What cannot be done with passion? Even droughts can be changed to downpours. Passion and an urge to do something can lead one to do herculean tasks. Such strong passions are many a time suppressed but cannot be suppressed for eternity. The desire breaks away all the chains and fills the heart with satisfaction and joy.
The award-winning Gujarati movie depicts the same. The film has won many awards such as Best Director, Best Writing, Best Actor, and Best Film including the National Film Awards in the Best Feature Film category. It is a battle of village women against the patriarchal society that worships a goddess but does not allow their women to dance and embroider. The women are meant to keep fast and feed the family only. The drought in the village has been attributed to the sin of a village woman. But they will not face suppression for any longer. They will dance as destiny has something to fill them with courage.
The setting of the village
Kutch, Gujarat, Bhungas
The plot of the movie is set in 1975 in a village in the Kutch region of Gujarat. The idea of a remote location, that almost lies in the middle of nowhere suggests that the women cannot escape if they want to. There is no connectivity to any means of transport. There is land everywhere but nowhere to go. It is all surrounded by openness but the women cannot breathe the air of freedom. The only time the women are out of their homes is when they go miles away to fetch water. This is when they speak their hearts out.
The set has been made by the filmmaking team in the Kuran region of the Rann of the Kutch to catch the feel of no man’s land. It consists of 15 Bhungas (houses), a temple, and a town square. The movie, through the village, gives a deep insight into the Kutchi tradition, culture, and architecture.
The random manner of the cluster slows down the speed of the sandstorm which is quite common in the region.
Architecture
Mud plinth, Wood, Earthquake prone zone, Thatch, Lippan, Inbuilt furniture
A village comprises a cluster of Bhungas, raised on a mud plinth to indicate oneness. All the structures placed on a single mud plinth belong to one village. The plinth is also used as a gathering place for the men of the village. It is to be noticed that there is no such place for the women of the village.
There is a single hut called Bhunga for a nuclear family. The Bhungas are rounded structures due to the prevalent seismic activity in the region. The round form provides for no edges and no joints that can crack or break away in times of earthquake. This very form also takes care of the sandstorms that pass by. They easily sway away after hitting the round walls. The walls are mud plastered and the thatch roof lies on a support system of a timber beam and a post. The thatch also lies on the wooden purlins tied in a circular fashion. The houses have small openings to prevent minimal dust and harsh sunlight from entering. These openings have wooden doors and windows. The doors can also have a frame filled in with thatch. There is generally a single door and a single grill window assigned to the Bhunga. These are the very windows through which the women peep outside watching their men perform Garba to please the goddess, while they themselves remain inside.
Since the Kutch region is an earthquake-prone zone, the materials have been chosen accordingly. Mud and thatch are locally available and almost cost nothing. And if there is any case of an earthquake, there is no loss of property and money. The houses can be built again by the locals. For the same reason, the furniture is mostly inbuilt, say the niches for storage. Elongated egg-like balls are made with mud and cow dung. These are placed in a circular manner. Multiple courses are laid vertically till the desired height is reached. The wall cracks are filled if any, and then the walls are plastered.
The striking interiors of the houses, unique to the Kutch region can also be seen in the movie. Relief designs using mud have been done. ‘Lippan’ work, which is quite popular in the Kutch region can also be seen in the houses. In this, mud plaster is applied on the surface of the wall and is further embellished using mud linear designs and mirrors. Motifs are also painted on the walls.
The exteriors also have paintings done in white and brown.
Regional movies are a good example of promoting vernacular architecture. Although the story revolves around some social plot, architecture plays an important role. It is the mirror reflecting the lifestyle of the protagonist and another character. The architectural setting sets the mood and prepares the audience for the story.
References:
Wikipedia. (2023). Hellaro. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellaro [Accessed 26 Aug. 2023]
Anon, (2020). Top Secret for the Award Winning Movie ‘Hellaro’ | Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.kutchtourguide.com/blog/top-secret-for-the-award-winning-movie-hellaro/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2023]
