Review of 1400 Bananas, 76 Towns & 1 Million People

Review of '1400 Bananas, 76 Towns & 1 Million People'

The Subtexts in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy

I recently spent a few hours watching 'Detective Byomkesh Bakshy'. The movie successfully captured the Calcutta of yore. Additionally the use of heavy metal as the score served to highlight the disjointedness of the characters involved. The Tarantinoisque fight sequences accentuated this further.

All in all the movie was very well packaged. For me the takeaways were not the maturing of Bollywood or the attempts to juggle many experiments within one movie – successfully at that. What stood out was the role of the moustache in the movie. The other thing that found resonance was the plot about making a deal with the devil ie getting the Japanese into Calcutta in exchange for 'freetrade' of sorts.

You could say that there was scent of more than just a movie in Detective Byomkesh Bakshy.

It is believed that the moustache is a symbol of machismo and virility. It is supposed to embody manliness and the male qualities of courage, valour – most kings who ruled this land and or parts of it wore these hirsute principles. The moustachioed male twirling his moustache adds gravitas to the moment of contemplation while also showcasing his manliness.

Byomkesh has a moustache too. However, unlike the characteristics of the moustachioed, the hero comes across as someone with a gentle soul. This is first put across to the cinema goers when he is slapped by Ajit Bandhopadhyay in the first few minutes of the movie. The slap floors him and he remains one with the floor as the camera pans the smoke heavy room with the carom playing crowd. The next time we are accosted by his sensitive spirit is when he turns his face to avoid looking at the ghastly wound on the leg he is holding. This persona is constantly brought to the fore in the movie - when he does not come to the aid of Ajit when they are accosted by a group of men who begin roughing them up. His flinching when Ajit raises his hand even though a slap seems to be furthermost from Ajit's mind.

Though the gentle demeanour hides a brave and enquiring spirit the value of the mooch on him is watered down by the heroes actions or want of them.

This watering down is complete when one compares the actions of Ajit who is not only clean-of-face but wears spectacles, is short, a tad rotund and wears a look of constant wonder. This man slaps the hero, exercises vigorously, shows off his boxers and fights a gang of men. These are the exploits of a hero, of a go-getter ie of someone who many would like to see with a moustache.

This hero's sidekick does not wear wear a moustache but displays all the faculties of someone who is moustached. So, is the common refrain 'mooch nahin tho kooch nahin' false? Yes there have been movies where the hero is clean shaven but he acts like a hero, bashing up villains and what have you. However, one has not come across a movie where the clean shaven 'side-kick' ostensibly performs this function of the moustachioed hero which is so popular, widely accepted and ingrained in people.

The movie clearly assigns the role of the thinker and of the action man to two different people, usually the hero does both. In doing so the director has also subverted the much held hirsute principles.

Dibakar Bannerjee, the director, also speaks of the dangers of acting on the ' enemy of my enemy is a friend' philosophy. The young freedom fighters who join Anukul's plot to get the Japanese into Calcutta and so rid the city of the British realise much to their dismay that they are pawns in a far greater conspiracy. Their desire for independence had made them puppets to a drug laced conspiracy and had blinded them to the perils of opening the gates of the city to another imperial army.

Though Byomkesh saves the day with some dexterous planning and quick thinking there is much food for thought at the end of the day. What would have happened if the Japanese did finally control Calcutta? Would Anukul have become the drug lord he wanted to be under Japanese rule? Would the freedom fighters have realised their dream of freedom under the rule of another imperialist? Would the Japanese have diluted their imperialistic ambitions for the dreams of these people?

Thankfully, the answers to these questions will remain conjectures. However that being said the movie does bring to light the pitfalls of blind nationalism of any given time. Such fervour catalyses decisions and actions that on the surface seem correct and justified, but in fact may only bring horror on an unsuspecting population.

Samir Nazareth is the author of '1400 Bananas, 76 Towns & 1 Million People'