Mammo (1994) [Film Review]

Rather than reviewing the very first Bollywood movie I have seen, I decided to would be safer, and more interesting, to analyse the movie that really startled me emotionally and eventually got me into watching Indian movies. This is a film peculiarly called Mammo.

Release Info

Directed by: Shyam Benegal Starring: Farida Jalal, Amit Phalke, Surekha Sikri, Rajit Kapoor

Language: Hindi Movie Industry: Bollywood Runtime: 120 min

Plot

13-year-old Riyaz (Amit Phalke) lives a poor lifestyle in Bombay with his grandmother, Fayyuzi (Surekha Sikri), until one day somebody knocks at their door. It turns out that this is Mammo (Farida Jalal), Fayyuzi’s sister, who fled from her abusive family in Pakistan to have a fresh start in India. Unfortunately, she has no money and is allowed to stay in the country on a temporary visa only. Riyaz does not suspect that the arrival of an unknown relative will completely turn his life upside down...

 

Review

The first thing that is outwardly visible with this film is that it was made in Bollywood. Yes, indeed, I can vividly imagine all the yells and screams of the conservative cinema connoisseurs about all the downsides of Bollywood movies: 3-hour long, dull, romantic stories; intermingled with glittery, ear-splitting, musical stunts; flat characters and as convoluted plots as possible; often, or almost always, ending on a happy note. Well, the discussed movie does not match any of the enumerated features of a standard (in our thinking) production straight from the Indian continent.

It is a fairly simple story, but still not a romance. If one really wanted to categorise this particular motion picture, its best description would probably be a social drama or a cinema of moral concern. What makes this movie so unique is that its straightforward plot is easily applicable to every culture of every nation in the world, thus the people of the West, can without difficulty understand and relate to the presented story.

But what is all the fuss about basically? In short, it is a movie about growing up, a struggle to find one’s own identity and a place in modern society. However, what really is growing-up without parental love? That is the crucial question posed by this movie. We have young Riyaz, who is neither a child nor a teenager, orphaned by his mother, rejected by his father, and cared for only by a grandmother who does not really know how to handle kids. Then, all of a sudden, Mammo Nani arrives (Nani in Hindi means ‘grandma’), a rather extrovert person with, subtly speaking, a strong tendency to utter words with the speed of a machine gun and in a very loud manner. In other words, Mammo is not able to keep her mouth shut, even in relation to strangers, whom she constantly greets and tries to befriend. Needless to say, such an annoying relative, disrupting the stillness of daily life, becomes quite a burden for young Riyaz. Riyaz despises Mammo, he disowns her in front of his friends, and hopes everyday for her departure. Nevertheless, Mammo Nani is the only person able to understand the emotional misery of a young boy and within a period of only a few months, she becomes a parental figure to him.

 

The interesting factor about this picture is that its cast did not include any of the overblown and pompous Bollywood celebrities of the 90s. Instead, the makers decided to focus on less recognisable faces and this proved to be a wise choice. The leading actress, Farida Jalal, is a real gem and the driving force of this film and it has to be mentioned that in her 30-year long acting career of playing secondary characters and conventional mother figures, it was her first(!) leading role and she did the job flawlessly.

Unlike the rest of the boring adults, Mammo does not follow a strict code of social etiquette. For instance, instead of reproaching Riyaz for smoking, she encourages him to continue the habit so he could discover its disadvantages on his own; rather than forcing him to attend school (which he skips to watch Western movies at the cinema), she joins him to watch some Indian films instead; on top of that, she also teaches him self-confidence and assertiveness while verbally abusing a thug in a bar.

Furthermore, the historical context of India’s independence is important for understanding the relationship between Mammo and Riyaz. Mammo was a victim of the Partition, a territorial split in India which led to the creation of such countries as Pakistan and Bangladesh. In 1947, the Muslims residing in India had to move to Pakistan, whereas all the Hindus within Pakistani territory had to get to India. This unusual flow between nationalities led to one of the most tragic conflicts in history, when the people of both religions turned against each other. The whole trauma of the event is reflected only in one scene of the film, through Mammo’s recollections; however, we are not served with any "artistic" flashbacks or some tear-jerking, incidental music in the background, but what we get is Mammo's own spoken testimony and this is perhaps one of the most powerful scenes treating a difficult subject in the form of just a conversation.

Moreover, the issue of corruption within the Indian administrative institutions is also an important theme of the picture. Mammo is no longer seen as an Indian citizen in the eyes of the law, although she was born there. She has to plead with the police officials to be allowed to stay on a permanent basis, yet her begging has no effect, thus in the end, she resorts to bribery. She gives over 5000 rupees to the officer and the woman is led to believe that she may stay with her sister and Riyaz, but it is a false assurance...

Recommendations

All things considered, Mammo is a wonderful, moving, and thought-provoking picture with a surprising, bittersweet ending. If you are afraid of stumbling upon some tasteless Bollywood flick, it is best to start your journey across Indian cinema with this movie. This is my personal favourite non-English speaking film and I recommend it to everyone who would like to spend a quiet evening, pondering upon a simple story, or even to shed a few tears.
Overall score: 10/10