Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda | Learning A Masterpiece | The Critique

Dharamveer Bharti’s work Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda never got the recognition Gunaho Ka Devta got. However, on celluloid, Shyam Benegal’s adaptation of the story stands tall as one of the most admired pieces of alternate cinema. Rarely we experience such an endearing effort on screen. Maybe SKSG is not as compelling as Benegal’s other movies like Bhumika or as moving as Nishant, SKSG successfully balances all the elements of drama brilliantly.

 

SKSG is a metafiction. Sitting in his room with a bunch of friends, Manek tells some stories. Part of these stories are reality and part of them are his imagination. Stories are woven around Manek, three women in his life and people around them who actively influence the events. Manek, largely, remains a passive character. His friends ridicule him for this fact and he accepts the criticism gracefully. In the end, the way the title is explained by narrative, it successfully ties up all the open threads of different stories and bring about a conclusion that stays with you even after years.

 

Characters are contemporary and relevant. Even after twenty years, they seems to be carved out of people among us. Like most his films, Benegal keeps the focus on lives of lower-middle and lower class of the society and how their economic situation influences their life. Benegal doesn’t try to create caricature. Manek or any other character is as close to the real world as it can be. Their situations, maybe borderline fiction, seems to be very realistic.  

 

SKSG has some nice performances. Rajit Kapur, Amrish Puri, Neena Gupta, Lalit Tiwari and Raghuvir Yadav leave an impact. Music by Vanraj Bhatia is soulful. At no point it attempts to overpower the story and narrative and plays a very understated role. Direction is flawless. Aided by a brilliant story, Shyam Benegal brings out the best from the literary piece. No wonder, it received the National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.  

 

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh