Hey Ram was released on 18.02.2000 but its theme is as relevant today as it was on that day and even decades back from that day. Made by one of the most talented as well as the most dedicated cine-artists of India - Kamal Hassan, this movie takes on the misunderstandings spread in certain sections of the society regarding the great man for whom Albert Einstein had asserted - "Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth."
Producer-cum-writer-cum-director-cum-hero of this movie - Kamal Hassan imagined that during that period of the late forties (in which the story has been set), there were many people who misunderstood Gandhi Ji and considered him responsible for the partition of the nation as well as the plight of the Hindus in the hands of the Muslim rioters. One such person was Naathu Ram Godse who succeeded in murdering him and another such person (as per the imagination of the filmmaker) was Saaket Ram who wanted to murder him but before he could do that, this act got executed by Naathu Ram Godse.
The story goes like this - Saaket Ram (Kamal Hassan) is a well-educated Tamilian Brahmin who works in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and has married a Bengali girl - Aparna (Rani Mukherji). After the 'Direct Action' call of Mohammed Ali Zinnah on 16.08.1946 and around the partition of the nation on 15.08.1947, the Muslim majority areas of Punjab and Bengal are taken to ransom by the rioters who go on rampage - looting, raping and killing the hapless Hindus who are in less numbers in their areas, getting full support from the biased administration and the police. And our hero - Saaket Ram becomes a victim of these unfortunate times when his Muslim servant (Shaadab Khan) betrays him and ushers the rioters to his house. The rioters rape and kill Aparna and are about to kill Saaket Ram too when he (in these most difficult moments of his life) uses his wit to fool the rioters and save his life first, only to seek revenge from the perpetrators of that heinous crime afterwards.
The burden of grief and the fire of vengeance overpowers the wisdom of Saaket Ram who has hitherto been truly a humanist only and he starts roaming about the streets killing the Muslims. However he comes across a hardcore Hindu fanatic - Shriram Abhyankar (Atul Kulkarni) who not only fuels further the destroying fire in Saaket Ram but also makes him believe that this plight of the Hindus is due to the wrong policies and practices of Gandhi Ji who should be killed. And Abhyankar only brings him to certain people thinking on the same lines the most prominent of whom is a ruler of a princely state (Vikram Gokhle).
Meantime, Saaket Ram has remarried. His new bride is a Tamilian girl - Mythili Iyengar (Vasundhara Daas). However neither Saaket Ram has forgotten the heart-piercing dishonour and killing of his first wife, i.e., Aparna nor has he abandoned his decision to kill Gandhi Ji. He reaches Delhi to murder Gandhi Ji. Ironically his stay takes place at the residence of his old Muslim friend - Amjad Ali Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who lives with his wife - Nafeesa (Iravati Harshe) and two kids. Just one day before the D Day (for Gandhi Ji's murder), a riot breaks out in the locality and Amjad dies in the crossfire, saving the life of his friend, i.e., Saaket Ram. Saaket Ram who has never been a fanatic in his life prior to unfortunate happenings to him, is now in a fix whether whatever he's going to do is correct or not. He approaches the spot where Gandhi Ji is heading for a prayer meeting but before he could decide in favour or against of killing him, Naathu Ram Godse shoots the great man from a point blank range and he dies uttering - 'Hey Ram' leaving Saaket Ram behind to repent for the rest of his life and go for penitence.
Kamal Hassan has undertaken many responsibilities in this movie and as a producer-director he has made a gigantic effort in bringing that period alive on the screen. His imagination has been ably supported by the art director and the cinematographer and while watching the movie on the big screen, I got a feeling of passing through that turbulent era. A great effort indeed ! But ! Something is deeply missing here. And it's the soul of the story. Kamal Hassan's narcissistic attitude and self-indulgence have been responsible for the marring of this movie. He has kept himself in almost every frame and overpowered all the other characters. And this has skewed the movie in the negative direction. This is a movie made with a pious intention but it would have been much better had Kamal Hassan assigned the responsibility of directing it to some other capable director.
Since Kamal Hassan himself has prevailed in the complete movie, he had to do well in the lead role and he has done it. All others (including he actors of the calibre of Hema Malini, Girish Karnaad and Shah Rukh Khan) have not been given any scope by him. However Atul Kulkarni has left impact in this debut movie of his and he won the national award for the Best Supporting Actor for his role.
