Gullak- Heartwarming tales from the heartland...
The evolution of Indian serials from the 80s till most recently has been very fascinating. From the epic slice of life Wagle Ki Duniya, Buniyaad, Circus, Fauji to the comedies of 90s like Hum Paanch, Family Number 1, Shriman Shrimati, not to mention high on emotion K-soaps, the quality and sensibilities have ebbed and flowed. The penetration of internet and evolution of OTT platforms ensured that most of the millenials were fed adequately on international cinemas and series. Shows like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Narcos, Sacred Games were at the other end of spectrum of brilliance to that of some of the soap operas that were prevalent on the small screen. So when there came a simple and heartwarming tale of an Indian family trying to "jugaad" its way through the ebbs and flows of life, we all sat up in attention. I recall my mother exclaiming when she saw the familiar terrace and the stacked up quarters. Sometimes, even the name of the place does not matter. The lower middle class of the 90s has a strange nostalgia, because most of the consumption of today's content is by the kids of that generation who have spent most of their childhood facing a different kind of struggle.
One of the scenes that specially struck a chord with me was the episode of "Agwaa", a unique concept where a person is bestowed upon the responsibility of selecting and managing the groom for a bride in a village. During one of the poignant moments, when the to-be bride and the family's mother are outside together on a rainy day, coming back from the parlor to ensure that the bride is ready to meet the prospective groom, the family's mother (played by a superb Geetanjali Kulkarni) recounts one of her earlier memories about some guy who used to like her. The emotion is restrained and there is not a lot of wishful longing, just a hint of a realization of a distant happy memory to have caused a smile amidst the everyday struggles. Papon's beautuful song plays in the background the two continue their conversation.
We are so engrossed in fulfiling one checkbox after another in our everyday lives, switching jobs, every 2-3 years, getting flustered at the first instance of discomfort in our lives, we tend to forget those dreams and memories, however distant they might appear. I had a similar feeling evoked when I had first read Tagore's poem- Flute Music, a fabulous tale of life's fleeting regret amidst a seemingly moribund state. One of my favourite lines from the poem goes like this-
A village on the Dhalesvari river, that's where my aunt's people live.
Her brother-in-law's daughter -
She was due to marry my unfortunate self, everything was fixed.
The moment was indeed auspicious for her, no doubt of that -
For I ran away.
The girl was saved from me,
And I from her.
She did not come to this room, but she's in and out of my mind all the time:
Dacca sari, vermilion on her forehead.
Perhaps, we too can play similar music looking back someday......
