The Web - My Thoughts on Jaal (1952)

I was watching Discovery Channel yesterday and they had this program which spoke of the 12 most dangerous animals on Planet Earth...... It had many interesting but unthinkable animals and I was impressed by the coverage and the detailed expositions of each animal... what surprised me the most was that the spider was not included in the list....

Yes sir, I am talking about your 'friendly neighbourhood' spider, the one you brush off with a neat swash of your hand but what you fail to understand is that none can be more dangerous than a spider who is nothing but a Judas in the disguise of a friend? And who can be more dangerous than Judas - the man who betrays with a kiss is definitely more dangerous than a man who challenges you for a duel to death - you can be ready for the later but can you be ready for the former?

There is a saying that if you wish to boil a frog, do not throw it in boiling water, it will jump out; throw it in normal water and then increase the temperature steadily; the frog will never know of the difference and by the time it learns, it will be too late for both the frog and it's chances of escape.....

Similarly, A spider’s web is the most treacherous creation of nature and the spider, the wiliest of all creatures. This statement may appear incongruous to the passive observer who only believes what his eye tells him but to the trained and discerning eye of a wise man, the distinction is not only obvious but also a clear reminder of the dictum that not all enemies face off and challenge in the open. Not all enemies come with a sword in the hand, many attack with silvery tongues and sweet words. Unlike other predators like the lion and the tiger, the spider never uses brute force to kill its victims but lures them to their death with charm and guile. Its victims are not the result of a traditional battle between the fang and the hoof but are led to their doom by the charm of his magnificent web, patiently woven around the frailties of it’s unfortunate victims.

So also does the human spider lurk in the shadows, plotting his web, waiting for the prey to make the fatal error and once made, moves in ruthlessly to claim his victim, destroy him ruthlessly, showing no mercy, till the victim has been vanquished and the objective realized. Amazing, as it may seem, this breed is not uncommon but can be found anywhere and everywhere - in offices, among one's circle of friends, among loved ones and often the hand that you trust the most hides a sharp dagger. They are the ones who act as if they are the victims and you the aggressor, whereas within their dark hearts they hide an ambition more gruesome than any; a ruthlessness more fierce than any and a hatred more ancient than any. They may be like the meek Judas who betrayed Jesus with a kiss or Dathan who betrayed both Rameses and Moses with a soft voice, they may be like Brutus who betrayed his Caesar or Igor who destroyed Othello....

History and Mythology is full to the brim with such characters who were the downfall of great heroes and nations; and you and I stand as a mute testimony of many such whom you would have met in our course of life.

Jaal (1952) is one of the most brilliant and stark portrayals of a human spider and his resoluteness that could go to any extents to ensure that his primary objective was achieved; even to the extent of destroying those who had done nothing to excite his revenge. The way, a spider and his shrewd net has been portrayed in this movie is not only worth appreciation but also worth comprehension for many hide in such garbs, all around us.

Speaking historically, too this movie is a landmark in Hindi Cinema. It was in a way, the harbinger of similar movies, wherein the protagonist would use the garb of love and emotions to obtain his desire and then ruthlessly destroy the victim, but with one marked difference – the villain in this movie was the hero himself, making it one of the first complete negative portrayals by a leading man. Although Ashok Kumar had portrayed the anti-hero in Kismet (1943) with a reason and Raj Kapoor had portrayed a anti-hero who reforms towards the end in Bewafa (1951) and Awara (1951) and Dilip Kumar would do the same in many movies in the coming years, it was to the credit of the actor and director that whenever one talks of a spider, silky and debonair, it will always be Tony aka Dev Anand

Geeta Bali as Maria plays perhaps her best performance in a sadly truncated career. Critics may argue and point out her performance in "Banwre Nain" and if they do, fair enough but this is as per me vintage Geeta. It’s sad to note that despite being an actress of the best calibre, Geeta rarely got a chance to prove her capabilities and all we have as a remembrance of the great actress are her brilliant performances in a few movies. One of those has to be definitely Jaal (another would be "Banwre Nain".)

