Satyam Shivam Sundaram

I happened to watch this movie , Satyam Shivam Sundaram , yesterday. It is a beautiful movie. And more so ever, when you realize it has very universal themes. I wanted to write the "emotional reaction" in Hindi, but I decided to write it in English, so that I can convey my message to a wide audience. Specially to those, who wouldn't ever watch this movie.

The movie is directed by Raj Kapoor and acted by Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Amaan. It is one of the best movies of its time since it conveys a universal message, which in my simple words, is that beauty is not what eyes see, but it is the Truth which heart feels. Doesn't it remind you John Keats?

" Beauty is Truth, Truth beauty ;
That is all ye know on earth,
And all ye need to know. "

I had misunderstood the Keats' message at first, due to my own inferiority complex, perhaps. But the movie captures and justifies with its message completely. Beauty is an idea and our idea of beauty is a reflection of our own heart and soul.

" ye dariya jo tujhe moh leta hai,
dil bhi tera ek dariya hoga ... "

The hero of the movie, is influenced  by his own idea of beauty , of whose glimpse he finds in a village girl, Roopa. Roopa is considered an ill-omen by birth and her face was disfigured by an accident in childhood .No one in village is ready to marry her.While a town boy, Rajeev asks her hand from her father. She refuses to marry Rajeev. But she is married to him. Rajeev when discovers that his wife has an ugly face, he disowns her saying, you are not my Roopa. The Roopa (the idea of his beauty) of his mind does not match with the real life disfigured Roopa.

There is a striking conflict between Idea and Reality. Roopa is awestruck. She has no other option to split herself as Mehbooba and Wife. Rajeev loves her as Mehbooba, meeting her under the bushes when the sun sets. And discards her as Wife, leaving her alone to cry over her destiny. He doesn't realize both are the same person.

There lingers the clouds of pathos in the story at this point. There is also an irony here, a striking one. Rajeev asks his Mehbooba to show her face, while at home he doesn't even bother to look at the face of his wife. Here comes a song... a pathetic , deeply agonizing song, presenting the two point of views.

" Woh Aurat Hai Tu Mehbooba
Tu Sab Kuchh Hai Woh Kuchh Bhi Nahi ... (sings the hero)

Woh Aurat Hai Main Mehbooba 

Woh Sab Kuchh Hai Main Kuchh Bhi Nahi ... (sings the heroine) " 



The most touching nerve of this song is - She is your wife , therefore she is everything. The beloved is same, but the love given in marital relation is much more pure, respectful and enduring. When Roopa's reality of split persons is discovered by one of the servants of Rajeev, and he asks Why? She says, what is not given to me being a Lawful wife, I had to take it by being a Whore. It is her faith, her hope that one day Rajeev will accept her as she is. One day he will realize she is the one whom he loved.

The situation is in literary terms called, Dramatic Irnoy. When the actual situation is known and understood by audience but not by the characters. We know the Mehbooba and Wife are the same person, there is only one Roopa but Rajeev doesn't realize it. The best thing about it is. there is a multiple layer of meaning in this situation.

1. We as human beings , always look things by splitting them into two - Day - Night, Good - Evil , Beauty- Ugly. But the Truth is one. The both things are same, two sides of a Coin. Not even the two sides, just a thin veil of Illusion.

2. We as human beings are fallible. We have an idea of beauty and happiness in our mind, and keep hunting for it through out our lives, like a Kasturi Mrig but what we dose not strike us is, we could have found (or create) beauty and happiness in things that are just there in front of  us.

3. Like Rajeev wandered here and there in search of beauty, but overlooked what was in front of him. Most of us do ignore what is in front of us, and keep looking all life, what is not there.

The dialogues are heart touching. Specially, that are spoken by Zeenat Amaan. She says to Rajeev, you could have found at home, for what you wandered in Jungles.

When he disowns her publicly, pronouncing that you are bearing an illicit child. She says, " Dil ke tutne ki aawaaz nahi hoti, lekin jab wo tut.ta hai to jaljale aa jate hain, tufaan aa jate hain..."

The songs are as meaningful and touching as the movie . You can't miss the title track , and specially these  lines - Radha mohan sharanam , satyam shivam sunderam...