January 15, 2006
15, Park Avenue
WARNING: Following, is a review of the movie “15, Park Avenue”. All those planning to watch this movie and who do not wish to spoil the story for themselves are requested not to read further from this warning. I hope you enjoy the movie and afterward, you may read the rest of this post. As for those who wish to know the story, read on..
Last evening, I saw “15, Park avenue” starring Konkona Sen, Shabana Azmi and Rahul Bose. Brilliant acting! The movie, though beautifully taken in terms of Bhutan and certain defining moments, left me thoroughly confused and a little amused too. Here’s the story, not the entire package but more or less bits of it pieced together. Based in Kolkata, it takes us through the life of Mithali (Konkona Sen), a schizophrenic who is in search of her home at 15, Park Avenue which is part of her alternative reality. As the movie proceeds, we learn how the overprotectiveness of her sister, Anjali (Shabana Azmi), and a traumatic rape incident triggered the disease to take over the once normal and funloving Mithi, mentally and maintain her in an imaginary world she believed herself to live in. Mithi assumes that her sister has taken the entire world on her side to make them think that she’s schizophrenic, while Saddam Hussein (I’m not sure whether the director meant for us to feel humour or pity in this situation) is helping her find her husband and children (also imaginary). Anjali is a Physics professor, who dearly loves her younger sister and keeps Mithi in the house only to protect her from the big, bad world. Her suffering relationship with a fellow professor, her mother’s constant worries and Mithi’s progressive suicidal and delusional behaviour take a major toll on Anjali and she decides for the family to move to Bhutan for a while.
Fate brings Joydeep (Rahul Bose), to whom Mithi was initially engaged and to whom she thinks she’s married to, back into her life as the answer to her search. Mithi doesn’t recognise him for who he is, and instantly takes him into confidence when she finds out that he isn’t on Anjali’s side. Joydeep takes Mithi (he wishes to help her so as to rid of guilt from the past), with Anjali and Mithi’s doctor following close behind, to Park road. Although Mithi is convinced that the road was renamed as Park Avenue, again, no one’s willing to believe her. Finally, Joy decides to call up Anjali and tell her that there didn’t seem to be any progress, only to turn around and find Mithi missing. Meanwhile, we see Mithi looking around for building no.15 and as she looks beyond no.16, there it is! The whitewashed walls and black ebony gates wide open, she sees her children and husband playing at the porch. She calls out to her a daughter and instantly everyone’s hugging her, delighted to see her again. We can see a much younger Joy and the five little children they had much long ago planned to have. Back to the present Joy and a now very anxious Anjali, they call out for Mithi but no one seems to be able to find her. As for Mithi, she holds her husband’s hand and carries her youngest while the rest of her children follow them into the house. Back in the real world, the picture fades of the doctor, Anjali and Joy walking around confused and worried about the sudden disappearance of Mithi and we hear them echo “15, Park Avenue…..where’s 15, Park Avenue?…..”
I guess you must be equally lost with this end too. But I think that the director couldn’t have possible ended the story in a sensible or cliched manner and therefore, decided to leave it to individual interpretation as to what happened to Mithi. Very frustrating, but excusing a few hiccups here and there, the movie is worth a watch. Especially for Konkona Sen’s amazing talent and a quite gracious comeback of Shabana Azmi. Rahul Bose was flawless, as usual (quite a simple role actually). We also have Shefali Shah making a special appearance as Joy’s insecure wife. The part including Saddam and Bush was actually quite amusing and I still can’t figure out the connection except that since Mithi’s imaginary husband was in Baghdad and the Iraq issue was on, she probably formed some sort of connection in her mind. There are qute a few good examples that explain Mithi’s mental illness. As the doctor dines with Anjali, he asks her to tell him what she saw on the table behind. She said that it was a flower in a vase. He said that it looked like a lamp to him. Anjali told him to get his eyes checked because it was definitely a vase. In reply he asked her what she would do if everyone at the hotel swore that it was a lamp. Would she still believe that it was a vase? And so we get to understand what a schizophrenic goes through every day of their life when they’re forced to believe that what they see doesn’t exist. Quite interesting when you note down some of things in the movie worth pondering about. So, are you sure you don’t want to watch the movie?
p.s If any of you have seen the movie, you are free to discuss the end of the movie and give your opinion.
