Soupçon, In Memoriam Series, VI.ix

                           Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series                                                           VI. ix

"Sairat" may be about the rural landscape, but its constitution is highly urban(e). Look at the plot structure, for instance. It is highly "story book", what with a very "in medias res" beginning, and the standard five-partite structure, almost the way the Freytag pyramid describes it. Why, the climax appears exactly at the interval time. 

To attain the intense effect, Manjule does not introduce any subplot in his linear narration which, undoubtedly, hits us hard with the tragic tale in the twist with which the film apparently begins. 

Like the plot, the characters, too, are in the typical criticism-book-bound mould, with a 'dominant' female protagonist with the lead male as her foil, and patriarchy as represented by her powerful pater familias as the antagonist. The rest of the characters are mostly the 'chorus' characters. 

As for the main characters, they are both,  highly representative, and yet deeply individualised. Their highly colourful depiction is hence one of the magnets of this powerful film. 

The film, almost a propaganda against honour killing, is very direct in its statement, without much irony, except very minor effects such as Archie's father having to eat up his own words about controlling the females in the family. 

Such directness hits hard, and drives the message home, though unmistakable are the distant echoes of other passionate love stories. An obvious example can be the "Titanic" like sexual antics in the car. These add to the pathos of the story, if at all noticed in the very racy narrative in the pre-interval period. 

In brief, its 'literary'-ness adds to the intensity of this rural Romeo-Juliet version of youthful love meeting a tragic end. 

Pratima Agnihotri