Rewatching Ghoomer, the ‘Magic/Logic’ of this film and Abhishek Bachchan
Note: May contain spoilers
Sometimes when you watch a good film, it occupies your days with its elements. You recall the moments, dialog, songs, frames from the movie. Ghoomer has had the same effect on me the past few weeks. It is a film that has so much to say, so much to give, that you feel inspired to reflect on its lessons.
When I watched it for the second time today(in 3 weeks), I didn’t expect I would like it even better than the first but I did. Few things that felt a little out of ordinary at the first time felt so much justified now. Here are a few things I appreciated this time(more):
When Paddy is watching Anina toil in the backyard, his gaze is so acute so loaded with meaning
When Paddy says just one moment and someone’s opportunity gets taken away, it rings so true, considering he is walking with guilt yet a chance at redeeming his own career/life arc.
The beauty of each line Paddy says when he walks into the selections uninvited…may be he did it on purpose, may be he navigated the situation smartly as he saw the ‘magic’ in Anina which came in as a ray of hope. May be the sequence of events that day was overwhelming for him and that made him do what he did..
I love how everything in the film is so precise, so thought out, so believable. You totally buy Anina’s family setting, each character and their quirks so well structured. It reminded me of Jaane tu ya jaane na…we rarely see such well written side narratives in any film, forget a sports film.
I found the mother’s character annoying and oversmart at first watch, but this time it felt just right. We have seen such characters. She is a data driven person, not into emotions or saying the right thing to please others. So when it comes to the need of her reacting to a situation, she thinks of that as a performance, and may be oversteps in expressing things in a witty manner. I was just smitten with Shabana Azmi’s act this time. Her underplayed emotions, her excitement when she is quoting Cricket stats or sharing her research facts, her strong rebuttals against stereotypes are all so lived in. And you can see what a range and growth she portrays in this film from her first stadium/stands appearance and the one at the climax. She is actually a co-coach of Anina apart from Paddy. While Paddy coaches her on the game the physical and technical aspects of it, she is there for her with the atmosphere, where as a women she shows nothing is impossible, which is so visible in her seasoned smile or lack of surprise when Anina gets back to winning ways. And this is not just winning at a sport, this is winning over the hurdles life throws at you.
You just can’t say enough good things about Saiyami Kher in this film. Her physical act is out there for everyone to marvel at, but the way she shows an athlete at odds and ends of life, the way she surrenders herself to this new challenge called Paddy Sir, the way the athlete in her takes this also like a new sport is all so beautiful. She imbibes the lack of emotions streak from her mother. They get angry but rarely break down. The climax shows us both of them break down in tears, be it of joy or a release, it is just so cathartic to watch.
It is astounding how many things are packed in this seemingly fantasy sports film. The use of half frames to show contrast, the placement of each song, especially the title track and Poornaviram are just a proof of someone who understand poetry and the magic of music in Indian film narratives. Even the use of Bhool ja shikwa in the training montage is so brilliant, one line even repeats and each word is so impactful.
The frames are so well blended with the story beats, it is almost clinical. How Anina closes the curtains as she wants to hide herself from the gaze of the world and how Paddy opens it up again to harsh sunlight. How the montage after the accident shows things in reverse, like the ball going back in the bowling machine, how Paddy watches Anina from inside of his dusty room at the field outside, almost symbolic of where his career is and where hers is.
Life comes in phases. From happy to tragic. From losing to winning. From batting to bowling. Each of these transitions is embraced with so much sincerity in the writing and the execution.
In the first watch I felt some dialog is too smart to be natural, but this time it felt justified. The wordplay of Left & Right in the entire film, the jibes at stereotypes, the acerbic retorts of Paddy enveloped in dark humor(It worked, didn’t it?) again take me to Prateik Babbar in Jaane Tu..
The chest-thumping about cricket and India are always heartening for me to watch but I am not a fan of the ‘loud’ genre of films be it war or sports films. Expanding on my idea of India and nationalism might be the subject of another article but I can just say that Ghoomer does a fantastic job of balancing the personal/micro with the national/macro narrative. When Anina and Paddy win, you are cheering with them for their personal victory and cheering for what this has done for the game of cricket and their country. It is a moment of uncontainable joy. Cynics won’t get it.
On Abhishek Bachchan
And lastly, being a huge fan of Abhishek Bachchan, I couldn’t help but tear up at the two scenes where he is just magical- the first one at Diwali night and the second too Diwali night but he is drunk and in a confession mode — ‘Magic and Logic’ .
It is one thing to play cynical, overcritical, angry, and it is another thing to make the shades in the character play hide and seek with your expectations and societal judgment. When he is doing the drunk uncle bit, we find him funny. When he allegedly disrespects young players at their moment of glory we get alarmed with a note of caution. When he is indulging in good old self pity, we go along with him. When he is being a total dick, we again take a 180 degree turn and dismiss him as a psychotic has-been. These aspects might not register with film viewers who are used to seeing as Baradwaj Rangan calls it ‘look ma, I am acting’ school of acting, but it is another school of acting which you see more of in the west. Idris Elba, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, Irfan Khan, Keanu Reeves, Jon Hamm, Denzel Washington are some of the subtle actors I can think of. They don’t overreach with their performances. They let the story, the drama through situations register their ‘best acting’ scenes/showcases. Sadly in India, like it or not, ‘acting’ is synonymous with loud acting, theatrical displays of histrionics or emotions dialed all the way to 11. I miss a type of noir film/ Le Samourai/Alain Delon/Jarmusch/Wes Anderson/Kaurismaki deadpan atmosphere in Indian films. Rarely have filmmakers tapped into that zone here, last such act I can recall is Abhay Deol in Manorama Six Feet Under.
Then there is Abhishek Bachchan, who does not display the ‘chameleon acting’ prowess but the characters he has played, be in in Delhi 6, or Sarkar, Raavan, Guru, Yuva, Phir Milenge, Dasvi, Manmarziyaan, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, or one of my most favourite performances and films of his — Naach, are all so endearing to watch on screen, and he infuses a bit of humanity and ease and accessibility of presence in the frame. With Ghoomer, he gets to really sink his teeth into a well written and well researched, nuanced role. It is a measured performance that feels so intimate, if it was for a Hollywood film, it would have earned him a few acting nominations(think Brad Pitt in Moneyball). The act feels so relatable that when he does something nasty, you actually get surprised and hurt. And when he wins, you rejoice in the moment.
