tolerate and respect one another's beliefs while keeping to the appropriate boundaries, the situation is unlikely to change. And Aparna Sen makes a superb job of getting this rather ambiguous message across.

I love this film. It might further enhance the Western clichee of the uprising-ridden India as another reviewer states, but actually, that's beside the point: This film is a fairy tale. The voice over at the beginning tells of "a little red and white bus" ... and you're already in the fairy tale world. There is always danger in a fairy tale and I'll focus on that later, but criticising the film for not portraying real situations is like accusing "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" for inaccurate portrayal of lilliputians ...

The film is actually quite close to films by Mani Rathnam who also takes a politically hot topic and connects it with a personal drama (good example: "Kannathil Muthamittal"). With Rathnam, the focus always seems to shift more to the political side of this dual idea, whereas in "Mr. and Mrs. Iyer", the focus is more on the personal aspect. In this punctual uprising of extremist Hindus, the two leading characters discover how they themselves fall victim to distrust and prejudice. It seems an easy target to criticise the conservative Brahman woman's ideals, but the film doesn't do it harmful. In the end, the woman still is who she was before, but she opened up - especially opened up her heart.

And this is what the film is all about: Heart. It oozes love in so many scenes. The violence takes over for a couple of scenes, but then the film returns to the topic of love. There are incredible scenes that you won't easily forget: The "couple" in a diner telling their fictional story of their honeymoon, the fooling around in the woods in the morning, the killing of a man right in front of their window, the last night they spend together when she takes his hand to comfort herself. These are all very subtle but convincing scenes that don't primarily assault the woman's Brahman principles but tries to expand them. Again: It's a fairy tale and in this fairy tale world which is ridden by real-life violence, a woman and a man come closer - emotionally. Not with sex or a common way of love. It's a very heartfelt sort of love you don't usually see in movies. It felt extremely sincere to me - and the just cracked my heart.

"Mr. and Mrs. Iyer" is not your typical Bollywood movie because it's rather short, has no songs, no stars and is rather subtle. But it works on so many level. It is a cry for peace and unity - something Indians do so well since they live in the biggest democracy in the world. There are so many people in this country who still believe in living together and this is visible in many of their films. This is one, Mani Rathnams "Bombay" is another. Also, the film is a tribute to deeply felt and sincere love, a love that is more touching than many love stories I've seen before. I know the film is not fully realistic and of course there are a couple of problems that I have with the film. But if a film is this charmingly acted and poetically directed, I'd cannot but defend it and recommend it to you. Such a beautiful film.

Rating 8/10

Aparna Sen has done a wonderful job writing and directing this film. The characters are delightfully underplayed (a nice change from the common melodrama of Hindi films), and Konkona Sen-Sharma and Rahul Bose were wonderfully believable.

But best of all was the photography... a tragedy depicted by a nuance... I was touched, and cried my eyes out.

The religion and caste issues are depicted beautiful. Even the educated are often senselessly prejudiced, and likewise grace often appears in unexpected forms. A beautiful movie which I would recommend to all.

Meenakshi Iyer is traveling on a bus with her son Santanam and befriends a fellow passenger Raja, a wild-life photographer. When fundamentalists attack the bus, she claims the photographer as her husband thus saving his life. Reason: Raja is Muslim. What follows later is a compelling journey into human relationship under critical circumstances.

Rahul Bose yet again delivers fantastic performance. Bhisham Sahni and Surekha Sikri played the old Muslim couple in the bus. It was great to see Bhisham Sahni after a long sabbatical.

Finally about Konkona Sen Sharma - to be frank, I was a bit skeptical about the gifted director Aparna Sen's daughter. To me the star-kids are pampered lot and fail to rise above the talent of parents. Noteworthy performance of Konkona Sen Sharma as a orthodox Tamil Brahmin house-wife leaves you mesmerized. The finer nuances right from her accent, language, mannerism, dress, bindi has been portrayed with utmost perfection. The parallel cinema can now rest as we have an apt successor to Shabana Azmi.

A very different story devoid of the usual Bollywood masala but made with sheer conviction that makes the audience captivated into the storyline. Worth commending is the directors ability to extract the best out of the principal cast.

Undoubtedly a launch vehicle from Aparna Sen showcasing her daughters talent - and it hits the bull's eye.