A writer;s block is a serious thing which honest novelists encounter as a necessary evil. Many authors usually find themselves lost in search of an idea, an inspiration that would get them going. M.F.Hussain faced such a block and he went in search of an inspiration which he found in Madhuri Dixit (hence Madhuri Fida Hussain!). Meenaxi reflects M.F.Husain's resurgence as a painter after overcoming the same problem which Nawab in movie faced.
The movie is different (neither good not bad, its different). It would take sometime to sink-in if one ponders over the subject. Nawab is in search of an inspiration, often represented as a ray of light in Islam. Hence the song Noor-Ul-ana which conveys the writers helpnesses of finding inspiration. He starts to dream of Meenaxi as a protagonist in his novel. Meenaxi ( the inspiration, the ‘Noor’) provides him direction and also becomes a critic of the novel in progess. Nawab plots Meenaxi in three cities Hyderabad, Jaisalmer and Prague. Meenaxi ( the inspiration) remains unhappy about the progress of Nawab’s novel. She complains about the writers over indulgence in the single character and not incorporating any ‘mirch masala’. Nawab is now empty. He now has issues against his own inspiration. He has made his character larger than life. More than his novel can support.
The whole movie revolves around the song Noor-Ul-Ana. The song picturised in Nawab ‘s sister’s wedding stops after lines on Noor ends. It is then continued at the end, when the lyrics convey the writer (or the subject’s) urge to touch and feel the inspiring source of light. The song is a fantastic poem, the last few stanzas mean the exact thing which Nawab feels about Meenaxi as a source of inspiration. “ <The lines here>
Santosh Sivan has portrayed the songs like a painting, as a product of modern art.
It is a good film on more ways than one. For an average joe, the movie would be pathetic. For a connoisseur the movie clicks at a different level. Analyze Noor-ul-ana and watch the movie as an artist.The movie would have remained a joke but for ARRahman’s score.
The problem is, many movie review writers now suffer ‘writer’s block’ Hence It is easy to make fun of things which is not an ‘also ran’.
Deepa Menon emphasizes this fact further.Besides, there's nothing very clever about making fun of something you don't understand. Which is why, with Meenaxi, we will scrupulously stick to only making fun of the things we did understand. This is going to be a short review. –
Watch Meenaxi only if you write/appreciate poetry or watch a film with an open mind less interruptions from your cell phone or popcorn. Others please stay away.
Ideal conditions like these don’t occur, which is why good attempts in film making fail or get labeled as ‘art movies’. So sad.
Meenaxi as a movie is just a poem - Noor Ul Ana.
reminds me of Asoka...!