It all seems like the Indian art cinema movement has come alive with the making of such sensitive movies like Aamir and now Mumbai Meri Jaan which deal with present day issues like terrorism and cultural & religious cliches. The latter has been the subject of much discussion in the media for its strong portrayal of the Mumbai train blasts of 2006 – branded as India’s 7/11. It’s to be noted that Mumbai is one of the few cities of the world that has repeatedly been in the eye of storm. On the one hand is the human saga of hardships and the rigor that the Mumbai lifestyle is bound to guarantee. On the other is the repeated assault on its self-confidence and dignity which the citizens have bravely overcome through their high spirits.
I recollect the day when 7 blasts shook the city on July 11 2006. I was in the 6:14 local from Churchgate which was stranded between Lower Parel and Elphinstone Road stations. I was notified over the phone by a colleague about the ghastly happening and I instantly knew what I should do. Walking past the congestion, over the rail tracks I reached the main road junction of Elphinstone Road where I decided to take a cab to Borivali. No taxi was willing to hire me except for these 2 gentlemen boys who stopped and offered me a ride. It took me 6 hours to reach Borivali but I wasn’t complaining. I was angry and upset at Mumbai being asked to prove itself time and again. The politicians speak about the “never-say-die spirit” during crisis but do little when it comes to protecting the citizens of its commercial capital. Mumbai Meri Jaan (MMJ) refreshed my memories (or nightmares) from that dreadful day.
MMJ is a story of life’s turnaround in the aftermath of the tragedy. The film traverses the path of 5 characters through the millions who experienced the gruesome event. As a well-paid white collared patriotic and self-righteous man Nikhil Agarwal (Madhavan) has the ability to take a ride to the office but prefers the crowded First Class compartment of the local to the gas-guzzling vehicles. As luck would have it, on that fateful day he’s not traveling in his normal compartment where the blast occurs and he has a narrow escape. Sitting on the rails with dead and amputated body parts and blood strewn across the whole area, Nikhil gazes in disbelief at life’s sudden twist. His confidence completely shaken he ponders over a question that was bluntly put forward by his friend – “you pay 3 lakhs every year as taxes to the government. Have they even filled the pothole on the road outside your house?”. Point taken. On the other hand Suresh (Kay Kay Menon) is plagued with religious bias even refusing to do business with the Muslims. He finds the blasts as a good opportunity to take swipes at the minority population even at the cost of his own dignity. Wearing an angled Swastika emblem on his t-shirt (the nazi symbol), he defintely cannot be called a nationalist.
Rupali Joshi (Soha Ali Khan) is the quintessential Indian TV journalist. A representative of the industry that’s carved a name for creating sensationalism through biased reporting. She loses her fiancee in the incident and ironically events start taking a turn for her as she finds herself at the opposite end of the human story. Of course this time her personal life is packaged into a sensational story (the show is aptly titled Rupali bani Rudali) for the outside world. Thomas (Irrfan) has been a roadside tea vendor barely able to make his living finds a novel way to get even with the capitalists. Targeting the Mall culture that enshrines the idea of liberalism to prove a point to himself. And lastly the unforgettable cop Tukaram Patil (played wonderfully by Paresh Rawal), his philosophies bring true life to the movie through his observations about when Mumbai was Bombay.
As the movie comes to a close, the Rafi song – Aye dil hai mushkil Jeena yaha…Yeh hai Bombay Meri Jaan from C.I.D. is played during the credit titles. The song speaks about the vices in the city – Kahin satta, kahin patta kahin chori kahin res, Kahin daaka, kahin phaaka kahin thokar kahin thes. I wonder if the song was published in the 21st century the lyricist would have been tempted to add “bomb blasts” to the ever growing list problems for the citizens. This is a must-see movie for every Mumbaikar and otherwise.
