Director Raja Krishna Menon looks back at his debut film Barah Aana, which was released in 2009, in a terrific interview. First, let’s set the scene about the film’s story and the brilliance of the performances.
Raja Krishna Menon’s Barah Aana, a mellow, mirthful, and at times moving story of three North Indian migrants, brings in a sense of un-visited surprise. There are three main characters: a quiet driver Shukla (Naseeruddin Shah), a watchman Yadav (Vijay Raaz) and a waiter Aman (Arjun Mathur), all driven to the doors of despair but stopped in time by a self-directed sense of humour that rescues them from self-destruction.
The story gathers momentum when the trio discovers an age-old formula for survival: crime.
Superbly scripted by Raj Kumar Gupta, who directed the riveting Aamir, Barah Aana derives its strength from the frailties and vulnerabilities of the three migrant characters who seem to be drawn into the dark side of life without knowing where they are heading.
Debutant director Raja Menon seems to view the people in his plot with a reasonable degree of detachment. There’s a sense of riveting finesse in the way these unsophisticated characters chart their course without self-pity. Of course, the film would have never worked without the cast.
What does one say about Naseeruddin Shah without sounding completely like a fan? He’s seen in two totally different avatars this week. Naseer’s bullied, embittered, and silently-seething driver’s part in this film is as distant from his disoriented classical maestro’s role in Nandita Das’ Firaaq (released simultaneously) as only he can make them.
Vijay Raaz, always in top form when given to play a man who has seen life without rose-tinted glasses, gives a sly, snarling spin to his role. His performance has both bark and bite. Watch Vijay play the watchman.
The youngest and most inexperienced member of the trio, Arjun Mathur, seen in a sensitive part in Zoya Akhtar’s Luck By Chance, has a tough time holding his own against Naseer and Vijay and also holding his Bihari accent in place. But he nevertheless leaves a positive impression.
Another great performance comes from Tannishtha Chatterjee. As the flamboyant Rani, she shocks you after her quiet performance in Brick Lane. She should be seen more often.
With a message on the plight of migrants, Barah Aana would hardly appeal to multiplex audiences. Films on the lives of migrants usually score high as cinematic works but low on mass appeal. Preeti Sethi’s camera goes through Mumbai’s lanes with the least fuss. See Barah Aana for its terrific cast, first-rate production values and the director’s firm grip on the grammar of grassroot politics.
Reminiscing, Raja Krishna Menon talks about making Barah Aana.
How do you look back at your debut film?
Barah Aana was a true indie, and that indie experience is irreplaceable. We had next to no money, and so the film was really made by everyone coming together to tell a story we all passionately wanted to.
Tell me about the casting.
When we wrote a character who represented a generation that accepted their lot and did not speak up, we knew we needed someone to play Shukla, who was a maestro, someone who did not need dialogue to portray all those conflicting emotions. Naseeruddin Shah was up for the challenge, and every day on set, I would be mesmerised, by how he found ways to take the audience into the character’s world.
And Vijay Raaz?
Vijay Raaz is effortless, or so he makes it feel, and very different in approach to Naseer, so watching them play off each other was magic. Arjun Mathur was new and a sponge. He got to learn from the best. Tannishtha was already getting to the top of her game. Violante Placido, the Italian star, was a casting coup. In between a huge Italian hit and a film starring alongside George Clooney, she managed to make Barah Aana happen. All the technicians, Priya Seth, Debasish Mishra, Anuradha Shetty, Ninad Nayampally, and Hemanti Sarkar, became a family. We knew we were in the midst of something very special, an experience we would cherish even 16 years later.
Were you happy with the way Barah Aana was received?
Barah Aana travelled and had a very successful festival run, including the Chicago International Film Festival, where it followed Lagaan as the second film from India that made the cut at that festival. It was an honor to showcase the film there.
Would you like to see Barah Aana re-released?
Yes, I really would like to see the film re-released. I think the film was a bit early for the Indian audience when it was released, but over the years, it has garnered an audience and a lot of love.
