Cinema is a vital medium that tells the story, which helps generations see the past and brings nostalgia to the viewers. Many of us have heard of and seen the circus, the life of the performer, and the level of engagement and refreshment it provides to viewers. Changes in our source(s) of entertainment has ended the circus. Live enjoyment recourse, a mixed bag of magic and fun, when there was little else, was what the circus offered: as we started turning more and more towards easy on-the-tap entertainment at our comfort places, the story of this film, “Ram Singh Charlie,” is in line with the life of art disappearing.
Ramsingh (Kumud Mishra), who lives and breathes Jango circus, has mastered the Charlie Chaplin act so much that he has forgotten his own name; everyone calls him Charlie. When the circus shuts down, its artists—most of who have spent their entire lives under the circus—are now out across Kolkata. The artists like dwarves took the work of watchmen at the bar, subjected to cruel jest. The well-known clown Ramsingh tries to find a job but ends up trailing a rickshaw with the same hands that once dexterously swiveled a stick. His pregnant wife, Kajri (Divya Dutta), and son Chintu (Rohit Rokhade) underpin his dream of owning his own circus—but the gap between ambition and materiality only distends.
The film is written and directed by Nitin Kakkar and Sharib Hashmi; it took almost four years to see the light of day until it finally got released on Over the Top streaming service. Despite being sometimes rutted (and with a dashed ending), the screenplay strikes footing between a fantasy and a hardened dose of actuality. Creators put their own spin on Chaplin, which pays paean to the continuing plangency of the comic genius’ personality, and brings together many sparkling moments on a screen which could have portrayed better.
Speaking of other cinematic aspects, both of the cinematographers, Madhav Salunkhe and Subranshu Das, are excellent; they traverse through Mumbai’s narrow alleyway, paying glowing acclamation to the stage and complementing the intentions of the filmmaker exquisitely. The music of Troy Arif and Arijit Datta brings spirit to the nostalgic portrayal of an art form that’s grappling to stay breathing, presenting a background score that’s pensive and comes out naturally.
Kumud Mishra in “Ram Singh Charlie” (The Goodfellas Co., 2020; photo: Screengrab SonyLIV).
There’s a beautiful scene where the lead character shows how much he misses his vocation by putting black and white color all over his face from the same flask used to note the registration number for his hand-rickshaw. He dons the portrait of a chicklet to amuse the crowd for his earlier profession, suggestive of how he turns in to a marionette of the corporate in the bargain for subsistence. There are many such splendidly visualized scenes. The film is attentive not to subside into too much misery, even as it shows us the brutal reality of the outer world—which treats clowning as flippant, and short people have to bear the pathetic jokes.
What makes “Ram Singh Charlie” compelling and engaging is the cast of the film; especially lead actor Kumud Mishra who we often see in supporting roles. With this film, he shows his capability as a true artist; he makes this film alive and gives it breath and warmth of emotions. His Chaplin persona offers the capacity to bring out the plod’s twofold identity, and his shifting between dejection and optimism is flawless, showcasing a correlation with the performance persona on which his notability rests, but is now falling away from him.
His strapping and enigmatic performance meets the excellence of Divya Dutta, who plays the role of his wife Kajri and fellow artist. She is his underpin and inspiration and gleam through a part that comes inherent to her. She shifts between angst and uncertainty, positivity, and delight, and manages to portray every emotion credibly and with authenticity. The rest of the cast is equally excellent.
“Ram Singh Charlie” is film one should not miss; it’s a story that will inspire you and take you to those nostalgic moments you have experienced once in your life. Its scale is small, but the potation is rock solid, from the story to the performances of the cast. It’s an engaging story which you can enjoy over the weekend with family, and a story which needs your attention.
You can watch “Ram Singh Charlie” now on SonyLIV.
1 Comment
Good to see your writer has appricate the true talent and not like many other who just want to talk about the mainstream films..