They Played Chess while the Nation Burned - My Thoughts on Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977)

Chess is a beautiful game - in fact, in my humble estimation, it is one of the three greatest gifts of Ancient India, among others to our world - the other two being the discovery of the number zero that makes mathematics and science possible and astronomy; the twists and turns that are inherent in so humble a game, one that can be compassed in just a few blocks of black and white, makes one wonder at and appreciate the genius of the man who was the architect of this great game; Who could have thought that for a game as sedate and slow-moving as chess is, chess would be the companion of the greats and the legendary of the world of power; no wonder that to the connoisseurs of this regal game, nothing comes close to the excitement of chess, not even the intoxication of real power.

When two experts well-versed in this ageless art of attacks and counterattacks face each other across the board of 64, the thrill and excitement that this game provides; the battle of wit, intellect and mental fortitude that it presents to both the player and his opponent and even the onlooker can hardly be rivaled, let alone bettered by any other. It's something exciting about chess that allows you the full opportunity to plan your moves and also to be silent and patient, while the enemy plans is.... No one ever won a bout of chess by being exactly impatient or by thinking himself or herself above the others... Chess has a way of humbling the greatest and the smartest!

It’s common knowledge that every sport is an opportunity for humans to calibrate their prowess against their peers and contemporaries but there is hardly any game that stands up to chess when it comes to calibrating a man’s mental make-up. Some may argue in favour of Bridge and though I do agree that Bridge is a formidable game, Chess wins in keeping the individualistic streak open (In Bridge, it's a team that's competing). However, its one thing to play chess on the board and consider oneself as the prime among equals when it comes to deciphering hidden moves and plans and strategies on the board and another to actually be astute enough to understand the same in real life. As they say, you can play the game of chess all your life without ever becoming a player.

Politics is the real-time equivalent of chess with far more varieties and variations than can ever be seen on the board and it falls to the astuteness, alertness and intelligence of the player to deduce from what he sees what may be and what can be. Unfortunately there are few, if any, who read correctly the nuances written on the tealeaves of time and still fewer who actually understand them. That maybe the reason why India, though the land where chess originated and reached its pinnacle was easily outplayed by a few intelligent employees of the East India Company to an extent such that the land of the golden bird remained a colony of the imperialistic west for more than 200 years.

The film is based on a short story by the great Munshi Premchand, one of the legends of Indian modern writing. In his own imitable way, the great Premchand has in this brilliant short film of his, woven with a deft hand the circumstances that were in India in the 1850s and how the British, though a handful were able to using the stratagems employed in Chess, able to win over and rule a nation 3 times their size, while the rulers of India failed. Shatranj Ke Khiladi is a grim reminder of the fact that while the rajahs, maharajahs and nawabs of the Indian sub-continent wasted their time in fun and frolic, flying kites, frolicking with courtesans, killing each other to the last person on some perceived notion of slight to self-respect and playing games like chess in their palatial mansions, the actual players of the game, the British continued silently and softly on their mission of subjugation and conquest by gobbling up one state after another while reducing India to the status of a colony in the bargain.

Performance wise, Sanjeev Kumar as the chess-crazy Nawab of Awadh, Mirza Sajid Ali plays the role of the aristocratic nawab to the hilt. As a person who has no qualms whatsoever at playing chess at any cost and in any circumstances – even at the cost of marital discord, Sanjeev is brilliant. The elegance of a Nawab is not only evident but also stamps itself in every scene. You have to just watch the regal bearing the actor brings to his scene to be convinced of his greatness and completeness as an actor.

There are times when I have thought that there must be at least one performance where I will be able to capture a sense of discomfort in this great actor but always I have been forced to eat humble pie. Sanjeev Kumar is a complete actor, whatever the role, whatever the characterization and it's an honour to watch him perform whether as a volcano in Sholay or a lowly stream in Shatranj Ke Khiladi!

Saeed Jaffrey as his partner-in-crime, his partner-in-chess – Mir Roshan Ali is character personified. In his role as an incredulous, bumbling fool, Saeed is exceptionally well cast and he brings to the role the perfect nuance of an unworthy scion of a worthy family. As a person who understands everything on the board but nothing outside it, Saeed is magnificent – easily his best role in Hindi Cinema. The two lead actors complement each other completely. Watch out for their efforts to play chess even oblivious to the death of a lost comrade – a hallmark of excellent performance.

