Saira, a maiden venture... and it touches a chord

Submitted by bhawani on Sun, 2007-01-14 18:08. Movies

Debut films are always approached with a a degree of apprehension. At the end of the screening "Saira' one carries home images, dialogues and the overall impact of what the film tried to convey, to store in memory . And, to retrieve when life imitates Art...or...is it the other way.

The film is a maiden venture by a homeo doctor turned director-Dr Biju. It probably will not have appeal for those who think Kerala is insulated from the agonies and miseries imposed on society by way of religious differences.

The story is about a gentle musician (Nedumudi Venu) dedicated to his vocation, unquestioningly Indian and his daughter a young journalist(Navya Nair). Life takes a painful twist when the journalist interviews a terrorist leader in an unknown place. But a terrorist attack that follows puts the suspects under the microscope. And who else to seek out but the journalist who interviewed the suspect.

The police are in no way inclined to accept her statement that she was blindfolded and taken to the leader, so is unable to give details. The police are the last ones to take this so she is tortured to extract the truth, but she just does not know anything more. Ultimately the sincere Muslim Musician loses his daughter. He had been approached by leaders of the community offering protection but he confirms he has faith in the land that was his home.After the death of his daughter, the Ustad does not carry bitterness but lends a hand to raise an abandoned girl child, a victim of arson! Reminding us that humanism transcends personal grief and the political.

What makes Saira a film worth watching is the fine balance that the director has struck between the personal and the political without taking sides or being preachy.

He succeeds in making us think hard on this rupture in harmony and the fractured social fabric. He subtly tells us that the establishment can only encroach on your life and property, but it is within each one of us to retain our trust in the the ultimate goodness of 'Man'
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