After Rockstar, I suggested that one should promise self to watch every Ranbir Kapoor film in 2012 because in the contemporary list of actors, nobody is half as good as he is in the ‘talented’ department. He probably works very hard but his effortless act shows up more as ‘gifted’ than ‘hard worked’. He delivers the goods, each time above expectations. He’s that boy in school who always stands first and we are used to it. So, I will shrug off his brilliance in the film as 'another great performance, as expected'. Nevertheless, one cannot dismiss the other complements to this film. Shruti, played by Ileana, is a breath of fresh air in this acting classroom. She lucidly amalgamates into the beautiful Bengali woman unadulterated with glamor. Every time she is onscreen in a saree you want to tell her how beautiful she looks! Priyanka earns her brownie points as Zhilmil! How often does a main stream actress get to play challenged roles? Sadma... anything else?
However, beyond the meticulously chosen cast, the film appears to be a work of heart. For once, we have a story that outweighs its cast. It flips between three time periods of 1972, 1978 and present day, and some of these flips between the time zones are brilliantly executed. (A 1978 married Shruti goes through the tunnel to come out as a 1972 engaged one). 'If you appreciate the little things in life, you shall see, a paper sparrow flaps its wings by a train window too', the story tells us. In spirit of these little things, Anurag Basu, walks the talk throughout his film: the commonplace man-behavior of pricking out one’s nasal hair or straightening out the trouser that’s jammed in the butt crack, the broken mirror pieces used as communication tools, the joy of decorating the glass window panes with water melon seeds and a shoe as an identification of someone familiar, someone you know and recognize. However, at the very core, the story is of ordinary love between a man and woman with extraordinary sensibilities that touch our emotional nerve. Its miraculous to note that despite the cognitive limitations of those involved in the love story, they have a love that’s limitless. It opens up our hearts to ponder over our infinite capacity to love.
Anurag Basu speaks an altogether different language of love that is comprehensible to everybody in the audience. Although nobody would have studied the sign language we all get what Barfi tells Shruti the first time he meets her. “You are captivating. Here, I offer my heart to you,” and he puts his heart at her feet. From that moment on, we get to know Barfi and we like him instantaneously for his openness, simplicity and honesty. His character solidifies before our eyes... the fun, the frolic and the carefree. Later, we also relate to his agonizing rejection where his proposal to Shruti is dismissed for reasons of his cognitive disabilities and, therefore, deviant from 'prospective husband' norms in society. We learn he is a good son and always gets in trouble. A lot of us enjoy his Charlie Chaplin like humor and playful pranks which are introduced throughout the film to keep it light hearted. By this time we have gotten to love him.
The story then moves into the subplots of kidnapping which is only laying foundation for the love that will later unfold. I understand there are probably multiple instances where these sub plots have loose ends (say you can see the kidnapper nonchalantly walking away into the tea farms when Barfi heists the van and runs away with Zhilmil. Really are we that dumb?) However, Anurag keeps us so gripped that we tend to ignore these loops holes. We may even forgive him later. But for now, we just want to know what happened to Zhilmil?
Now is the miraculous part of the story. We see the journey of how two people connect, understand and entice each other. The glitter in the dark forest with the large bubbles, lets call it artistic freedom, we don’t question its practicality? We just realize that Barfil uses it to get Zhilmil home. The communication with mirrors and the joy of spitting watermelon seeds are endearing dimensions as compared to modern day dating nuisances. He amuses her with more Charlie Chaplin humor and she wants to be amused each time he enters home, so he throws her a little scared dramatic feat, each time he enters home.
We see him grow, some would say into a man, do some odd jobs and provide for Zhilmil. Take care of her, look after her. He notices how ecstatic she gets looking as folk dancers dressed up as giant dolls. So, if someone thought, inviting them to the wedding was a means for entertainment - really how foolish are you? Its his gesture of love to make her smile; be ecstatic on her wedding day. She on the other hand wants to fan him while he eats and her autistic brain wonders whether she could be that sexy woman who shows off her navel in a saree? Then one day, amongst all this eventful life, Barfi decides to assess Zhilmil on his lamp post test of togetherness.
This is the scene where I missed a heartbeat. Such ingenious metaphor to answer the age old question in love, “Will you be with me till the end of life?”. This lamp post metaphor was a marvel. Zhilmil is the only one who stands his test of time and in that moment he seals the deal of love with her. He tells Shruti through a sign that says, “my heart goes out to her.”
A director’s ability to make the audience miss a heartbeat speaks volumes of his creativity. Remember Titanic? The one scene that makes you believe Rose loves Jack? Well, for me, its the one where Rose is all set to sail shore on a rescue boat. As the boat drips a level down, she keeps looking at Jack... and then in a split of a second jumps back onto the sinking Titanic followed by a dramatic union of the lovers. “You jump, I jump, right?”, she asks Jack. In that moment, we believe her love for him.
The lamp post scene convinces me of Barfi's unflinching love for Zhilmil from that moment on. He will never give up on her. She is the one for him. She locking her little finger with his, is her vote of confidence. His gesture to touch his forehead against her is his way of saying, “I love you.” Its that simple. Period.
That's the story I was touched by. I loved the film for its ingenious depiction of human sensibilities. Fantastic one, Mr. Anurag Basu!!