Shabana Azmi as the neglected wife of Sanjeev Kumar plays a terrific cameo in an ill-defined role. Her hatred for the game and efforts at weaning away her husband from his compulsive obsession are well performed. On the other hand, Farida Jalal as the philandering wife of Saeed who intends to keep her husband involved in chess makes good capital of the little scope she gets to perform.

Amjad Khan as the last nawab of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah gives a brilliant and highly exceptional performance. Watching him enact a role of such a complex hue as Wajid none can think this is the same actor who played Gabbar Singh in Sholay to the hilt, such is his identification with his character. The role of a king forced to abdicate his throne and bear humiliation on the streets of the city he once ruled is one that offers a lot of challenge to any actor and hence it’s indeed a homage to the art of acting to see Amjad perform this role with excellence.

And if any had any doubts about the calibre of Amjad Khan, rest assured it will be forgotten as he chides gently the dancer and then goes on to give an impromptu performance of Kathak - he is an actor to be believed; sadly as usual Hindi Cinema failed his talent as it has many of his talent and standing.

Veena as the Dowager-Queen, the mother of the current Nawab puts in a regal performance. The scene wherein she confronts the English Resident is one of the best in the entire movie and can stand out by itself inspite of so many brilliant performances. Who would have thought that an actress past her prime would prove to be so strong and well-suited to her role as Veena. The imperial gaze reminds us of Taj Mahal, the arrogance and attitude of the woman who portrayed Noor Jehan still lingers, the eyes still smoulder and the voice is imperial as ever.

Richard Attenborough, the great Hollywood actor, writer and director who has done a lot for Indian sensibilities plays the role of the English resident with utmost ease and confidence. Considering the fact that very few Hollywood actors have actually performed a role of substance and performed it well in Hindi Cinema, his performance is exceptionally well crafted and delivered - especially if we remember the utter failure of his fellow actor, Rex Harrison in Shalimar. His performance in the confrontation with Veena is highly recommended for those who feel knowledge of the language is required to shine in a role.

And then there are others; in small cameos but still brilliant whether it is Farooque Sheikh, David, Victor Bannerjee and Agha they all shine in their small roles. Tom Alter, the resident British Indian Actor, one who's more known to Indian films than to British ones as the Secretary to the Resident gives the performance of a lifetime and still proves to be a handful.

Satyajit Ray, considered arguably one of the greatest directors of Indian Cinema proves his commendable hold over the medium of story telling by his expertise on all aspects of filmmaking in this movie. It’s the loss of Hindi Cinema and gain of Bengali Cinema that this director never before and never again weilded the baton in a Hindi film ever again – although he did direct a few short films hereafter. Each and every scene in the movie is an example of a genius at work, one who knows that he's a genius and one on whom genius alights softly on the shoulder, without making a fuss of it.

The juxtaposition of the chessboard with the political conditions of 1857 India, the use of animation and plums to signify the fall of Imperial India and the rise of the British Empire all point towards his extraordinary talent. Unlike many other films, where the casting of the support causes a sort of imbalance in the film, Shatranj Ke Khiladi maintains a perfect consonance of all the actors performing in the movie.

Every scene is a treat for the eyes; the confrontation between the two friends to the extent of causing mortal damage to each other is absolutely a delight to watch, considering the background of the fight. As the friends fight each other on the finer nuances of the game, the British Resident has deposed the Nawab and is taking him prisoner through the roads of his own country and nobody bothers to even pay a second glance to the unfortunate event. Such was the plight of our past!

This movie is a must for all who are citizens of a free country, irrespective of whether the country is India or America.... Do not dismiss it as History for History repeats itself and it severely punishes them who fail to learn its lessons. They all perish in the sands of time that disregard History for History disregards them completely, thoroughly and ruthlessly

As the great poet Iqbal once wrote:

Wataan Ki Fiqr Kar Nadaan, Qayamat Aane Waali Hai,
Teri Barbaadiyon Ka Mashwara Hai Aasmaanon Mein;
Na Samjhoge To Mit Jaaoge, Ae Hindostaan Waalon,
Tumhari Daastaan Tak Naa Hogi Daastaanon Mein

Vengeance Shall Be Mine! - My Thoughts on Sholay (1975)

Have you ever seen embers of coal smoldering in the dark? The glow of the embers is so bright that it can effortlessly be observed even in the darkest of the nights. If the very sight of that smoldering coal is enough to shake one out of his reverie, what then if one would be foolish enough to try and pick up those pieces. The burns inflicted by those red-hot embers would be enough to last a lifetime and even beyond that. Now imagine if someone would be unlucky enough to have to live his life, lying down on those embers – even figuratively that life would be worse than hell.