The spunk of the character, the gay abandon of youth, the mesmerism of first love, the wakening of the sexual desires and the final abandonment of the self to the pursuit of happiness in the arms of the beloved and then the rude awakening, all of it points to a brilliant understanding of the role and it’s deeper nuances. The fall of the character into the web is so well documented by the eyes and the face, by torn desires and frustrated looks that one can almost feel Maria falling in the trap and the spider closing down on him. Geeta does all this and more, as she lives the part of a woman in love with a man from the depths to the extent of committing any crime to be with him effortlessly. Her portrayal of an agonized and arrested soul, seeking liberation in the arms of her love during the course of the song ‘Yeh Raat’ is one of the most brilliantly performed and has all signs of an awakening sexuality. Never before has sexuality been so brilliantly depicted without a hint of the vulgar as in the picturisations of this song. In it’s brilliance, it compares itself only to a similar performance by Madhubala in Mughal-E-Azam and Nargis in Barsaat.

Dev Anand as Tony pulls out all stops to portray effortlessly the negative side of man. The sly toothless grin, the twinkling eye, the friendly smile every gesture of this man points towards the eternal romantic except for the fact that somewhere behind the mask lurks a predator. This is vintage Dev, long before the actor got submerged in the star with the romantic persona and engrossing mannerisms.

An actor out to prove his capability, Dev not only manages to portray his role to perfection but also in the process is able to create one of the most enduring and well-chiseled negative performances in Hindi Cinema. Look at the way, he creates his persona and seduces Maria. The soulful ballad, the charismatic persona, indeed Dev was the Casanova of Hindi Cinema - and if I may say so, in the context of the film, the best spider ever. The patience of the spider, the game of seduction, the soft pedal towards sexual arousal and at the same time the continuous spinning of the web such that nothing is visible but yet happening; the style that smiles and twinkles and hides and kills - could there be another spider as lovable as this and as DANGEROUS as this?

Johnny Walker impresses in a short cameo. There is not much from him in the movie, dominated as it is by the web being built by Tony for Maria but still Johnny is Johnny. He goes beyond his role and shows that given a chance, he can outshine and outwink the greatest stars in the constellation.

Purnima plays the role of the wronged woman effortlessly. K N Singh is adequate but does not rise above the script. Rashid Khan shines in the role of the buffoon. Ram Singh however fades away in his depiction of Mr. Good in front of the incessant devilish charm of Dev. His failure makes the movie completed one-sided. Thank God then for the brilliance of Dev Anand and Geeta Bali!

S D Burman as usual is at his mesmerizing best. This was one of his first films in collaboration with Sahir Ludhianvi and went a long way in creating the magic that culminated in priceless classics like Sadhana and Pyaasa. Although each and every song in the film is a classic, the song that captures the imagination is undoubtedly the love ballad, ‘Yeh Raat, Yeh Chandni” serenaded by the great Hemant Kumar in his inimitable style. The song is seduction at his best as the singer croons,

Ek Baar Chal Diye Jo Tujhe Pukaar Ke
Laut Kar Naa Aayenge Qaafile Bahaar Ke

Listening to this song is magic… pure magic…. how sweet is the sound of love and how subtle the call of love... but behind it hides, at it's destructive best, the danger of the enemy, so well masked by the velvet strains of the voice.....

As if this was not enough, we have Lata Mangeshkar’s melancholic version of the same song, sung with pathos the way only Lata can. some parts of that song are so much full of pathos that one can understand and feel how a fly must feel in the web, in the last hours of her existence.

Lahron Ke Labon Par Hain, Khoye Huey Afsaane
Gulzaar Umeedon Ke Sab Ho Gaye Veerane
Tera Pata Paoon Kahan, Sune Hai Saare Thikaane
Jaane Kahan Gum Ho Gaye, Jaa Ke Woh Agle Zamaane
Barbaad Hai Aarzoo Kaa Jahan.....

