'Welcome to Sajjanpur' at the IIT-Madras Open Air Theatre

Courtesy
Dr. Jagdeesh Kumar and Mrs. Ravikala - thanks to both of you for the wonderful evening, an evening full of fresh air, unlike that is found in the modern multiplexes, topped with a decent movie .

The OAT experience first
The IIT Madras campus is atypical of any Indian Institute Campus (not only the IITs but also the IIMs, IISc - any educational establishment with the Indian Institute status for that matter) - full of greenery and abuzz with a life of its own. We entered the campus through the Velachery gate and, on my insistence (a mild resistance from my wife, which is more habitual to whatever I propose than reasonable, was brushed aside by all 3 of us - yyooooo!!), took a stroll to the Open Air Theatre (OAT) along the road lined with large trees, a monstrous banyan tree being the most notable among them.

The OAT, its circular periphery marked by a plethora of plant species, much resembled the architecture of ancient Amphitheatres (sans the grandeur, of course). Jagdeesh estimated the capacity for a full house to be 5000 people. The day's show was slated to start sharp at 8:00 PM. We reached the OAT with almost half an hour to spare. People started trickling in after around 15 minutes and by the time the lights went off with the digital clock near the base of the large screen displaying 7:57 PM, a fairly decent crowd has comfortably positioned itself on the plastic chairs laid on either side of the projector room. Ah, the travel and nature freak that I am, I was delighted at the irresistible combination of a Movie surrounded by Nature.

The Movie
Welcome to Sajjanpur (directed by the legendary Indian director Shyam Benegal, bore the name Mahadev ka Sajjanpur in the CBFC certificate!!), a comedy narrated through the words and senses of the village letter-writer (Mahadev), takes a dig at the present social, political and democratic setup existing in our country, especially in the villages. Though, I felt, the way politics has been projected bears resemblance to the way it works in every nook & corner of our country. Fresh from the shocking 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the response of the political community following it, I could particularly identify the innuendoes being darted to the politicians. Certainly the movie has been canned long before, but the Mumbai incidents catapulted the whole movie into a different level of relevance. If you watch the movie, you may brush aside this as a light comedy flick by Shyam Benegal, but the opinion is bound to differ if you read between the lines, or between the dialogues perhaps. I enjoyed every bit of the movie - as much for the element of straightforward comedy as for the swivelled remarks.

I wish
To watch films like Troy or Gladiator at the OAT - will surely be an experience to watch out for. I am also keen to see how good is the projection on a full moon day.