"What a film about love!" I exclaimed as I and my friend walked out of the theater, having watched Interstellar. He turned towards me shocked. "The science part? The Time travel? Black hole, Worm hole? The triumph of the human spirit? Did you notice that the film was also about all these stuff?" he asked sarcastically.
"They all had their fair share but still, I would prefer to call it a film about love" I replied smiling.
"Kip Thorne has worked on it. Neil deGrasse Tyson has commented on the scientific accuracy of Interstellar. Spare the efforts on the scientific front some respect." he said, solemnly. I smiled again and nodded in an agreeing manner though I knew deep inside that Interstellar would always remain a film about love for me.
And hence I type down this post - an analogy - about how Interstellar and Maryan are closely related (at least in 'my' opinion) - a thought that has been haunting me for quite some time now.
From a 'crew & cast' point of view, they do bear a significant number of similarities. Cinematography handled by European cinematographers. Music composed by regular collaborators of the directors. Both the films co-written by authors (though I am still doubtful of the 'author' tag given to Jonathan Nolan in the Wikipedia page). The protagonists - actors who have begun establishing a firm place for themselves after their rightly deserved recognition (Matthew McConaughey after his Academy Award and Dhanush, after his National Award).
But then, any two films from any two Indian languages or even any two countries might boast of such similarities or perhaps even more.
It was the core upon which both the films were built that struck me as interesting.
The story-line of each of the films, on its surface, seems starkly different - Maryan deals with the devastating hostage situation of a group of Indian oil workers in Sudan while Interstellar lays down beautifully the attempt of a group ofastronauts humans in finding another planet that would help save mankind with the earth having become increasingly uninhabitable. The global issues they touch upon seem different - The increasing oil consumption by the developed/rapidly developing countries in Maryan and the very possible futuristic scenario of food shortage in Interstellar. Even the treatment of the material seems different - Maryan more subjective whereas Interstellar, very much objective.
Agreed. But the heart?
Both the protagonists (Maryan in Maryan and Cooper in Interstellar) seem to be pushed to a corner - be it to provide financial support to Pani (the soul-mate of Maryan) in Maryan or be it the larger task of saving the human race in Interstellar - in order to set out on a journey to an alien territory - a metaphorical Sudan in the former whereas a literal alien territory in the latter. Whilst cheetahs (mirage) and bullets serve as the 'alien' threats in Maryan, high altitude waves and time dilation do the job in Interstellar.
But do all these make up the heart of the films?
No. The heart lies in a deeper place.
A place filled with playfulness, regret, hopelessness, struggle and triumph.
Playfulness of Pani as she stands at the doorway of Maryan's house adorning his outfit and smiling a wicked smile and the playfulness of Murphy (Cooper's daughter) as she sneaks under the blanket in Cooper's car when he sets out to find the 'co-ordinates'. Regret of Maryan as he gazes yearningly at the sky remembering Pani from his captive-hole and the regret of Cooper as he cries profusely looking at his grown up son's recorded video after he returns to his spacecraft 23 years late. Hopelessness of Maryan when he tries to fake a call to Pani under the pretext of contacting the Indian government as his captors watch on and the hopelessness of Cooper when he tries to hold back his breath, his helmet having been damaged, in a faraway oxygen-less planet remembering his daughter. Struggle of Maryan as he walks exhausted and bare-footed on the burning desert with the sole purpose of getting back to Pani and the struggle of Cooper as he tries desperately to alter history in the 'Tesseract' trying to get back to his daughter. Triumph as Pani gazes dreamily at Maryan who has returned to her side after his marvelous escape and triumph as an elderly Murphy gazes dearly at Cooper who is seated beside her bed, still young.
And this heart, according to me, is what makes these films epic.
The exploration of another galaxy and the worm hole does matter and so does the plight of Indian workers in foreign lands. The oil crisis faced in the under-developed nations is important and so is the very possible futuristic scenario of food shortage.
But without the one feeling that would make immeasurable sand or infinite space mere obstacles, how would a man progress, let alone a nation or a species?!
Without the one feeling that makes a man overcome cheetahs and the gravity of the black hole, how would life go on?!