Thus does the prey still love her spider and look for him, though he has destroyed her beyond redemption

In total contrast,  we have Geeta Dutt at her effervescent best, signifying the free bird in “Chori Chori Meri Gali”. The way, the song has been visualized as well as sung speaks of the carefree and natural flow in the voice of the one and only Geeta Dutt. She's debonair and uninhibited, giving full flow to youth in it's first flush of freedom. Another song that one cannot forget is the Kishore Kumar - Geeta Dutt duet, "De Bhi Chuke Hum Dil Nazaraana", a beautiful playful song that still reminds me of the greatness of Geeta Dutt's free style when compared to the laboured style of many then and thereafter.

Guru Dutt is synonymous in Hindi Film as a director who dealt with the inner tribulations of a talent gone waste in a materialistic society but long before Guru Dutt acquired the reputation, he had actually earned his spurs directing what would be later considered as one of the finest psychological crime thrillers of Hindi Cinema. The movie is slow and cannot be considered as a thriller if you are looking for excitement and thrills, but if you understand the theme of the story, you will find the story moves at the right pace. Admittedly, the story of a spider cannot but move leisurely but firmly.... that's how a spider plays his game; slow but sure!

The director's ability to emerge deep into his characters and still manage to remain afloat enough to ensure that the film does not become a personal ego-trip is something today’s directors would do well to learn from. Another appreciable point about the director is that he takes immense pain to portray the life in a Christian Goan hamlet and does not make it a caricature. Very few films have managed to make a movie that is so well and meticulously researched on the Christian Goan community. Again, right from the characterization of the lead pair to the game of seduction to the inevitable end, everything in the movie is just too natural and it’s all thanks to the director who time and again reminds us that directors are not those who rely on camera angles but those who ensure that the film has a story worth the trouble. The director impresses with his take on the futility of human relationships in a world given to materialistic pursuits. Equally mesmerizing is his skill at using the fisherman’s net as a symbol of the human spider’s plotting and machinations.

Always remember that not all that glitters is gold and not all who welcomes you with open arms, a friend.

The Song of Liberation - Songs to Remember X

There are times when it's important to discard the world for all that, that it is - to throw oneself out from the rigid dogmas that make a society and to follow what the heart says - there are times when the sigh of the individual goes way beyond the noise and din that engulfs the society; there are times when the need for the self, the desire for the self overrides all conventions that make a society.

Conservatives may balk at it, Tyrants may tear you apart for it; Self-styled leaders of Men and upholders of Society may make living an unenviable option for you but still despite the pain and the frustration, there are times when men boldly stand fearlessly and declare what they feel is right. It is this desire of the self, this thirst of knowledge from the hidden underbelly of selfish society that leads man to more important pursuits and to greater truths. Had it not been for this eternal thirst, we would still be back there in the forest, fearful of the dark and the unknown, quaking at the bolts of lightning and suspicious of the ways of the river.

What would have been the fate of Men and Societies had Abraham and then Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed not extolled their quest for a God and His Truth. What would be this world if Buddha would have let bonds of kinship bind him to his family. What would have been Mankind had Zoroaster not taken to acclaiming without fear or favour the eternal battle between the Good and the Evil. What would have been the fate of the world had Krishna not spoken of the power of action over devotion. What would be the world had Guru Gobind Singh not dared to create the Khalsa

What would be Astronomy had Galileo not stood up to the Pope? What would be the fate of travel had Wilbur and Orville Wright not dared to simply fly? What would be medicine had Edward Jenner not injected the small pox germs in his own stream?

These were all choices - choices that led to men and societies being as we are...... but it's not easy - to talk of choices is easy; to follow one's heart, in face of opposition and total chances of complete defeat difficult... Many move on this path and then fall - many about whom we say," Their Gods had feet of Clay."

Thousands of times we die, before we make those choices, thousands of times we kill ourselves at the altar of these choices and from these altars, we return either alive but defeated, crushed to a death much more severe than death or free and proud that we follow our own heart and not that of anyone else......

The exhilaration, the great feeling of liberty that one feels on crossing that one step of decision and indecision can only be felt; to express it in words is as difficult as trying to express the feeling of freedom to one who has been free but never understood freedom.

Still S D Burman in close league with the great Shailendra and the inimitable Lata Mangeshkar in that great classic Guide tried and tried well to give words to that ultimate ode to liberation; a song that's the call of fierce individualism; the words that signify independence and right to make one's own land and one's own dream!

