MRIGTRISHNA:
when mind takes over and changes environment

It was in 1978 when we, the
students of BVSc and AH at Mathura Veterinary college went to see a commercial
piggery unit at Aligarh. When finished with visit to project, I purchased a
piggery product, pork sausages, and enjoyed eating it in the company of my
friend Dr. V.R. Chaurasia. That separated us from rest of the group, the
non-pork eaters or pork haters who took strong exception to our eating pig.
When 2 of us finished our dish and walked towards where bus was parked, we
found it missing. The chartered bus had left, we soon got to know. 

The 2 of us had no choice but to
return to Mathura on our own. We did just that but not before seeing movie in a
nearby theatre. Movie was Mrigtrishna, released in 1975. It then seemed to me a
ghost story spun around 1857 revolt of Indian states against British
imperialism. There was some supernatural aura about it which haunted me all
this while and prompted me to watch this film again on internet. I profusely
enjoyed it and more than that I really understood what the film tries to convey
to audience. Shot in the landscape of Rajasthan, where I am presently living, cavalry
units of British time are shown in their magnificent best. Clay houses in desert
reflect their pristine sobriety similarly as king’s palaces show their
splendor. A delicate balance between personal and professional endeavors of
common man is the highlight of the storyline. The chaos of environment has a
way with our thought process. Similarly, although not equally acknowledged,
chaos of mind can have a way with our environment. 

Plot veers around 2 brothers trying
to earn money and respect primarily to please their wives, who try to restrain
them in their own humble ways, but brothers are unstoppable. Indian soldiers
have revolted against British rule and villages are being frisked for probable
revolutionaries. There being lawlessness all-around, thugs and thieves get good
opportunity to strike innocent villagers. Village elders advise people not to
go afar and remain put in village for safety and security and warn against
temptation for trade and making money.

Younger brother sees opportunity in
a mortally wounded king wanted by British army. He takes dead king to British
army which rewards him by enrolling him as their soldier. In the meanwhile his
wife is raped by dacoits and in utter remorse she leaves home to become a slut.

As now- sepoy brother is on tour
with a posse of cavalrymen, he meets his wife who tries to runs away but he
chases her and upon knowing her status, seeks to be forgiven. He disrobes his
uniform, throws it in a pond, puts on dhoti kurta and proceeds home with his
fallen wife. 

Elder brother dreamed of making big
money even as wife said that they had sufficient. His thoughts would take him
to the spirit of a slain princess whom he agrees to marry. A compassionate
saint warns him of impending danger to his life. The now-cautious brother then
argues with spirits who then threaten him. He takes a sword and runs for his
life as spirits chase him. He falls off a window and goes unconscious on
ground. He wakes up to find a bunch of thieves who rob him of whatever money he
had.

Crestfallen, he heads home and
finds his wife cooking food. He too is apologetic. He takes food and goes to
sleep with his baby daughter. Next morning he gets up to find that his wife was
killed by dacoits sometime back and his daughter was being brought up by a
friendly neighbor. The neighbor had come searching for the girl who had
mysteriously disappeared at night time.

<span>&nbsp;It was the spirit of his dead wife that fed
him dinner and transported his daughter to him from neighbor’s house. </span>

<span>In 1978 we paid for being out of
sync with our pork hating environment. The 2 brothers of above story paid for
being out of sync with the social and the national environment that prevailed
in 1857.</span>

MRIGTRISHNA: when mind takes over and changes environment

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