This movie is very peculiar, it starts like a Hyperlink Cinema and ends with many characters united.
Famines in the West Bengal region forces a farmer's family move to Calcutta ( present Kolkatta ) in search of a better living. The family consists of Hazari Paal (Om Puri ), Kamala Pal (Shabana Azmi ) and their 3 Children ,an elder daughter and 2 sons. Like the usual norm this new "Villager" is being cheated for a house in Calcutta and is being ripped off the entire 200Rupees he had with him and is shewed of to the streets with his entire family ( Yes exactly that's how they show in the film, which is also a reality ).
A medical doctor Max Lowe (Patrick Swayze ) from Texas loses a small girl during a shift and quits his job and moves to India in search of peace, enlightenment and self realization ( no answers as to why he chose crowded Calcutta ). Just like the other protagonist of the film, he's beaten down in a bar and looted of his money and his ornaments. He's being saved by OmPuri who happens to be sleeping on the streets during this ordeal. He's treated at a local clinic near the slums where an Irish volunteering nurse played by Pauline Collins helps the people living in the there. Pauline and Patrick start of with a rough note and later become friends.
Om Puri gets a job as a rickshaw puller and gets to have an improved living and moves into the slums of Calcutta which the call the "City Of Joy". The Doctor seems to be getting along with the people after he helps deliver a baby for a Leper woman. Shabana Azmi also becomes his assistant and helps the community. The God Father of this community doesn't like the doctor's PR ,the entrant of lepers into the slum and tries to prevent his growth. The Doctor also tries to go back and get away from emotional attachments with the people. He urges them to go against the GodFather and his son and they are brutally punished for this act.
The movie ends with how the people win over the wealthy godfather and what effects of the doctor from a foreign country are imparted on the people.
The dialogues of the movie are really good to hear, especially for those who listen a lot to them, one such is by OmPuri which goes like "A man's journey to the end of his obligations is a very long road." The screenplay of the movie is not that it can be appreciated, it kind of gets confused in its path since it tries to capture/target more than one issue at a time. At times you might feel that the story might be haphazard but is still a good cry for attention.
All the characters in the movie seem like they've actually been filmed of their real lives,trust me it was that real of how they emote and react in every scene. A special mention to OmPuri whom we all know as one of the best villain of all times has given a very powerful performance in his character as a rickshaw puller.
The movie highlights the
- Treatment of Leprosy and that its not a communicably contagious disease.
- A scene where Shabana Azmi mentions that a person with a pure heart need not worry about getting the disease is very good to hear.
- Poverty stricken Rickshaw pullers who work almost around the clock to support their families
- Unavailability of medical facilities in the slums of Calcutta (India )
- Joy inside a community irrespective of their living conditions
- Importance of NGO's in the eradication of Poverty.
The movie ends with an end credit dedicating this movie to the life of the Rickshaw pullers and to charities by Mother Teresa.
Had this movie been released now with the advancement of media outreach, more people would watch it and try to help the Rickshaw pullers to get a better Living.
My Watchometer rating for this movie - 6.5
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