Page 41 - Seniors Today Jan20 Issue

Once Upon A Time
Films

The young and

the restless

Against the backdrop of student-led protests across the country, Deepa Gahlot takes a
look at Sudhir Mishra’s film which tackled this subject 32 years ago

As the country erupts into political protests, led Mukherjee), a journalist on her way to Rajpur,
by students, Sudhir Mishra made a statement ostensibly to investigate the problems besetting
about planning to remake his first film, Yeh the town. They are received by Shamsher’s
Woh Manzil To Nahin (1987), which was about nephew Avdhesh (Ajit Vachani), the police
youth unrest. superintendent, and stay at Baig’s old mansion.
The story is set in Rajpur, where the local
politician-industrialist nexus, leads to brazen The spark
murder of workers and a student leader. The The spark that lit the flame of conflict in
university is all set to celebrate its golden the university is the murder of a student by
jubilee, when the tumult on the campus and the Uttam (Raja Bundela), the nephew of the chief
resulting curfew stirs up the sleepy township. minister, and son of his influential brother
Ignorant about the troubles in Rajpur—this Trivedi (Naseeruddin Shah). The brazen
being the era before the telecom revolution— killing was witnessed by his roommate Rohit
three Mumbai-based buddies (played by (Pankaj Kapur) and the killers are after him
theatre doyens of the time) are planning a trip
there after 40 years, for the jubilee function at
their alma mater. The film begins with their
bickering, Shamsher Bahadur Singh (Manohar
Singh), Akhtar Baig (Habib Tanvir) and
Murlimanohar Joshi (BM Shah) fling drunken
insults at each other. There is a suggestion
that something about their past holds them
together, causes bitter drunken squabbles, and
has prevented them from returning to their
hometown.
On the train, they meet Sarita (Sushmita
Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi, another political statement
41 SENIORS TODAY | Issue #7 | January 15, 2020