Praveen Lulekar
Where does art meet reality? Where do
the ends of our lives meet? Is there an ultimate truth? How deeply is individual
identity weaved in the larger nothingness?
Astu is
not a lesson in philosophy. It is a story that emerges from everyday reality,
with all its minutes. It becomes a microcosm of our existence and transcends to
become nothing...or everything – a sublime coherence with the universe.
Chakrapani Shastri (Dr. Mohan Agashe), a
retired professor of oriental studies, is ailing with the Alzheimer’s disease.
His daughter Ira (Irawati Harshe) loses him one day on a crowded street in
Pune. Professor Shastri follows an elephant with a child’s curiosity. His
family – Ira’s husband Madhav (Milind Soman) and another daughter Rahi (Devika
Daftardar) search for him throughout the day, along with Ira. Flashbacks take
us into the thicker plot of their lives.
The synopsis doesn’t say enough about
the film, even the whole review won’t. Professor Shastri’s recitations from
Sanskrit epics will probably do it. Explaining the Zen philosophy at one point
he says – ‘Existence is only about the present. Probably there is such a
possibility...when every thought retires, there is tranquillity.’ Explaining
the larger thought of the film, a song says – ‘Who Am I? Where do I come from?
... I am universe, I am God. So be it...’
Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukathankar have
their own brand of films. There is an honest submission to reality. Their
characters, locations, situations – everything rise out of acute observations.
And hence, there is identification with every detail. This reality meets art
when there is transcendence.
With Astu, they are narrating a
simple story of a man with Alzheimer’s. On a practical level, there are many
perspectives to the story. An emotional, worldly Ira is the parallel
protagonist who wants to take care of her father. There are limitations to this
as she also carries the responsibilities of her family. Harshe, with miniscule
diction problems, does an absolutely wonderful job. She reacts to every
situation humanly – panics when Professor Shastri forgets his relation with
Ira’s teenage daughter but stands adamant against admitting him in an asylum.
The viewpoints of the other two females
– Raahi and Channama, the elephant owner’s wife (Amruta Subhash) are
diametrically opposite. Raahi is a rationalist who believes her father is as
good as dead since he is no longer the same person. To Channama, the professor
is a holy man. He has forgotten the cosmetic and become her child. ‘He has
become God,’ she says simply.
Beyond all this, the film is a peep into
the longevity of identity. The director duo looks at the disease as a symbol of
man becoming child again, his integration with the universe. Dr. Agashe
captures every bit of this detail in the way he looks at an ant or in the indulgence
when he recites verses from the Meghdoot or Mahabharat. His
heartfelt call of Aai... would melt any warm feminine heart. Subhash’s
expressions capture the essence of this melancholy every time.
Bhave
and Sukathankar tread on the thin line of romanticising the disease in the
process of drawing philosophy out of it. But they never miss any harsh
consequence of it. I could go on about how beautifully they use camera, how
only natural sounds serve as background music...but Astu is beyond all
that. It is an experience that makes you converse with yourself!
m4m says: A must watch
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