This is not about the yoga push up or push down. This is a film that I watched at VIFF and is one of the very few Indian films. The film is based on Rabindranath Tagore’s book. I am not sure if the book also goes by the same title, it was not mentioned. This is an interesting and complex film with many questions for Patanjali. What is spirituality and what really does it lead to? Or is it just escapism from the real world? Is it for the weak who cannot handle the real world? The film deals with these questions and more through the various characters, which are four and hence the title chaturanga, four chapters.
The main character in the film is one confused person. He confidently jumps from one set of ideals to the other one. While he is at it, he strongly believes in it and then leaves it for something else when he reaches the end of the line. The other characters around him question his behavior. Is he really so shallow that he leaves one for the other?
The film starts of with Sachish, the main character being an atheist and studying English literature in what looks like India during the British rule. He is inspired by his uncle who is a strong character who opens a private hospital at his house to treat the plague victims of all religions. After his uncle’s death, our main guy is lost. He turns to religion now, precisely what he did not like before. He follows a guru and is part of some cult. He meets a young widow at her house whose husband had donated the house to the guru. The woman is attracted to Sachish, but he is following the religious advice. So, he cannot accept her. This is where the questions for spirituality come up. What does it solve and where does it lead one to? Sachish’s friend mentions that spiritualism is like fake currency, absolutely useless. It is a flight of the weak from real life. The film ends with Sachish leaving the guru and being lost again.
I enjoyed the film a lot. The movie is made like a play with just a few people in it.
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