Baaton Baaton Mein ( 1979)

 

There’s a famous saying- It is very simple to be happy but it is very difficult to be simple. On Similar lines it wouldn’t be an error to say that it is very simple to make a film with a complicated story line but it is very difficult to make a simple film with an even simpler storyline but still end up becoming an all- time classic. Director Basu Chatterjee’s “Baaton Baaton mein” fits that description to perfection.

Personally speaking, Baaton Baaton Mein, is one of the most -simplest film that I have watched. The simplicity level gives the film as absolute realistic touch to the narrative and the viewers engage with the story and the characters almost like the story is taking place in their own neighborhood.

Released in the year 1979, and a romantic comedy by genre, the film probably would’ve been shot sometime around the period 1978. It was only after some seventeen years that I watched it for the first time on a television due to the advent of satellite channels.

The film is a straight drive into the golden nostalgic years of the city of Mumbai, the local train playing the utmost important part in the film. The prime concentration of the story is in the locality of Bandra. In fact, the first introductory credit title of the film, showcases the Bandra of the late seventies. For some one born in the eighties and watching the film in the nineties, there couldn’t have been a much better way to go back into time. The BEST bus of those years, the vehicle models of those years, the fashion of those years and of course the simplicity depicted, all add up to an unforgettable nostalgic journey.

The film has limited number of characters, Tony Braganza (Amol Palekar) meets Nancy Pereira (Tina Munim) along with Uncle Tom (David) on the 9.10 local train from Bandra and thus begins the fun and cheerful ride in the lives of the Braganza family and the Pereira family. The simplicity of the portrayal of the characters wins hearts. Both the protagonist, Amol Palekar sir and Tina Munim Madam, are such a sweet soul to watch. I personally feel, that Tina Munim Madam actually played the character very well. One could identify with her reactions and low tone with which she spoke especially when something wouldn’t go her way. The character of Tony is simple but smart. Amol Palekar sir gave a good twist to the character and kept it different from his earlier film. Uncle Tom is a darling and actually makes the viewer feel as if he is someone from their own family.

However, I feel, when it comes to characterization, the real winner was the one of Rosie Pereira played absolutely fantastically by Pearl Padamsee Madam.  She was the soul of the narrative. Pearl Padamsee Madam was a famous theatre personality and her skills in natural acting was very evident in the scenes. The performance was neither over the top and nor very down. She had maintained a very good balance in both comic and emotional scenes. The diction of her dialogues was quite novel for those times of commercial Hindi cinema. The character of Sabhi Periera performed by Ranjith Chowdhry sir is entertaining. The simple rawness of the character of Sabhi was well captured.

Another aspect of the narrative that I loved about this film is the use of Bandra in the story telling. Bandra Band stand of the 70’s features prominently in lot of the scenes and equally some lanes and alleys housing individual houses take the viewers back to the golden years of the 70’s. If you want to relive the Bandra of 70’s, this is one of the perfect films to do so. We also get to watch a other part of Mumbai of those years in some of scenes. What actually catches the eyes, unlike lot of movies of that time, in this film a good number of scenes are shot in actual outdoor locations adding the realistic and simplistic touch to the narrative.

There’s no doubt that the music of the film has stayed on in the minds of the people. Whether it may be the beautifully shot “Kahiye…Suniye…Suniyee naa…” or the retro” Na tumne kuch kaha na mein ne kuch suna…” or the best of the lot “ Ruke sab ke kadam … ta ra rum pum pum…” these songs are still played on the all the modern day music apps and also on you tube. The views that the songs are generating are quite a testimonial to the fact that film had timeless music. The music takes you back into that time and those years.

This is one those films that can be easily bracketed into the stress buster genres. Watching the simple characters with some soulful music added with the nostalgic trip back into the Bandra and Mumbai of the 70’s, Baaton Baaton Mein, is a film that I recommend to the families to watch with their younger ones. Get some hot tea, get some snacks and get down on the floor and switch on the movie to fall in love with the Braganza and Periera Family and the Mumbai of those years.

Baaton Baaton Mein remains one of the best simple entertainers of the modern- day Hindi film cinema.