Kaanton Se Khinch Ke Ye Aanchal
Tod Ke Bandhan Baandhe Paayal
Koi Na Roko Dil Ki Udaan Ko
Dil Woh Chalaa ..........

The feeling of exhilaration that one feels when she breaks off the old bonds of servitude and the feeling of strength in self, that one feels when she snatches off her freedom from the prisons of thorns that pervade her is unbelievable.. it's like the feeling of exhilaration that a balloon feels when it is free of the bondage of the holder and moves towards the blue sky, gay as a bird, free as wind.....

The heart has now moved on, on it's own destination.... unmindful of all that it feels or worries of; it's path is what it has chosen; it's destination what it has decreed.... it may fail or it may succeed; the ultimate pride lies in the fact that even if defeat is the final destination; it's not for the lack of trying

And so sure at least of it's feelings, if not success and comfortable with it's emotions,if not it's future, the heart pronounces, with the head held high and self-respect flowing from it's every sinew and muscle that today it has dared to dream - today it has dared to declare fearlessly that it has a vision; that today its free to live and today its free to die for what it believes in without worrying about what the future holds for it..... Today Life and Death hold no special place for him; there are just two states that it has overcome on its quest for Truth ... That Today it is what it is......

Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai
Aaj Phir Marne Ka Iraada Hai 

The memory of the battle against indecision is still there - the fear, the worry, the concern but the soul and the spirit has risen past it and is now on it's new path..... Yet like a truely liberated one, it does not fail to acknowledge the darkness that was, the pain that seared and the choices that had to be made.

It's never easy, beyond all decisions of liberation lie personal battles that have to be won, personal demons that have to be defeated and personal beliefs and dogmas that have to be overcome; someone has said that it's always the darkes hour before dawn and when finally the first rays of dawn reach man and he sees them with outstretched hands, all that conflict, all that frustration seems nothing but a nightmare, an illusion, a MAYA that has been lost, just like the cold harsh winter hides within it the seeds of a spring that's imminent and irrevocable..... what is required is only the immense faith and confidence in self to claim one's destiny from the jaws of dogma

Kal Ke Andheron Se Nikal Ke
Dekhaa Hai Aankhen Malke Malke
Phool Hi Phool Zindagi Bahaar Hai
Tay Kar Liyaa ...........

And then the intoxication of the new path takes over; yet another dangerous point has come near but the newly liberated spirit cannot understand where the danger lies; many forget that taking a decision to walk beyond dogma is not enough, there is also a need for a commitment that won't fail, a trust that won't fall, a meaning that won't change.... Many a important decisions are not destroyed by indecision but by the feeling of defeat and this is what the soul has to avoid.... and this is what she speaks of when she says that she hopes she does not lose herself when she is close to her final victory ..... The heart is not in control of her own self ... she has still not gained anything but still life is smiling and so is Destiny.....

Apne Hi Bas Mein Nahin Main
Dil Hai Kahin To Hoon Kahin Main
Jaane Kya Pa Ke Meri Zindagi Ne
Hans Kar Kaha ......

The feeling of headiness that arises out of taking a great decision can often be destroyed by the fact that it often makes you forget who you are, where you are and what you have gone through while taking that step.... It's important then to maintain both your calm and your composure or else

History is littered with the corpses of many who thought they could but could not; as much as it is littered with those who thought they could but would not!

Main Hoon GubaarYaa Toofaan Hoon
Koi Bataye Main Kahaan Hoon
Darr Hai Safar Mein Kahin Kho Na Jaoon
Rasta Nayaa .............

Many a great battles were lost not in the heat of the moment; but at the moment of expectation of sure success .... many a great boats capsized not in the tumultous waves of a dangerous cyclone but in the serene calm of the beach....

Making a Decision is not the only difficult challenge; Keeping your commitment to the Decision is the most difficult part and this is where many a Titans have fallen. Surely is it said, the path of good intentions is often littered with the corpses of those that dared but did not have the courage to follow on to it!

Life is a game of choice.... Make Them ..... And Then..... Take Them!