Mind 'NO' Mind
Upendra said in an interview "It was an unfinished story. In the end, he (protagonist) leaves everything behind and goes away. There is no answer to what next. What happened to him? In a film you can show such abruptness. But what really happens to him if he were real? That question always bothered me. It was a conflict within me wanting to know what happened. Our lives are a constant search to find the ultimate truth..."In 'Upendra-1' the protagonist was in search. In this movie the protagonist is content and happy. He enjoys and makes fun of the (odd?) ways of society.
The protagonist in the movie keeps on saying the same thing "What you are looking is here and now" and yet no one bothers to look there and then. The protagonist keeps on saying that he is a CHANGED man now and yet no one cares. People rather than looking into him, kept on searching. People who knew his past (characters from uppi-1), kept searching him in his past without realizing that past is just a reconstruct of mind. People who were interested in his future (Police and other characters interested in will), kept on searching in his future without realizing that future is again a construct of mind. No one in the movie (or in the audience) bothered to look into him. No one was in the present. People who watched movie without thinking about 'what happens next?' can get the message, otherwise they will miss itÂ… Most people thought that the movie is about 'Neenu'(YOU). When 'Naanu' (I) dies, Neenu(You) can't exist. 'I' exist because 'You" exists. When 'I' dies, the very variable of comparison dies. Therefore the movie is not about 'Neenu'(You) .
The movie is about 'NO MIND'. It reminds me of 'ZEN' movies of China, Japan and Korea. Movie tries to explain 'No Mind' with 'Mind'. Mind on its own doesn't exist. It has no existence of its own. Therefore it is not substantial. On the other hand, mind is a continuum of thoughts. (All the scenes in the movie are in continuum and random). We don't realize this continuum due to our unconsciousness. Sit for moment. Watch your mind without judging. You realize random thoughts coming and going. If you go little deep, you can also witness intervals in between thoughts.
Thinking is always about future or past. As you are, you can't be without thinking. You can not do any activity without thinking/no mind. No mind is evolved state wherein consciousness guides. 'No mind' is the state of being; not activity. Consciousness becomes the master and mind becomes the servant. Ever wondered why Krishna became charioteer. Krishna represents consciousness and Arjuna represents mind. In a state of 'no mind' Consciousness guide the mind.
This movie is about a quest of a person who has attained 'No Mind'. Paradox is that one attains state of 'no mind' at the verge of his quest. When quest itself end, nothing exists. All this human struggle is for finding that quest. You can call it happiness or Moksha or something else. When there is no quest, neither present exists nor future. One is utterly content within. He lives. No future. No past. Therefore there cannot be any end as 'end' itself is futuristicÂ… There are glimpses of Tantra (with Parul Yadav and in a scene with Kristina).
We can see Upendra dressing in a typical Osho style and trying to imitate him in a way in the movie...
Contentment is subjective and very inner experience. You cannot make a movie on contented person. Although one can make movie on how one attains that state.
I knew making a movie on 'no mind' was very difficult, yet director has given his sincere attempt. He should be appreciated for his guts.
I personally think screenplay could have been made more interesting.
The movie is not raw with dialogs as in Uppi-1. It is more mature, witty and more sharp. It is raw in 'Zen' sense. A kind of raw 'Zen' movie. It can be watched/enjoyed with family...
Thank you Upendra for making this movie
score 9/10
adanakar 15 August 2015
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3297690/35437
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