Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)

Really Surprised!

Lack of good storyline.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I've noticed that many have criticized this beautiful film by stating that the themes of inter-religious feuds and riots were deliberately presented in order to attract the Western audience. I doubt this was Sen's primary intention and it's not as if such tragic events haven't happened in India. Indian history is stained with the blood of people who died in such feuds.That said, 'Mr. and Mrs. Iyer' isn't even mainly about the Hindus vs Muslims feud. It's about the encounter of two people of different backgrounds who coincidentally meet during their journey to a common destination and how this union develops into a nameless love. And, in a very subtle way, we see how Meenakshi transforms from a highly educated, ignorant and prejudiced lady to a highly educated, selfless and caring woman. All she does is open her heart. The tribal war is an important and symbolic part of the movie's backdrop but never does it overtake Raja and Meenakshi's story. What we are shown is suggestive and gruesome but suitably brief while remaining poignant. Aparna Sen has handled the sequences quite exceptionally.Not only is the film meticulous in the technical aspect of its execution (such as the stunning cinematography, first rate editing, highly effective lighting and sound effects and a bewildering score), Sen's direction is subtle and poetic. The score and the performances are brilliantly downplayed. The photogenic location is breathtaking and it only makes it more chilling and tragic that such ugliness can exist within the beauty and taint it with blood.Konkona Sen Sharma gives one of the most riveting performances of Indian cinema. This is truly one remarkable actress. One who doesn't speak a word of Tamil (other than a few lines in the film) but masters the diction with such precision that no one would guess that this woman is anything other than a Tamilian. Sharma plays her part very naturally and with sheer ease. Rahul Bose does a fine job too and the supporting cast do very well.I can describe 'Mr. and Mrs. Iyer' as a beautiful symphony, an epic ballad and a sensational story.

Meenakshi Iyer (Konkona Sen Sharma) sets out on a bus journey to Calcutta with her one year old boy, Santhanam. Her parents ask a fellow bus passenger, a slight acquaintance by the name of Raja (Rahul Bose), to help her along the way. The bus is like a minute microcosm of India with all the various types you can imagine, there are the singing youngsters, the slow boy and his mother, the disapproving old maid, the card playing men, the Muslims, Sikhs, Jews. The journey of the bus is rudely interrupted when the occupants are stopped and told of a communal riot in the neighborhood where a Hindu was killed and now the Hindus are out for Muslim blood. Meenakshi finds out that Raja is actually Jehangir Choudhary and a Muslim. A series of traumatic events follow and when asked she introduces the couple as Mr. and Mrs. Iyer. The "Iyers" have to sojourn in a small town while there is a curfew on and find shelter in an almost abandoned rest house. There is a palpable attraction that grows between them and a level of comfort too, but eventually in a very Wong Kar Wai fashion, Mrs. Iyer is handed over to the real Mr. Iyer at Calcutta station.The film is no doubt a statement on all the communal violence that has become part of our country's history, but is also an ode to humanity and to man helping man. There is an uplifting message and the sense that out of darkness light can emerge. Aparna Sen is a master at her craft and the film is excellent in story, direction, cinematography, acting. But what I commend most is the way she has captured the lead pair. Rahul Bose never looked so endearing and heart-stoppingly good, and Ms. Sen Sharma is imbued with a lush and sultry beauty throughout. Add this to the fact that they do the finest job with their roles and you have a beautiful film. Rahul plays the secular, unfailingly polite, intelligent Muslim man very well, and Konkona never misses a beat with her Southie English accent! There is a conflict at a whole another level that makes this an intriguing film - the lead pair are obviously made for each other and very attracted to each other (maybe in a sort of Stockholm syndrome way, as they are fellow sufferers), and you feel their pain at the parting, and weep inside just a tiny bit for them, but then life gets back on track again and what cannot be is forgotten.The music is divine and this film is a certain keeper.

Aparna Sen has written and directed a winner !!!This movie addresses an issue that is often dealt with but has never been treated with as much clarity and closer to reality as this. It is amazing how Aparna Sen has managed to bring out the brutality and the futility of communal riots without the usual mind-numbing violence and blood shed. It reminds us how baseless are the inherent prejudices in the minds of people against people of other religions. Another thing it does is to show how thin the line is between marital fidelity and otherwise. For a Bengali, Konkana Sen pulls off the part of a Tamilian very convincingly. And Rahul Bose as the pensive photographer, has outdone himself. Their fateful meeting and the journey that they embark on, is one that you don't want to miss. All in all a beautiful movie.

An exceptional movie. Aparna Sen's choice of majority Hindu population as perpetrators of communal violence was daring, and probably killed the film's prospects at the box office,but significant. There have been innumerable instances of communal violence in India against Muslims, lower class Hindus and Sikhs, for which not a single person has spent a day behind bars. True to life, Aparna Sen's film isn't focused on the violence or the people behind those crimes. That happens. The terror is in the background, only it's effect on the protagonists is visible on screen. The main story is about the change of heart of an orthodox, highly educated, prejudiced and ignorant woman. Some of the subtle nuances would probably escape non-Indian viewers, but there are plenty of things to appreciate for all. The ending ("Goodbye Mr Iyer") would easily be among the best 10 endings I have ever seen in any movies among them Mouchette and Dead Poet's Society. In the acting department,all the cast have acted well, but special mention must be made of Konkana Sensharma for her outstanding performance. Aparna Sen's direction is outstanding, and outclasses any of Mani Ratnam's films who makes similar kind of political-personal dramas. A must see movie for all.