MEMORIES OF A FORGOTTEN WAR ~ Looking Back

"When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today"

~  J.M Edmonds

Mr. Utpal Borpujari’s documentary on “Memories of a Forgotten War” is a chilling reminder that war has cost us so many innocent lives. The documentary takes us to a tour of the World War II which was fought across the Eastern corridors of India.

            In 1944 ,the North East was the entry door to the Japanese armies to the then British occupied India, the latter being a part of the Allied forces. However, the war was not only of the Axis and the Allied forces. It was a queer war being fought. Japanese forces had advanced to Imphal and Kohima and along with was the Indian National Army (INA) founded by Subhash Chandra Bose. INA wanted India to be freed from the yokes of the foreign tyranny. It was a decisive battle. The documentary shows at Moirang, Manipur, a thatched hut which served the headquarters of INA, and which was the place where the Tricolor of Free India was flown. We realize that both Nagaland & Manipur had the association of direct conflict of World War II like no other states in India. Memories are still alive amongst the villagers. In this documentary one can see curious odd little things that the villagers have collected: spoons, helmets. It was a poignant point in the movie where it showed that from shell of a bomb, temple bell was made. It was such an ironic twist of faith. A bomb which tore apart all faith in humanity tolls at the temple hoping to bring back peace and faith in lives of people.

            The documentary provided a rich tapestry of accounts from all sources even after six decades of the war. Mr. Borpujari travelled far and wide for this documentary. He met soldiers from the Allied sides in United Kingdom, America & met the soldiers who fought for Japan despite the latter’s deep hesitancy to talk about this subject. The director also gets to meet soldiers from both side of the battle for a joint commemoration of the Battle of Kohima. It is a historic moment for everyone present there. Most were meeting each other for the first time after the battle front. Memories of the war were relived and along with came deep respect. They were octogenarians, their bodies battered from war and lives, but in their heart they carried the goodwill & respect and it poured down as tears as the soldiers who once fought against each other hugged. It was an emotional scene, and we as viewers too, were moved to tears. 

British War veteran Roy Welland (Right) and Japanese veteran Isobe Kiichi has fought each in WW I

             The war of Kohima & Imphal claimed a heavy casualty. Of the 65,000 front-line troops, 30,000 were killed, 23,000 were wounded, and 600 were captured; among the 50,000 support troops, there were 15,000 casualties. The Allies only suffered 17,500 casualties in comparison ^[1]. Japanese Army possibly suffered the greatest defeat, not because they were killed, but starvation, bouts of diseases claimed more lives. There were running thin on supplies. This battle is often referred to as the “Stalingrad of the East” ^[2].

All of us watched the documentary with rapt attention. The screening was organized by two distinguished faculties from IIM Shillong Prof Natalie West Kharkongor & Prof Sanjeeb Kakoty. And we were fortunate to have the director along with us during the entire screening of the documentary. As the documentary winded with the video of the process of extracting the debris of an American WWII plane from the remote hills of Arunachal, it struck to us that many such remnants from that era still exists in India esp. in Manipur & Nagaland unbeknownst of us , in some quaint hill or under a slow stream. We were left speechless, with so much information, with so much footage of the dark memories lingering. I realized the truth: that a war is never fought by the soldiers, it is often fought by the politicians, and it is only the soldiers who pay the price of their lives, and which was rightly pointed out by an Indian Major in the documentary. 

Renko-ji Temple, Tokyo 

         The director also shared with us,that during his shooting of this documentary in Tokyo, Japan, how he was invited inside the Renkoji Buddhist temple where the remains of Netaji Subhash Bose is kept in an urn and every day a priest prays to his name. As he was speaking, I could feel the goose bumps inside and as I looked outside the window it dawned on me, not far from here where I was sitting in a class in Shillong, a historic battle was being fought between two nations, sixty four years ago and the world was to see the horrors and untold misery of millions and millions of people. As the quote in the beginning is an epitaph in the World War II cemetery in Kohima reminds us of the sacrifice of those no more for a better future.  It is very pertinent on this note that younger generations who have never seen such misery and death, learn from the wisdom of the past and Mr. Borpujari’s documentary was perfectly timed to remind us all of that. His eye of details and the extent of his work for reliving these tales was unparalleled. I wish the entire student community would have poured down to watch this documentary as not many documentaries are there which holds your breathe and shakes you up from within, makes you cry with the protagonist and also leaves you with  food for thought. I personally wish him all the best and pray many more such thought provoking and meaningful documentaries come out from his deft hands.

REFERENCE:

[1] https://ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=188

[2] https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/history-of-war/kohima-the-stalingrad-of-the-east/

Films that left an indelible mark .

