About 'Indian Films'

Indian Films: A Virtually Non-virtual Phenomenon

 

Born in 1978 in Smolensk, Sergei Vladimirovich Perelyaev, an upcoming Children’s writer, has already won a few awards for his works, though he never attempted to write anything specifically for children – just wrote whatever came to his mind, keeping in mind the elders. But in spite of this he is considered as a Children’s writer. And he is not against it.

Sergei Vladimirovich Perelyaev completed the Faculty of Journalism from Moscow State University.  

His stories were published in many children’s magazines, during 2004-2005 he worked as an editor in the famous magazine “Cheburashka”, worked as a correspondent and anchor in Radio; acted in many Radio-plays.

He is a Laureate of the magazine of the Union of writers of Moscow "Ring A" (best ironic poems, 2003), Alexander Potemkin award "Eureka" (nomination "Children's literature", 2006), national literary award "Cherished dream" (2008) and a few others.

Sergei Perelyaev is a member of Writers’ Association of Moscow.

The book “Indian Films” was published in 2015.

It is worth mentioning that Sergei Perelyaev presented his works in various forums for young writers, in one of them he was awarded  the “Eureka” award in “Children’s Literature” category; and in another he was recognized as “The Favourite” for his autobiographical novelette about childhood - “Me and Vladik, relatives and Friends”  

Let us come to the book:

“Indian Films” – for children in the age group 7–10, is a collection of autobiographical stories - real episodes, sometimes mixed with imagination. It consists of two parts: First part is “From three to Infinity” and the second – “The Indian Films”.

Let us examine each part:

“From Three to Infinity” begins with the narration, “When I was three years old…” and he has dedicated it to his mother who is “best Mother in the world”. 

The narrator himself is the protagonist and he describes his life from 3 years till his imaginary death. How? First the child describes how he was presented a bicycle “Butterfly” and how he met with a minor accident, how the beautiful sympathetic nurse in the hospital treated him. The child’s world is confined only to his cycle and parents. No interaction with the outside world except the “Aunty” whom he tried to save while cycling downhill (it was a silent interaction) and the nurse at the hospital.

At 4, the protagonist runs away from his house with a cat, because mamma and daddy asked him to leave the cat away from home after feeding her. The protagonist is sad that he can’t expect anything from his parents if they can’t show any affection to the pets. During the journey the cat runs away and the child is brought home by his father’s friend. So, the child starts exploring the outside world, we observe that feelings like disappointment and anger appear in his heart.

At 5 he finds a ten ruble note in the compound and he notices how the behavior of boys changes towards him, he is protected by Veronica and at that tender age falls in love…notices how people are jealous of his friendship with Veronica. We notice that now the social circle is getting wider, newer problems emerge and somehow he is able to get out of them. Similar experience at the age of six when he gets a big football which belonged to the captain of Spartak Team…At seven he goes to school, some new experiences, some disappointing situations…

Love for films starts at the age of 8, when he writes to the local TV channel to telecast film on Don Quixote…

This continues till he shows these notes to a friend who suggests that he should imagine his future and include in the notes. So the protagonist decides that the incidents of future life should be described in the autobiography…and that he has to visualize them. Thus begins the next chapter “When I will be…” and it depicts the dreams of a young boy about his life, his aspirations. This is going to be a life like all other people, a rich life, with a happy family and he leaves the world with satisfaction, surrounded by his grand children…

The second chapter of “Three to Infinity” is “Mera Naam Joker” it has affected the protagonist. Beautiful and powerful narration in very simple words, it shows how the protagonist sacrifices his love for the sake of Raj Kapoor.

The subsequent chapters of this section narrate the protagonist’s interaction with a smart boy Vovets: Vovets lives in his building and he is in love with the heroine of “Star Wars”! Our hero is quite impressed, but when the experience of printing photographs in Vovets’ flat turns scary, he prefers to stay away from him.

Attempt to become a para-psycho Healer turns into a fiasco in class V and he is ridiculed by the whole class.

