Oh … yeah, the movie of yesteryears, Shashi Kapoor and more than him Zeenat. Raj Kapoor’s movie at his daring best, with Zeenat wearing kinda clothes, our latest item number gals would shy away from. Zeenat, I believe, had one more asset, she acted well too ! Hmmm, I know all the feminists would be up in arms for the lines above, but the purpose of this introduction is to introduce another movie - Anbe Sivam. Before I jump the gun, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, means “Truth and God - Both are Beautiful”, a nice theme brilliantly told by Raj Kapoor.
Kamal Hassan tries a different truth in the movie Anbe Sivam along with Madhavan. Anbe Sivam, literally means Love God. However, the strong undercurrent of the movie points to the fact that “every human being is God, so love fellow human beings”. When the mandate is to love people, no wonder capitalists are the villains. Kamal portrays, a card carrying communist, who does street plays to rally workers against industry captains (especially Nasser, who is also the father of the heroine), who refuses to increase the salary of Rs. 910 a month.
I remember the controversy when this movie was released and Kamal was questioned for his socialist leanings. Kamal ends the movie brilliantly. No, he does not marry the industrialist’s daughter. Yes, Maddy who begins the movie as a neo-liberal, educated and look-down-on-poverty kinda guys transforms into a person who respects and loves men around him. And yes, the movie has leftist ideas, but above all a good story and a universal message. Anbe Sivam has been written and scripted by Kamal, and the first half of the movie, has many a hilarious encounters with Maddy. The songs by Vidya Sagar are just awesome. Vairamuthu, deserves a special mention here, as the lyrics of each song, are very relevant to the story and have that magical quality, which transforms the sweet music into nectar for the ears. Would urge you to watch it, if you have not; to revisit it, if you have; the way I did and emerge from the experience with that euphoric feeling of “love thy neighbor’s”.
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