Katha

Last weekend I watched the movie called Katha, made in early 80s, directed by Sai Paranjpe. The star cast was slim but astounding, Naseeruddin Shah, Farooq Shekh and Deepti Naval. The main plot of the movie is so simple and is narrated in the simplest way possible.

Rajaram (Nasseruddin Shah) is middle class clerk living in Chawl, Bombay (Chawl is a housing complex like today’s apartments, where 10-15 different families live at one place.). He is secretly in love with the girl next door Sandhya (Deepti Naval). Rajaram is a real honest guy who is always ready to be helpful to others at any given situation. One day his old friend Bashudev (Farooq Sheikh), who gave up the schooling abruptly and ran away to Delhi, visits him. Bashudev is pretentious and cunning. He is a smooth talker and a con man, who doesn’t have any qualms even stealing from his own friend. With his mastery, conceited skills he impresses one and everyone at chawl. Sandhya and her parents get dazzled with the ostentatious Bashu and which leaves Rajaram heart broken. Bashu escapes the premises right on the morning of the wedding day deserting Sandhya as he has no more moves left to play with. Devastated at the situation, Rajaram offers his concern and asks Sandhya to marry him. Sandhya even though delighted at his offer, she reveals that she had been very intimate with Bashu. Will Rajaram accepts the Sandhya or not, remains to be seen on the screen.

This movie is inspired from the classical story of Hair (Farooq) and Tortoise (Nasseruddin). The presentation is simple and effortless. Protagonists played their roles perfectly. Amazing thing is, the actual chawl residents played their same roles in the movie. The movie doesn’t have any gimmicks or any adulterated jokes. It is just a plain uncomplicated, straight forward movie.