His love for football is shown in the next chapter, he is unable to decide which team he should cheer up. Here we notice that the social circle of the protagonist is slowly widening and he is able to differentiate between good people and bad people, between good behavior and bad behavior and is able to select where he should be…  

Love affair with Tanya is very touching…! knowing fully well that their parents won’t agree for their marriage as there was this discrimination between the intellectual and non-intellectual classes. The protagonist and Tanya decide to run away from their houses, they reach a comfortably safe place behind the petrol pump, but it starts raining and they feel hungry and cold, so they decide to return to their respective houses and meet after thirteen years when they become 18 years old and marry…

The last chapter of this section is quite sentimental when Seryog dreams of August and the old time when there used to live a shepherd nearby (His grandmother had narrated stories about the olden days…)

Thus, we note that the child lives in a much closed, protective world. Almost no interaction with anybody but towards the end his emotional world is getting richer.

Now, coming to the second part which is titled as “The Indian Films” Here the narrator tells about himself, his cousin brother Vladik, his grandmother Tonya and great grandmother Natasha. Special mention deserves grandfather Partos (Motya) and some neighbors.

This part narrates the life of the protagonist in Smolensk. For the child, this is the Golden period of his life. Close proximity only with his cousin and details about Indian Films; how he came to see the first Indian film and how it left a lasting impression on the heart and mind of the protagonist. Only in the Conclusion the readers come to know about his life in Moscow, which too, he realizes, he loves and without these fantastic neighbors his existence is incomplete.

Let us see the chapter “India – 2 parts” in this section.

But before proceeding ahead, it would be nice to see what the author personally thinks about India and Indian films and why they have left a lasting impression on his mind. In a personal communication he writes:

I am very glad that you have translated my book into Hindi. (Marathi version too is translated simultaneously – both are yet to be published – ACR) .

 

“What is India for me – it is also difficult to explain. Somehow I feel that it is my SECOND MOTHERLAND, and though, except the films, I don’t know anything and haven’t seen anything related to India, but somehow I know that people in your country are very kind and friendly.

You are asking how I started loving Indian films. Well, it began in the summer of 1985. I was seven years old. And I went to watch a movie in a theatre near our house. They were showing Indian film Samraat. It happened just by chance. I had never seen any Indian film till then. When we saw it, I understood that I had never seen anything brighter, more interesting and more beautiful in my life. It was like “Dream come true”, incarnation of happiness for me.

During that week I watched Samraat three times and I still watch this film again and again.

Now a days, it is possible to find everything on the internet and I still watch not only Samraat, but also Disco Dancer, Sholey, Vidhaata, Taqdeer…    

And so, in the year 1985, after “Samraat” I knew that if the film is Indian, it means that I have to cross the whole of Moscow, if need be, and watch it.  I maintained a small note book, while I was in school, where I noted the names of those Indian films which I had seen and in a few years there were more than 100 titles in that note book.

When I was about 12-13 years old, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan had visited The Moscow International Film Festival. I waited near the hotel ‘Russia’ where he stayed and I managed to see him. I liked him terrifically, and later I even tried to walk his gait.

Even now I try to follow Bollywood News, but I like the films of 1970s- 1980s”

Sergei Vladimirovich admires Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakravarty, he not only enjoys the films but keeps track of their Director, Music director etc,

In the second part along with Indian films, the author narrates about his other relatives : His cousin brother, his grandfather, his great grandmother, some neighbors. We notice that slowly the social circle is widening, the child is getting experience of life. But, as in the Soviet literary works, we notice that all those who meet and influence him are of positive character, he moves away from a couple of negative persons.

Narrator’s relation with his cousin brother Vladik is special. Together they do many adventurous and creative things: They make films, show them to the members of family; they write novels – a number of them, they try to become salesman….

The concluding part of the novel shows the present life of author in Moscow. Those, who are his neighbors and those who live in the building are depicted beautifully with all their whims and fancies. But the author knows that life is not complete without any of them, He has a tendency to love everybody, a sensitive soul who makes you believe that life is still beautiful.

Most beautiful is the scene in the rain when the child is coming back with his grandparents…

So, that’s “The Indian Films” for you!

Translating the book into Hindi and Marathi was not difficult, but there were a few instances which required some special efforts work: For example the names of the films and words of the song – Goron ki na kalon ki” The child writes as he hears it…and this translation doesn’t give you a clue about the exact song. Similarly names of the actual films are changed according to the story and giving the real Hindi title demanded real hard work…

In short, this is not a fiction, this is the real-life of the author, power of Cinema, the depiction of love for life. And it is pleasant to see how the films bring people of Russia and India together.

So. This is the power of Art, the strength of Indian Films, which have been playing a big role in the Russian - Indian Friendship!