The following are some of the films that left a permanent impression in my mind. They conjure countless feelings, emotions and ideas. I could watch them any number of time and would still be awed that there is something new in these films. They are layered, some complex some linear but nevertheless are masterpiece/s of the  directors . The list is not best to worst but  every film is a master in itself and deserve to be in the top. The list is not exhaustive and I hope to add more to it at some later point .

•   Fanny and Alexander(Ingmer Bergman , Swedish) :-  The movie charts the lives of the two siblings Fanny and Alexander . We see the life in Sweden through their eyes of early 19^th century Swedish aristocracy  . Though belonging itself to the genre of family drama , it evolves and gives the audience much more than it promises for . It has many subplots , all of them masterfully interwoven . Prima facie , the movie narrates a broad story of the Ekdahl family ,but actually it is the world where emotional intricacies of the characters of the Ekdahl family are perceived and felt by the observant eyes of teenaged protagonist , Alexander . Watching Bergman’s superb craftsmanship , and the colours given by  his equally able cinematographer Sven  Nykvist  can be a reason of joy for any movie lover . Made especially as a TV series for Christmas in Sweden (TV version – almost 5 hour duration ) but simultaneously released as a movie , it charms the audience for over 3  hours and keeps them enthralled . Perhaps the  most hopeful and most colourful of director’s repertoire , it feels the film fills with the warm fuzzy happy feeling of that of the family time around Christmas and that’s exactly what it was intended for when Bergman created this TV series to be aired during the Christmas season . 
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•        Persona (Ingmer Bergman , Swedish)  :- Its one of those movies of Bergman , which haunts you even in dreams . A serious movie from the beginning till end . Starring Bibi Andersson as the nurse Alma and Liv Ulmann as the actress Elisabeth Vogler . The movie is an epitome of a minimalist film . The character Elisabeth Vogler speaks only 14 words in the whole movie and manages to shake you from the roots because of the superb and lively expressions of Liv Ulmann . A minimalist film yet speaking volumes.  
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• .       Throne of Blood  (Akira Kurosaswa, Japanese) – The film is the Japanese version of Macbeth . However Akira Kurosawa’s direction gives a new edge to the sticky murder plot that brings down the entire family and friendship  . Toshiro Mifune’s acting as near insane Samurai Wasizu Tokeiki and his wife by her deathly expressions and Noh like action ,  enthralls the audience . One is left with abated breathe as to watch what unfolds next. And the last scene when the arrow pierces the Samurai’s neck makes the heart stop and marvel at the last shot . 
  
  
•              Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray, Bengali ) – The transliteration “Song of the Road” , is a film narrating the struggles and happiness of the lower middle class family in the quaint village of Nischindipur in Bengal . As the film unfolds , the audiences are drawn to  their struggle for existence , their celebration of life and above all to the universal truth of love . The audience cry when they shed tears and are filled with joy when the characters  smile . The film is all about Humanity and hence its context is as eternal as the sun or moon in the sky .
  
  

•             Hirak Rajar Deshe (Satyajit Ray, Bengali): The film is a narration about the kingdom which is the producer of diamonds . The politics , greed and power all come into play . The beauty of the movie is that the dialogues are in rhyming . Though apparently it might seem to be a children movie but the message is aimed for the adult audience. The fanatic level of power politics  and the harm it does to the subjects of a kingdom especially to the young developing minds ,  which is relevant even in today’s politics ,is addressed in this film beautifully and very creatively  . The film is aimed to both the children as well as to the adults.
  
  

•               Life is Beautiful (Roberto Benigni, Italian):- A poignant film by Roberto Benigni during the Holocaust , the first part of the movie moving as a romantic comedy gives a charming outlook towards the world . It is all about how Guido (Roberto Benigni) woos his “Princepessa” (Italian: Princess) Dora and marry.  However, the second half of the movie takes an unnatural twist  . It moves towards the darker side, as both the son and the father are transported to the concentration camp . The child, very young, fails to to understand and realize the grim situation of the world, for him being Jew means nothing .The father realizing that it is important to maintain the hopeful outlook of life for his young son crafts a game where he playfully teaches his son to develop the survival instincts of life and never lose a faith on the laughter , which may be even at the face of death . 
     

•              The garden of Finzi Continis (Vittorio De Sica, Italian) – A beautiful and poignant color film by Vittorio De Sica. The film captures the realm of titular rich Jewish family as fascism draws near and threatening them their very existence . The Jewish family have everything to their disposition and the garden inside the big town of Ferrara  serves as a safe haven for many . The garden serves as a visual trope in the film , sometimes appearing  to be a haven and  sometimes of the upcoming destruction by its desolate condition as the film draws close. The love life of . Miguel played by the sensuous beauty Dominique Sanda forms the main story at the backdrop of the Fascist Italy and progrom of Jewish Hunt, the film meanders through the convoluted human minds and emotions 

       #bestfilms #deSica #bergman #satyajitray #masteroffilmmaking #worldmasters #lifeisbeautiful #benigni #kurosawa # akirakurosawa #throneofblood #movieclassics #criterioncollection

PASTELS- A CHILD'S PLAY !