Now, let's go a little further..... And imagine yourself in the shoes of one who has lost his all to the maverick machinations of a psychopath and has still not received justice or retribution for all that he has suffered. Imagine a man handicapped by his most hated adversary trying to perform normal mundane chores and the steely rage that engulfs him every time he faces those tasks. Imagine a man forced to face everyday the silent prying eyes of someone he failed to protect from the strike of a hated adversary and imagine his plight if that misfortune was brought on by his own actions, however just, however correct? Imagine what this man must go through if the law stood a mute witness to his pain and frustration, when the law itself was responsible for the magnitude of the retribution? Heaven forbid, the recipient of such a cold anger for within such a man burns the embers of revenge and he is transformed into a living volcano, smoldering with nothing but revenge on his mind. The personification of Revenge, the personfication of blind fury, the personification of all that's vile and beastly - the personification of the fires of rage itself!

Sholay is all that and still more - it's the personification of the cold hatred the protagonist, Thakur Baldev Singh (Sanjeev Kumar) bears for his adversary Gabbar Singh (Amjad Khan), it's a moving display of how the cold exterior of burnt coal can hide within itself the inferno of revenge, hatred and anger....the entire film is a visual treat of the smoldering enmity between these two lead characters. Although the director takes pains to create parallel tracks, centering on love, friendship and duty, the film largely wins appreciation for it’s single-track obsession with the battle between Thakur and Gabbar and such is the intensity of their hatred and animosity, that the screen sizzles in resonance of the feeling till it reaches a crescendo from where nothing but only Death or Vengeance is possible!

Sanjeev Kumar as Thakur Baldev Singh churns out a performance that adds to the burgeoning list of an already chequered list of super performances. As the protagonist of this smoldering movie, the actor ensures that the role is akin to that of a live volcano; one that has a lot of magna but has not erupted in the recent past. If ever one has to see quiet fury, one has to observe Sanjeev and that’s it. In his own inimitable style, Sanjeev is the personification of a man rolling on red-hot coal. Look at those eyes, they burn with an intensity unequalled or unrivalled, forget surpassed by any other in the industry.

Time and again, I have been told and have also appreciated the angry young man for his performances but if truth be told and truth should always be told, if any other symbolises anger to such an extent that he be considered as the personification of anger, then it has to be Sanjeev Kumar's brilliant portrayal of Thakur Baldev Singh. Never was an inferno so well portrayed, never was anger so deeply engraved... So soft are the words, the menacing the meanings as if life itself is nothing but a quest for revenge.....

Amitabh Bachchan as Jai, the silent mercenary hired by Thakur is exceptional. In a performance, wherein he communicates via silence, Amitabh comes out trumps. You can feel his intensity, admire his maturity and fear his silence but when he decides to let his hair down, he appears to be completely at ease in the comic sequences as well. His romance is also in sync with his character – mature yet playful, deep yet restrained. Watch him in the scene wherein he interacts with Jaya on his deathbed – a mindblowing performance – the regret of one whose love died unrequited, unsaid and unacknowledged captured on celluloid for all connoisseurs of acting – a scene I can never forget and which remains firmly ensconced on my consciousness.
It's really a point that makes me think hard - would Indian Cinema have benefited more if Amitabh would have not let himself become just the Angry Young Man and gone beyond it? Whenever Amitabh decided to act, beyond his persona, the results were always magical. Be it Jai from Sholay or be it the madcap, shy professor from Chupke Chupke!

Dharmendra as his mercenary partner Veeru – the happy-go-lucky chap is the perfect counterfoil to the intense persona of Jai. In a role that required both for portrayal of machismo as well as to maintain, an endearing childlike quality to the role, Dharmendra excels beyond expectations. His flirting with Basanti is enough to bring down the roofs, as is his camaraderie with Jai a sign of maturity in an otherwise child-man. Also, see his blind fury after Jai has been gunned down by Gabbar and his henchmen – a mindblowing account of a river that has overflown its boundaries. A performance that should rank among his best and one that is a showcase of an actor, one who was never recognized as one.

