Harinder Sikka’s devotional film capturing the life and times of the founder of Sikhism has come at the right time. In these divisive times, Guru Nanak’s teachings are more relevant than ever before for he judged people by their deeds and not their faith. His confidant was a Muslim rubab player Mardana (Arif Zakaria), who stood by him during his gruelling journey seeking truth. As Nanak expounded the oneness of God and saw namaaz and aarti as just different way to reach Him, people took time to come to terms with his point of view but when they did, they saw in him a messiah of peace and brotherhood.
Steering clear of controversies, Sikka has shaped the film as a straightforward biopic of the exceptional boy born in Talwandi whose fame quickly grew far and wide because of his exceptional talent. Like the good old devotional films it shows the young the right path and reaffirms the faith of their parents irrespective of the religion they follow. Sikka has incorporated important events from Nanak’s life that explain his thought for the mass audience. Born in a Hindu merchant caste, Nanak showed his brilliance early. He was more conversant in Persian, the language of governance, than his teachers. He could more cogently put the larger meaning of the holy thread that the Hindu’s wear around their body than the local pandit.
Nanak emerged in times when Delhi Sultanate was on its last legs and Hindus and Muslims had learnt to live with each other. Nanak made Nawab Daulat Khan understand the futility of rituals if your soul is not seeking truth. On the other side he explained to the Brahmins that eating non-vegetarian food cannot be blasphemous. However, in Nanak’s lifetime the region saw one of the worst blood baths after the first Battle of Panipat between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi and the film, without shouting from the rooftops, establishes that one should learn to separate political expediency from religious fanaticism.
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The production design is impressive as Sikka takes us back to the 16th Century. Sikka has incorporated events which have a profound meaning beneath the devotional tone on the surface. Like the one in Himalayas where Nanak and Mardana give the seers, who are in penance for couple of centuries, a lesson in the futility of ego or his emphasis on work is worship. Or for that matter his stand against untouchability when he shares the meal with a carpenter Bhai Lalo.
Sikka has made good use of technology so that he doesn’t offend the sensibilities of the devout who don’t want to see their Guru in physical form. Using computer graphics imagery, Sikka has created an image where we could feel his presence. At times it impedes the storytelling for we are not used to storytelling where the protagonist doesn’t face the audience. Guru Nanak already exists in calendar art. One agrees that his word carries more weight than how he looked like but every generation demands a different medium to carry the message across. The recent success of Chaar Sahibzaade is an example. The faithful have a role to play here.
Having said that as the film progresses we get used to the format where Mardana’s voice is used to take the story forward and Uttam Singh’s music and Resul Pookutty’s sound design fills the gaps in a melodic fashion. For many outside Sikhism, Nanak is one of the pillars of Bhakti movement. Add to it Arif Zakaria’s poignant performance as Mardana and Adil Hussain’s able support as Rai Bular and we have a film that grapples with dogma without leaving the pulse of the devout.
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