Certainly no !Because I am talking about the soft Pastels and not the Oil Pastels . The latter makes excellent children's birthday gift though . The soft pastels are a rare commodity in Indian markets . However they are an excellent medium to work with ! Difficult to manage initially but with patience and practice yields astonishing results . The one I own is MUNGYO Soft Pastel with 48 shades whose effect was quite impressive . Use of Textured papers accentuates the paintings and are also preferred . The "tooth" provides necessary grip to the pastel dusts . Using handmade papers are also an option for the Indian painters and because of the coarse nature its quite heavy duty so to say . Fixatives are generally sprayed to keep the pastels adhering to the surface but they simultaneously change the original feel of the paintings . So dont use it  unless and otherwise you feel necessary . The following are the two paintings made in Soft Pastels . I am still a learner and practising my way through . Hope to present good pastel paintings someday .

THE MASTER BUILDER

Many scholars have spent their entire lifetime to unearth the meaning of complex Henrik Ibsen's play . The unfathomable depths of the human mind and the working of the complex human psychology which is a trademark of his plays , really startles and amazes a  person .
I am novice in the appreciation of plays , very  unbecoming of the strong Bengali culture where association to the theatres is an integral part of the society . However better late than never , I had started to  read " A Dolls House" and was amazed to see how could Nora and Torvald  ,  whose marriage seemed to be smooth and perfect which one can only dream of , is such a grand illusion . Everything which is so calm and  beautiful outside may not be the same inside .  Nora was treated by her husband just like an identity-less woman ; more like a doll and how she fluttered like a caged bird to appease her husband . We are introduced to a variety of characters , some of them are strong and some very subtle . A character worth mentioning is Nils Krogstag , a bank clerk , who slowly works on the mind of Nora , creating a strong undercurrent and in a way helps out to bring the real woman in her , a woman of strength and reality . This way a whole world of deep introspection in the heart of a simple Bengali girl of twenty first century was opened by the Father of Modern Plays , Henrik Ibsen,  whose life coincided with the latter half of the nineteenth century . I was anxiously waiting for the Delhi Ibsen Festival where the world production of the Ibsen's play will be  staged .
Dec 1st , the festival opened with The Master Builder  and I felt ashamed that even though having the book with the , I am going to watch the play without reading , how could this possibly happen ?  As I thought, I started reading the play a day before with the challenge that I am going to finish off before 7.00 PM December 1st no matter what it take ,yes , that it is the time when the play would start off !
But as I started reading , I could feel a certain pull , a mesmerising world of ambition , love and hatred started to appear before me . The strength of his words were such that I could hardly put my book down and went on reading with the possible risk that I would have to apply for a leave the next day and have to feign that I am ill so that I am spared by my seniors . But anything is acceptable as long as I am a part of what unfolds in the life of THE MASTER BUILDER Halvard Solness , his wife Aline  , two women of his ineterest and a particular humorous Dr Herdal . The fiery young Hilda Wangel ;one of the woman of interest of Halvard , who is easily dismissed to be a happy go lucky girl , manages to carve out for herself a kingdom in the mind of the THE MASTER BUILDER . It is particularly remarkable to see how the shift of the weight takes place from the arrogant Master Builder to this Hilda Wangel who starts appearing to be a central figure  in the play . The wife of Halvard Solness to whom we sympathise for surviving a misfortune turns that she was more by the burning of the nine dolls whom she carried in her heart like unborn babies than the death of her twin sons barely two weeks old . This way one gets a peek into the depth of the psychology of the women in Ibsens's play . Someone could hardly dismiss that  the want to "Build the loveliest thing in the world ~ The castle in the air , with solid foundation in the ground " is too much to construct even for the THE MASTER BUILDER himself . He had easily fallen prey to the young Miss Hilda , the same youth which he feared he would be overpowered with . I daresay it happened , and he had a mighty fall , a fall from the dizzying heights and with a vulnerable conscience.
The production of THE MASTER BUILDER was by Padatik from Kolkata . Curiously the most amazing thing about this production is that , the play is written by a Norwegian , directed by Wlodzimierz Staniweski , a Polish by birth and produced by Indians . The universality of Henrik Ibsen's play could not be defined in much better way than this . It was simply an overwhelming experience to watch the play . The props created such a beautiful illusion , on top of that Chopin's music simply played with the mind of the audience  too and left an indelible mark in the heart . A note of thank even to the Norwegian Ambassador for his beautiful speech , his graceful way of acceptance of  the same , his charming and warm smile with a wish that I enjoy the rest of the festival, a chance to see Ila Arun from such close proximity  , all culminated into an unforgettable experience which I would cherish for a lifetime !

Delhi Ibsen Festival , Ila Arun lightening the lamp