Mankind has from a very long time and will (undoubtedly) continue for a very long time to overcome the unimaginable odds stacked up against it.
The scientific techniques might probably evolve.
The survival strategies might probably evolve.
But the heart would always be in the same right place that it has been in for a long long time.
Love.
"They all had their fair share but still, I would prefer to call it a film about love" I replied smiling.
"Kip Thorne has worked on it. Neil deGrasse Tyson has commented on the scientific accuracy of Interstellar. Spare the efforts on the scientific front some respect." he said, solemnly. I smiled again and nodded in an agreeing manner though I knew deep inside that Interstellar would always remain a film about love for me.
And hence I type down this post - an analogy - about how Interstellar and Maryan are closely related (at least in 'my' opinion) - a thought that has been haunting me for quite some time now.
From a 'crew & cast' point of view, they do bear a significant number of similarities. Cinematography handled by European cinematographers. Music composed by regular collaborators of the directors. Both the films co-written by authors (though I am still doubtful of the 'author' tag given to Jonathan Nolan in the Wikipedia page). The protagonists - actors who have begun establishing a firm place for themselves after their rightly deserved recognition (Matthew McConaughey after his Academy Award and Dhanush, after his National Award).
But then, any two films from any two Indian languages or even any two countries might boast of such similarities or perhaps even more.
It was the core upon which both the films were built that struck me as interesting.
The story-line of each of the films, on its surface, seems starkly different - Maryan deals with the devastating hostage situation of a group of Indian oil workers in Sudan while Interstellar lays down beautifully the attempt of a group of
Agreed. But the heart?
Both the protagonists (Maryan in Maryan and Cooper in Interstellar) seem to be pushed to a corner - be it to provide financial support to Pani (the soul-mate of Maryan) in Maryan or be it the larger task of saving the human race in Interstellar - in order to set out on a journey to an alien territory - a metaphorical Sudan in the former whereas a literal alien territory in the latter. Whilst cheetahs (mirage) and bullets serve as the 'alien' threats in Maryan, high altitude waves and time dilation do the job in Interstellar.
But do all these make up the heart of the films?
No. The heart lies in a deeper place.
A place filled with playfulness, regret, hopelessness, struggle and triumph.
Playfulness of Pani as she stands at the doorway of Maryan's house adorning his outfit and smiling a wicked smile and the playfulness of Murphy (Cooper's daughter) as she sneaks under the blanket in Cooper's car when he sets out to find the 'co-ordinates'. Regret of Maryan as he gazes yearningly at the sky remembering Pani from his captive-hole and the regret of Cooper as he cries profusely looking at his grown up son's recorded video after he returns to his spacecraft 23 years late. Hopelessness of Maryan when he tries to fake a call to Pani under the pretext of contacting the Indian government as his captors watch on and the hopelessness of Cooper when he tries to hold back his breath, his helmet having been damaged, in a faraway oxygen-less planet remembering his daughter. Struggle of Maryan as he walks exhausted and bare-footed on the burning desert with the sole purpose of getting back to Pani and the struggle of Cooper as he tries desperately to alter history in the 'Tesseract' trying to get back to his daughter. Triumph as Pani gazes dreamily at Maryan who has returned to her side after his marvelous escape and triumph as an elderly Murphy gazes dearly at Cooper who is seated beside her bed, still young.
And this heart, according to me, is what makes these films epic.
The exploration of another galaxy and the worm hole does matter and so does the plight of Indian workers in foreign lands. The oil crisis faced in the under-developed nations is important and so is the very possible futuristic scenario of food shortage.
But without the one feeling that would make immeasurable sand or infinite space mere obstacles, how would a man progress, let alone a nation or a species?!
Without the one feeling that makes a man overcome cheetahs and the gravity of the black hole, how would life go on?!
Mankind has from a very long time and will (undoubtedly) continue for a very long time to overcome the unimaginable odds stacked up against it.
The scientific techniques might probably evolve.
The survival strategies might probably evolve.
But the heart would always be in the same right place that it has been in for a long long time.
Love.
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