JAYA GANGA
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
I saw this mystical film at the press screening for San Jose's Cinequest film festival. The movie will play Jan 31 at 9:45pm and Feb. 2 at 12:30pm. You can call the Cinequest office (408-995-5033) for details.
JAYA GANGA
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1997 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
"Some write with words, others with silence," reflects the mysterious woman by the river Ganga (Ganges). (The movie JAYA GANGA is like that. It speaks as much with its silence as its words.) The woman is dressed in flowing golden robes and is the first of many enigmas in the mystical tale called JAYA GANGA. Her name is Zehra, and she is beautifully acted with just the right touch of playfulness by Smriti Mishra.
JAYA GANGA is written, directed and produced by Vijay Singh, who is the author of the book by the same name. "Ganga has become a strange obsession in me," he says in the press kit. "I do not know the hows and whys of it. All I know is that Ganga is a beautiful woman inhabiting my mind." His movie is his way to pay homage to the river he loves. He calls it his "Ganga-fixation."
Movies that work by the magical spell they weave on the viewer are difficult to give justice to in a review. I will try, but this is a movie that must be seen to be appreciated and understood.
This romantic road picture takes place along the Ganga. The central character, Nishant, is an Indian writer living in Paris. He is played by Asil Rais as a serene man who, nevertheless, is driven to make his pilgrimage. Nishant journeys to the Ganga and takes an adventure along it from its source to the sea -- traveling by bus, boat and foot. Much of the story is based on a mystery that I will not reveal so that you can fully savor it yourself.
As he travels, his mind will venture back to almost surrealistic images from his Parisian life. Eventually, he will find Zehra, and his life will be forever changed. Surprisingly, she comes from a brothel, and he will have to bribe her way out.
There are just enough contrasting vignettes of poverty and corruption to force the viewer to realize that the picture is to be taken seriously and not just as a fantasy. Typical of these is the rural post office where the only worker has sold the measuring weights so he cannot take letters until the person wishing to mail them can find some other place to get them weighed. Even then, the postal clerk is too busy to be bothered since he is engrossed in listening on his cheap radio to a soccer match.
The star of the show is not one of the two nominal leads, but the river itself. The cinematography by Piyush Shah is incredibly beautiful. One ceremony shows them sending lit vessels down the Ganga at night, and Shah films it reverentially with all of the awe the scene is due. In contrast, the daytime sequences of the river, as it cuts deep gorges into the snow capped mountains, look like a travelogue for a four star wilderness adventure. The pictures of the temples along the way are golden hued paeans to India.
The romance between Zehra and Nishant is believable but is secondary to Nishant's quest and his obsession with the Ganga. A lovely little picture to be savored, not analyzed.
JAYA GANGA runs 1:34. It is in Hindi and French with English subtitles. The movie is not rated, but would probably be PG-13. There is a brief scene of sex in the distance that can barely be seen through a curtain. There is no profanity, nudity, or violence. I recommend the film to you and give it ** 1/2.
**** = A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = Totally and painfully unbearable picture.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: January 16, 1997
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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