Hema Malini as the chatterbox, Basanti is absolutely brilliant. In a role that exudes a lot of confidence and spontaneity and is like a relief from the heavy-duty action all around it, the softer emotions of love and social interactions are more of her preserve and domain and she has done a great job of it. Her expressions in her dance on mirror shards are one of the best expressions on helplessness ever and she shines effortlessly in the comic scenes – especially the introduction scene which is still considered my many to be one of the best introductions ever. The only sore point that can be mentioned and that needs to be mentioned though is her dialogue delivery - Hema could never rid herself from the South Indian delivery tinge and for the most stringent of the critics that may be an issue.

On the other hand, Jaya Bhaduri as the unfortunate widow daughter-in-law of the Thakur gives one of her best performances ever. This was a role that was both a reason of fury for one volcano (Sanjeev) and the oasis of hopes for another (Amitabh) but in itself was nothing but a desert left barren by a sudden gust of a mad hurricane (Amjad). A Very difficult role, not easy to perform nor easy to emote but Jaya proved her acting skills in a role that was less incidental to the movie but more fundamental to the plot. An excellent rendition nonetheless –just watch her light the lamps in the night, signifying the emerging of a dream in a barren sleep and then in the climax, watch her closing the window which was the only source of her erstwhile dream. Society is just too rigid to allow a woman a space of her own - could this have been more better symbolized than this awesome scene?

A K Hangal as the blind Imam of the village is exceptional in the two-bit role inscribed to him. His anguish in the scene where his son, (ably performed by the great but underrated Sachin) has been gunned down by the dacoits is brilliant. Asrani as the jailer is still remembered whereas Jagdeep mad a career for himself playing Surma Bhopali time and again and to his credit, this is one of the few comic roles from this movie in the history of Hindi Cinema that has stood the test of time, the other being the role of the Jailer performed by Asrani. Among the others Satyen Kappu, Mac Mohan, Viju Khote and Leela Mishra impress with heir cameo performances. Even Helen and Jalal Agha who come in for a song are still remembered for that song........

But the man, who makes the movie a classic, is the man who portrays Gabbar Singh – Amjad Khan. This movie was one of his earliest performances and to say the least, it’s mind-blowing. It’s indeed surprising to note that nobody believed in his talents, not least the director and the script-writers but today his performance is considered one of the biggest successes in Hindi cinema and till date, Gabbar Singh is a name to reckon with in villainy. As a psychopath, feared and terrorized by all on the screen and in the theatre, Amjad Khan was exceptional. The greatness of the act lies in the fact that he conveys the singular emotion of terrorism with a flick of an eye. Cinegoers are still terrorized in the scene when on receiving information about young Sachin he menacingly looks at an ant crawling on his arms – you can feel the storm gathering and start fearing the inevitable... Surprisingly, that is the most violent scene in the movie...... and still the violence only betters up with every scene...... Can you believe this?

Direction by Ramesh Sippy is brilliant. In each and every scene, Ramesh marks his indelible stamp. The train chase sequence, the fight on the bridge, the climax sequence all of them not only bind but also blend with the movie and are brilliantly executed. On the lighter side, the comic scenes, especially Dharmendra on the water tank and Amitabh carrying Veeru’s proposal to Leela Mishra are brilliantly canned. On the emotional front, the romance track between Dharmendra – Hema is as frivolous as frivolity can be and at the same time the romance between Amitabh and Jaya is as mature as maturity can be.

The director has single-handedly made so many important careers with one single film that many of the actors are still known by their roles in the movie - even bit actors like Mac Mohan (Sambha), Viju Khote (Kaalia), Keshto Mukherjee (Nai), and Leela Mishra (Mausi) have been known by these names throughout their career although their roles were hardly the most important ones in this movie...... Rarely does a movie impact the national consciousness of a people as vividly and as fully as Sholay did and for this reason itself, it will always be among the top movies made in this industry for ever and ever and ever........

Salim-Javed come up trumps with yet another brilliant and taut script. Undoubtedly this is one of their best ones and it’s sad that such a brilliant team broke up, so early in their career.

However, R D Burman comes up with a not so impressive musical score; he still manages to salvage his reputation with one of the best imaginative background scores in the movie but a lot remains to be said of someone who was genius reincarnated when you pay attention to the songs themselves. Among the songs, “Yeh Dosti” by Manna De and Kishore Kumar and “Mehbooba ‘0’ Mehbooba” by the maestro himself are good but.... Still, the heart longs for more.

Sholay will always burn high in the imagination of the film industry ...... Grab it for they don't make them like this any more..........