Hey Ram is a technically very superior movie and it was India's entry to the Oscars for the year 2000. However I wish that Kamal Hassan had restricted himself a bit and converted this movie into a masterpiece which it truly deserves to be.
Producer-cum-writer-cum-director-cum-hero of this movie - Kamal Hassan imagined that during that period of the late forties (in which the story has been set), there were many people who misunderstood Gandhi Ji and considered him responsible for the partition of the nation as well as the plight of the Hindus in the hands of the Muslim rioters. One such person was Naathu Ram Godse who succeeded in murdering him and another such person (as per the imagination of the filmmaker) was Saaket Ram who wanted to murder him but before he could do that, this act got executed by Naathu Ram Godse.
The story goes like this - Saaket Ram (Kamal Hassan) is a well-educated Tamilian Brahmin who works in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and has married a Bengali girl - Aparna (Rani Mukherji). After the 'Direct Action' call of Mohammed Ali Zinnah on 16.08.1946 and around the partition of the nation on 15.08.1947, the Muslim majority areas of Punjab and Bengal are taken to ransom by the rioters who go on rampage - looting, raping and killing the hapless Hindus who are in less numbers in their areas, getting full support from the biased administration and the police. And our hero - Saaket Ram becomes a victim of these unfortunate times when his Muslim servant (Shaadab Khan) betrays him and ushers the rioters to his house. The rioters rape and kill Aparna and are about to kill Saaket Ram too when he (in these most difficult moments of his life) uses his wit to fool the rioters and save his life first, only to seek revenge from the perpetrators of that heinous crime afterwards.
The burden of grief and the fire of vengeance overpowers the wisdom of Saaket Ram who has hitherto been truly a humanist only and he starts roaming about the streets killing the Muslims. However he comes across a hardcore Hindu fanatic - Shriram Abhyankar (Atul Kulkarni) who not only fuels further the destroying fire in Saaket Ram but also makes him believe that this plight of the Hindus is due to the wrong policies and practices of Gandhi Ji who should be killed. And Abhyankar only brings him to certain people thinking on the same lines the most prominent of whom is a ruler of a princely state (Vikram Gokhle).
Meantime, Saaket Ram has remarried. His new bride is a Tamilian girl - Mythili Iyengar (Vasundhara Daas). However neither Saaket Ram has forgotten the heart-piercing dishonour and killing of his first wife, i.e., Aparna nor has he abandoned his decision to kill Gandhi Ji. He reaches Delhi to murder Gandhi Ji. Ironically his stay takes place at the residence of his old Muslim friend - Amjad Ali Khan (Shah Rukh Khan) who lives with his wife - Nafeesa (Iravati Harshe) and two kids. Just one day before the D Day (for Gandhi Ji's murder), a riot breaks out in the locality and Amjad dies in the crossfire, saving the life of his friend, i.e., Saaket Ram. Saaket Ram who has never been a fanatic in his life prior to unfortunate happenings to him, is now in a fix whether whatever he's going to do is correct or not. He approaches the spot where Gandhi Ji is heading for a prayer meeting but before he could decide in favour or against of killing him, Naathu Ram Godse shoots the great man from a point blank range and he dies uttering - 'Hey Ram' leaving Saaket Ram behind to repent for the rest of his life and go for penitence.
Kamal Hassan has undertaken many responsibilities in this movie and as a producer-director he has made a gigantic effort in bringing that period alive on the screen. His imagination has been ably supported by the art director and the cinematographer and while watching the movie on the big screen, I got a feeling of passing through that turbulent era. A great effort indeed ! But ! Something is deeply missing here. And it's the soul of the story. Kamal Hassan's narcissistic attitude and self-indulgence have been responsible for the marring of this movie. He has kept himself in almost every frame and overpowered all the other characters. And this has skewed the movie in the negative direction. This is a movie made with a pious intention but it would have been much better had Kamal Hassan assigned the responsibility of directing it to some other capable director.
Since Kamal Hassan himself has prevailed in the complete movie, he had to do well in the lead role and he has done it. All others (including he actors of the calibre of Hema Malini, Girish Karnaad and Shah Rukh Khan) have not been given any scope by him. However Atul Kulkarni has left impact in this debut movie of his and he won the national award for the Best Supporting Actor for his role.
Hey Ram is a technically very superior movie and it was India's entry to the Oscars for the year 2000. However I wish that Kamal Hassan had restricted himself a bit and converted this movie into a masterpiece which it truly deserves to be.