"Would you transculterize my book?" Alexandra asked me.
It was my last day in Seville and Alexandra Whitaker, who had rented out a room to me for the duration of my stay, had suggested we meet for breakfast before I take the bus out.
"Transculterize?"
"Yes. It is set in America, I want you to rewrite it and set it in Mumbai."
It sounded interesting. She gave me a copy of her book, Leaving Sophie Dean, and I promised her a couple of chapters once I was back home. The first task was to think up Indian names for the characters keeping in mind the associations that names carry in our country. The professions of the key characters had to be changed as they did not resonate in the Indian context. The story was set in white picket fenced suburban American. Suburb - a word with a whole different Mumbai context and thus the setting had to be recreated. The dialogue had to be stripped of American wit and redressed with Indian humour. I redo every sentence, every scene in the Mumbai context before I email it to her.
****
The last few years have seen artists crossing borders, some times carrying their art to a different culture and at times bringing a different culture into their art form. With Beyond the Clouds, Iranian film maker Majid Majidi brings his revered storytelling skills into the Indian context. Beyond the Clouds is the story of Aamir and his older sister Taara, both orphaned at a young age and left to fend for themselves. They share a strained relationship as they make their way through the exacting Mumbai life. Aamir, a petty drug peddler, scrapes along the lawless path with the dream to hit it big. Taara on the other hand has worked right and hard to reach a point where she holds a steady job at the dhobi ghat and a place she can call home. But, a twist of fate land Tara in jail and it is up to Aamir to get her out. As Aamir struggles to save his sister, he ends looking after the family of his sister's perpetrator. Taara on the other end, forges an attachment with Chhotu, a young boy left alone when his mother dies in prison.
The movie has some beautiful moments especially in the second half. The director shows the control over his craft by bringing on the end credits before the story is over, letting the reader take over the reins.
Largely, it is the dialogue and performances that let the story down. Both protagonists are ordinary and rarely display a connect with their character. Majidi has shot 90%of the film in original locations to anchor the story in its physical context but the dialogue sounds fake and sets it afloat. That is probably why some of the best moments in the movie feature the two kids who barely speak. Majidi's acclaimed films Children of Heaven, Colour of Paradise and Mohammad were all made in his tongue, Persian. His limited, if any, knowledge of Hindi lets the story down and results in a disappointing film from a creator of his calibre.
****
A couple of months after I emailed the chapters, I heard back from Alexandra, her publishers did not see value in the project. I can't say I was surprised. The Mumbaiya story had seemed forced, I had tried to chip away at the handcrafted elements to cram them into the moulds at hand. They were a misfit.
The world is shrinking, they say. Possibly, yes. We are cloning each other, but, at the same time there are some inherent traits we are hanging on to for dear life. Yes, art must continue to attempt to leap across borders. But, the trans-culturization must be complete for it to land on its feet on the other side.
It was my last day in Seville and Alexandra Whitaker, who had rented out a room to me for the duration of my stay, had suggested we meet for breakfast before I take the bus out.
"Transculterize?"
"Yes. It is set in America, I want you to rewrite it and set it in Mumbai."
It sounded interesting. She gave me a copy of her book, Leaving Sophie Dean, and I promised her a couple of chapters once I was back home. The first task was to think up Indian names for the characters keeping in mind the associations that names carry in our country. The professions of the key characters had to be changed as they did not resonate in the Indian context. The story was set in white picket fenced suburban American. Suburb - a word with a whole different Mumbai context and thus the setting had to be recreated. The dialogue had to be stripped of American wit and redressed with Indian humour. I redo every sentence, every scene in the Mumbai context before I email it to her.
****
The last few years have seen artists crossing borders, some times carrying their art to a different culture and at times bringing a different culture into their art form. With Beyond the Clouds, Iranian film maker Majid Majidi brings his revered storytelling skills into the Indian context. Beyond the Clouds is the story of Aamir and his older sister Taara, both orphaned at a young age and left to fend for themselves. They share a strained relationship as they make their way through the exacting Mumbai life. Aamir, a petty drug peddler, scrapes along the lawless path with the dream to hit it big. Taara on the other hand has worked right and hard to reach a point where she holds a steady job at the dhobi ghat and a place she can call home. But, a twist of fate land Tara in jail and it is up to Aamir to get her out. As Aamir struggles to save his sister, he ends looking after the family of his sister's perpetrator. Taara on the other end, forges an attachment with Chhotu, a young boy left alone when his mother dies in prison.
The movie has some beautiful moments especially in the second half. The director shows the control over his craft by bringing on the end credits before the story is over, letting the reader take over the reins.
Largely, it is the dialogue and performances that let the story down. Both protagonists are ordinary and rarely display a connect with their character. Majidi has shot 90%of the film in original locations to anchor the story in its physical context but the dialogue sounds fake and sets it afloat. That is probably why some of the best moments in the movie feature the two kids who barely speak. Majidi's acclaimed films Children of Heaven, Colour of Paradise and Mohammad were all made in his tongue, Persian. His limited, if any, knowledge of Hindi lets the story down and results in a disappointing film from a creator of his calibre.
****
A couple of months after I emailed the chapters, I heard back from Alexandra, her publishers did not see value in the project. I can't say I was surprised. The Mumbaiya story had seemed forced, I had tried to chip away at the handcrafted elements to cram them into the moulds at hand. They were a misfit.
The world is shrinking, they say. Possibly, yes. We are cloning each other, but, at the same time there are some inherent traits we are hanging on to for dear life. Yes, art must continue to attempt to leap across borders. But, the trans-culturization must be complete for it to land on its feet on the other side.
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