Sublime ‘October’

Remember Ryan O’Neal and Ali McGraw in the 60’s American cult film ‘Love Story’ which, with all its poignancy, left us utterly starry-eyed and heavy hearted in our teens ! Now, after fifty years there’s a sense a déjà vu with Shoojit Sirkar’s latest offering ‘October’ – another sublime love story with a difference, reminiscent of that era of films where gentle and selfless romance could be conveyed with subtle sensitivity.

Here’s a Hindi film bereft of songs, dances, action-scenes and any known stars in the female lead roles yet has a haunting background score by Shantanu Moitra (of Bengal), pulsating with deft cinematography in which director Shoojit Sirkar  etches out his edgy characters almost with a ‘Bimal Roy’ kind of sensibility that touches and leaves a lump in the throat.

What’s most remarkable is the generally effervescent Bollywood star, Varun Dhawan’s stunningly sensitive portrayal of unsung, diffident loser with a soft heart who’s often outraged at receiving the wrong end of the stick and who by stroke of fate, has to come to terms with his own commitments in life and convictions that he must follow even if it means untold sacrifice. Supporting him admirably with a superbly under-stated performance is veteran Gitanjali Rao and the newbie Banita Sandhu in the lead role.

With its languid pace and shorn of heavy duty dialogues, ‘October’ is an experience that may not be everyone’s cup of coffee (or tea) but leaves one with a great deal to reflect upon, more so for those who seek the true meaning of ‘love’ !