SAARI RAAT : Tale of Male Chauvinism

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Parimal Aloke is a young creative person, actor and director. He is a part of Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak' theatre group Motely, acted in their so many plays including Anitgone and The Caine Mutiny Court Martial. Aloke was seen acting as nerdy Behari boy Safal Yadav in Saada Adda, also acted in Rajneeti and Dibankar's Love, Sex and Dhokha. He decided to do a slightly difficult job adopting a literary work for a film. He read Saari Raat a story written by eminent Hindi writer Kamta Nath and very much impressed. Having a miniscule budget at his disposal,
he decided to make a short film.



Kamta Nath is a Lucknow based Hindi writer but hardly got his dues for his wonderful portrayal of human intricacies. He was initially a part of Progressive Writers Group but never bothered about awards and accolades. His story Saari Raat is basically a conversation between a newly wed boy and a girl on the second night of their wedding when at the boy's insistence they decide to honestly exchange confidences. The boy tells about his pre martial affairs with lot of satisfaction and pride, then he ask the girl to narrate her pre martial affairs. What follows a situation where his male chauvinism do not allow him to tolerate even a casual girl meet boy kind of mention.



I saw this short film yesterday at Press Club with few other enlightened journalists. Aloke , his actress Paru Gambhir and editor Baljit Kumar took questions from journalists after the show. Well known Socialite, theatre, TV and Film personality Dolly Thakur also present and took part in the deliberations. Giving the background of movie, Aloke shared that it was completed on a shoe string budget, he produced and directed the film, acted in it, he made provision for song, hired Mihir Bhatt a talented music composer for background score and music, under budget constrain he had no choice but himself sung 'Kahe Ko Vyahi Bidesh' !

Aloke said that this is a story of boys raised in small places where having affairs with many girls and it is an act of sheivalry for them, but they can not digest even a single before marriage affair of their life partner. Dolly felt this kind of male chauvinism persists even in big towns also, she shared a true instance of her Punjabi boy living in Cuffe Parade, married a girl with whom he had 9 years long love affair. Just knowing that some boy called her from Ahmedabad he lost all his cool and marriage came to brink of breaking.



The film has received a number of accolades in a number of festivals including Seattle South Asian Film Festival, Indisches Film Festival, Stuttgart, New York Indian Film Festival.

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