Warshhhh at 11:32 pm
9 Comments
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Have’nt seen the movie yet but the message seems to be clear…Everyone of us has a place we want to be at…A Happy place…A place where only peace and quiet is there with all those who we hold there..Mmaybe that is 15, Park Avenue, for the character in the movie…only that it is not real…and that makes sense coz things like this are only possible in the figments of ones imagination…and for a schizo…it is easy to go there…too bad for us.
Comment by: Ashish January 16, 2006 @ 2:14 pm
Another theory regarding the conclusion of the movie is that maybe it was Anjali who was schizophrenic the whole time. Although it makes sense for particular parts, it doesn’t seem to apply for the entire movie. But if the movie has been made from Anjali’s point of view, well, then the whole things fits. But I must say these can only be theories, I’m sure Aparna Sen is trying to put across some other message. The question is what is it?
Comment by: Warshhhh January 16, 2006 @ 10:09 pm
Need to watch the movie then… will get back on that one if I figure it out.
Comment by: Ashish January 16, 2006 @ 10:16 pm
The ultimate open-ended movie is 2001: A Space Odyssey. So much has been said.. and the more you watch it; you don’t understand it..
Haven’t seen the movie either.. but it seems to throw up the question.. one that keeps coming back to me. What if you got up tomorrow, and found that reality is nothing like how you see it ? What if all of this is just like the matrix, or like the truman show ?
We are all inherently schizo.. its just that the people around you see it the way you do. That is not to say that this is reality.
Another question.. what if Mithi doesn’t exist ?
Comment by: SEV January 17, 2006 @ 4:46 am
Speakin’ about this movie… “Reality-based mainstream cinema†has always been my type of movies that I prefer watchin’ rather than the typical commercial masala flicks that we watch every now & then… Well, I haven’t watched the movie as yet!!! But from the more-or-less bits of the storyline “15, Park Avenue’ sounds like another interestin’ movie after “Apaharan†which is worthwhile watchin’… Although the subjects are totally different but I personally feel certain actor(s) who play the main character(s) in such movie(s) do total justice to the role(s)… Now comin’ to the character “Mithali  I wouldn’t say its unreal as it has a lot of pain/sufferin’ due to the incident which is definitely real & natural for anyone who’s been through that situation… Finally for the schizophrenic & Saddam bit(s)… I guess it’s better to watch the movie & then give my opinion… But before I end this comment… There’s one thing I’d like to say… What if a person like ‘Mithali’ really existed? “You never know!!!†One would have reacted with her in the same manner as shown in the film i.e. convincin’ her rather than havin’ pity & leavin’ her all alone… Maybe that’s the director’s way of conveyin’ a message through this film!!!
Comment by: ArNiE... January 17, 2006 @ 3:52 pm
As I mentioned before, the other theory is that Anjali is the schizophrenic and it could be that Mithali is part of her imagination. But then a lot of the movie doesn’t make sense when you see it that way like Mithali’s shock treatment, slashing of wrists and her holding her brother’s baby. If the movie has been taken from Anjali’s point of view then everything does seem to fit but then I don’t think that’s how the director wants us to see it either. I do agree with SEV though about the matrix part. The movie seemed a little like that to me too.
Our opinion is based on the opinion of others just like in the example from the movie about the vase and lamp. The only difference in schizophrenics is that they are not affected by what others say. It takes a lot more to make them see what they should. That’s why its difficult to cure a schizo. Most of the time they are not aware of their problem. Well, this still doesn’t answer the end of the movie. Back to square one.
Comment by: Warshhhh January 18, 2006 @ 12:04 am
Hey i came here from your MSN Space..nice blog u’ve got here..good work!!You sound real interesting too..would love to chat with you sometime!!till then have fun and keep posting!!
Comment by: Sudarshan January 20, 2006 @ 6:21 pm
wont read it now…:|
Comment by: Viveka January 20, 2006 @ 7:10 pm
Hey I’m sudarshan5555@hotmail.com on MSN..hope to hear from you soon!!
Comment by: Sudarshan January 23, 2006 @ 12:29 pm