(Kamal Swaroop is the director of Om-Dar-B - Dar and the documentaries The Battle of Banaras , Pushkar Puran , Atul and Rangbhoomi . H...
(Kamal Swaroop is the director of Om-Dar-B-Dar and the documentaries The Battle of Banaras, Pushkar Puran, Atul and Rangbhoomi. He spoke to Shaikh Ayaz.)
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Mani Kaul’s Ashad Ka Ek Din, undoubtedly one of the most radical films from the Indian New Wave movement. Kaul’s second feature still retains its austere power, and along with his Uski Roti, Duvidha, Dhrupad and Mati Manas, is a perfect showcase of his economic style and painterly sophistication.
The historical romance, based on Mohan Rakesh’s acclaimed play, unspools in three acts. Mallika (Rekha Sabnis) is in love with the poet-playwright Kalidas (Arun Khopkar). Kalidas has been conferred a state honour, but refuses the king’s offer to travel to the capital Ujjayini. Mallika pushes Kalidas to leave for Ujjayini, but deep inside feels a tinge of sadness at the thought of her lover’s imminent departure.
Vilom (Om Shivpuri), on the other hand, cannot wait for Kalidas to leave. He is vying for Mallika’s affection and is Kalidas’s nemesis. You see your desire in my eyes, he tells Kalidas to remind him that they are, after all, versions of each other: “What is Vilom? An unsuccessful Kalidas. And Kalidas, a successful Vilom.”
Lurking behind this love triangle is the theme of artistic rivalry, about which Mani knew a thing or two. In the...
