Lessons in Forgetting to reach theaters by April 19th 2013
Renowned
Indian author Anita Nair’s novel ‘Lessons in Forgetting’ has been made into a
motion picture by Arowana studios. Directed by Unni Vijayan, the movie will be
released by PVR cinemas on 19th April. It has been featured at various international
film festivals and has been noted for its strong script and its relevance in
the present day Indian society.
The movie is
set in coastal Tamil Nadu where a group of youngsters arrive to perform a
street play against female foeticide. The team includes the protagonist named
Smriti Krishnamurthy who is bold and committed to the cause. She is liberal in
her dressing which raises many an eyebrow in the backward village. Apart from
the culture shock, she begins to receive unnecessary attention from young men
from the village, which alarms her group members. She does not change her way
of dressing in spite of their warnings. These instances make us reflect about
the extent of objectification of women and the refusal of man to acknowledge
her personality and opinions instead of judging her based on her appearance.
The movie also
depicts deep rooted patriarchy in the villages that renders women voiceless in
major family decisions- particularly in family planning.
The story takes a turn when her father, played by Adil Hussain learns about her
situation and arrives at the village to know the reason behind it. His search
is depicted like a puzzle which he solves by meeting people who knew his
daughter and gathering information. The intricacies of relationships have been
dealt with maturity.
‘Lessons in
forgetting’ is not just about a father’s search for truth affecting his
daughter; it is a search for millions of girl children who died at the hands of
a sick social setup. It is about women who are punished for non conformity with
the levels of pseudo morality. It is a quest to make us rethink about our
social values and realize the extent of damage we have done to our society by
disturbing the gender balance.
The
significance of the above topics are confirmed by the events that continue to
take place in our society, particularly the Delhi incident, where a young woman
ended up in coma and later died following a brutal gangrape inside a moving
bus. Delving into the reasons can easily
prove that the reasons behind such attacks are not different. Our society is
not yet ready to face liberated and bold women.
There are real life instances of women being raped for protesting
against gender specific abortions.
‘Lessons in
Forgetting’ succeeds in garnering attention to many issues like society, gender
issues, patriarchy and morality among others. The director Unni Vijayan has
expressed his mastery over the medium of cinema. The background score is
touching and the camera has been handled artistically. In short, it is a work
that deserves attention today.
thanks for posting in your blog about our film lessons in forgetting. i sincerely feel, this is a movie that needs to be seen by all,especially the younger generation. teenagers et al. i showed the film at IIT kanpur and it lead to a very healthly debate on where to draw a line in context with girls dressing OR is that the issue at all. please go to http://www.youtube.com/user/Lessonsinforgetting. check the trailer. we are releasing the film on april 19th and would want each of you to spread the word. thanks...
ReplyDeletethanks for publishing about our film, lessons in forgetting. its a film which needs to be seen by all, especially the younger generation. i had shown this film at IIT kanpur and it lead to a healthy discussion on various gender issues ensconced in he film. do visit the youtube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/Lessonsinforgetting. hope to see you all at the theatres on 19th april. please spread the word. cheers- unni vijayan
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