The relationship between two very close friends is compromised by a child.

'Filhaal'

The Plot

Rewa (Tabu) and Sia (Sushmita Sen) are best friends. While Sia is career-driven and keeps postponing marriage to Sahil (Palash Sen), all Rewa can think about is the child she's having with husband Dhruv (Sanjay Suri). When Rewa miscarries and finds that she cannot have babies, Sia thinks about carrying Dhruv and Rewa's child in her womb. Naturally, this leads to a lot of complications among this quartet.

The Review

When Rewa asks Dhruv to think of an 'achcha sa bachche ka naam', he asks if she really means 'bachche ka achcha sa naam'. This wonderfully playful ear for dialogue apart, director Meghna Gulzar has also inherited her father's interest in exploring relationships, and her debut 'Filhaal' brims over with compassion for the characters she's written.

Sia says she doesn't want to get married because women need to feel settled, just like men, to feel complete. She says this very calmly, not as a fiery feminist rant. And equally calm is Sahil's response: 'Kya Rewa tumhe adhoori lagti hai'?

Fed up with the women making all decisions, a frustrated Dhruv explodes 'kya yeh mera bachcha nahin tha', striking a blow for the modern man who feels that he has an equal part in the childbearing. 'We're pregnant', he exclaims, indicating his joy in this shared responsibility.

Also interesting are the feelings he develops for Sia, the woman carrying his child. He may hug her on an impulse, but is devoted enough to Rewa to tense up awkwardly after the fact.

This is no one-dimensional writing. Meghna even brings the parents of Sia and Rewa into her emotional canvas, showing us how they react to this unconventional arrangement. The conflicts are seen from all points of view, and the actors do full justice to their roles.

Sushmita comes off best, an impressive mix of glamour and substance, in an author-backed role that takes her from shrugging off the implications of pregnancy as 'bas, maa ho jaoongi' to developing deep emotions later. Tabu and Sanjay display a very casual, very real intimacy. And Palash Sen has an endearing awkwardness; his lack of acting polish actually helps in this role.

These are the best aspects of 'Filhaal', the writing and the director's handling of this fine cast. The overall film, though, would have benefited from more forceful direction, as Meghna seems unsure whether she's making a mainstream film or one for more specialised audiences.

Every frame here looks gorgeous. Art director Nitin Desai paints the screen with a palette of blues and lavenders (though you're left scratching your head about the significance of these specific colours). The locations are chosen with utmost care (love those gorgeous seascapes!) and photographed with customary finesse by Manmohan Singh.

But the drama feels half-hearted. Take, for instance, the scene in which Rewa loses the baby. She wakes up from sleep and sees that she's bleeding. Dhruv cradles her. You think that's just the initial reaction, that he'll panic and call for a doctor or rush her to the hospital. But they just cuddle and sob, and the camera backs away from the close-up of the couple to show the rain falling outside.

This artiness also extends to the song sequences, one in which Sia takes stock of her current situation, the other characters flitting by surreally, and another where Sahil walks on shards of a broken mirror.

These are good songs. The Anu Malik-Gulzar-Chitra combination scores again with the exquisite 'Kyon baar baar', which Rewa sings to her unborn child. But Meghna falls into the trap of not knowing where to place these songs. Is a flashback duet still the only way to introduce two people?

You surely understand the need to break away to exotic locations to alleviate the otherwise inbound nature of the domestic drama, but too many such excursions take their toll on your patience. Also jarring are some awkwardly edited moments, like the climax that intercuts shots of frantic doctors in the operating room with scenes of Dhruv and Rewa outside.

Meghna's discomfort with 'masala' conventions is manifest throughout 'Filhaal'. By playing everything at low decibels, the conflicts do not get amped up to the requisite degree that we appreciate sufficiently the irony of an avowed career girl, who's not even thinking of marriage leave alone children, going through a pregnancy for a friend.

The new generation of filmmakers is definitely to be lauded for trying out different things, but they shouldn't be too distrusting of 'masala'. The remarkably tasteful 'Filhaal' could have used some fire.

The Rating

The themes here may have been handled earlier in 'Chori Chori Chupke Chupke' and 'Doosri Dulhan', but definitely not with this strong a feminine sensibility. The resulting characterisations and dialogues make it easier to overlook the narrative failings, and the film itself is viewed best as an early work of a director with potential.

Baradwaj Rangan

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