The Signature
Introduction
It was recently that while scrolling through reels, I came across a reel featuring an 89 year old women from the US. She seemed perfectly healthy and hearty (touchwood) and could easily pass off as someone from the 70s. This reel was an eye-opener for me particularly because if you were to compare her appearance with someone the same age from India, the difference would be alarming. I do feel that this country can do a world of good for the senior citizens who are forced to retire as early as 58 years. And suppose if someone were to live a life until 90 years then there is a good 30 odd years that the concerned person needs to survive without any income. And while the government may provide just meagre means of livelihood (meagre combined with a complicated process), the person is essentially left to fend on his own with the money that has been saved upto that point. And god forbid, if the person undergoes a health treatment then off goes the money from the accounts in a jiffy (in a sharp constrast to the US where most schemes work in favour of the citizens). Based on this concept, I happened to witness the new Hindi film The Signature, an official adaptation of the 2013 Marathi film Anumati. Does it manage to impress, stay tuned….
Story & Screenplay
The opening sequence of The Signature is simplistic – a seemingly happy moment of a family wherein you see an elderly couple departing at the airport until a tragedy strikes. The setup was filled with a particular set of emotions in the lead up to the event that it was easy to predict the tragedy almost immediately. One thing that was missing with the setup was the world building and characterization that would have established a bond between the characters of the husband and wife. That would have further allowed the viewers to create that emotional bond with the characters before the tragedy that would have invariably allowed them to invest in the characters better. But to the writers’ credit, the pensive mood of the drama is established almost immediately even as the setup shifts to that of a hospital wherein all your sympathies are directed towards the protagonist Arvind (a terrific Anupam Kher) as he jostles for support, both emotionally and financially throughout the drama, all for his beloved wife who seemingly is in a state of coma.
The drama here unfolds in the form of a tragedy waiting to happen. Amongst the plethora of characters, you are introduced to the children of Arvind who look upon the entire situation of supporting their father and their ailing mother, more like a duty more than emotionally investing in it. The fact that Arvind’s son goes as far as mentioning that they sign a form of consent of removing the life-support ventillators from his ailing mother, while treading on the path of practicality was heartwrenching to say the least. This, even as an effort made by Arvind to arrange a certain amount everyday to keep her wife alive, did account for an emotional watch wherein you could sense that Arvind was alone in this seemingly never ending battle with death.
There is a brief commentary on the workings of a hospital that barely has any sensitivity towards their patients. All that they usually provide is a long list of medicines that may or may not be required in the name of emergency, that you are invariably forced to comply with given the situation that they find themselves in. And this is expertly showcased with respect to Arvind, you in a desperate measure is shown to be willing to sell off his property unsuccessfully so, while trying his luck with insurance companies and his estranged family that further grasps you with a lot of emotions.
And this is where the drama slightly deviates from the core with the introduction of a new character from the chapters of the past in the life of Arvind that seemingly changes the complexion. The sequence is a boon and a bane in equal measures – boon because it offers a different dimension in the drama amidst philosophical insights into life, and bane because it briefly cuts down the building tension in the drama with respect to the reality of Arvind. And while the drama falls back on track leading up to a tragic end, you can’t help but think that again a little buildup was necessary to completely engulf the viewers with the emotions on show. The events are good but slightly faltering with the staging. Overall, the screenplay has its moments to shine, and although not perfect, it does inculcate a set of emotions rather well.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational and they do pack in a lot of emotions along the way that contributes so well to the ambience of the film. The music beautifully builds on the melancholic atmospherics and presents a few ballads that are perfectly in sync with the mood of the drama. Even the BGM is pretty good while highlighting the underlying emotions of the scene perfectly, so much so that this drama did feel like poetry in motion. The cinematography comprises of scenes that are adequate, but the editing did feel a little patchy and could have been crisper with the transition shots that were abruptly cut. Director Gajendra Ahire does a decent job here with respect to the staging. Perhaps, a little more world-building would have done wonders to the drama but the director does get the emotional angle of the drama just right, and while faltering with the execution in a few scenes, he seldom lets go of the emotional core which was heartening to witness.
Performances
The performances were essentially divided between experienced actors and some imexperienced actors wherein the gulf between them was a little wide. Thankfully, much of the heavy lifting was done by the former that saved the day at the end. Ranvir Shorey is such a brilliant actor and he is excellent here in that sole scene wherein you see his outburst with an underlying layer of emotions. Sneha Paul as Nalini is decent here and does an adequate job with her character. The veterans Manoj Joshi and Neena Kulkarni are brilliant with the contrasting shades of their respective characters, and both manage to impress. Annu Kapoor as Prabhakar is wonderfully understated and extremely sincere and earnest with his approach to his characters. It was a pleasure watching Mahima Chaudhry after an eternity, and she was terrific to witness as Ambika. The kind of positivity that she brought to the drama was a sight to behold, and hope to continue watching her in days ahead. And it would be an understatement if I say that Anupam Kher is excellent here as Arvind. In fact, his performance is so good that I would almost stick my neck out and say that it is perhaps in the top 5 best performances this year. He is absolutely on point with the emotional core of the character, putting up a strong face while undergoing an emotional turmoil from within. Here was an actor that actually hid some of the flaws of the film and made it watchable with an acting masterclass of the highest order. If there are any budding actors reading this, I would urge them to study his performance here, it was incredible and any words wouldn’t do justice to the cause.
Conclusion
The Signature is a decently emotional tear-jerker anchored by terrific performances led by an acting masterclass by Anupam Kher. Not only did he hide a few flaws along the way but ensured that the drama remains a good watch through and through. Available on Zee5.