Maya Miriga Behind the Scenes: Film Heritage Foundation | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
with Shyam Benegal churn (1976) has been in the news recently due to the screening of its restored version at the Cannes Film Festival, the idea of the lost and the remembered stands at the cross-section of the visual retelling of the forgotten. The organisation responsible for its restoration is set to be in the spotlight again with the screening of the classic film of renowned Odia film director Nirad Mohapatra. Maya Miriga (Mirage, 1984) was screened at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna, Italy, from June 22 to 30.
“Even though the film was out of circulation for a long time, it remained in the news for years. As it happened, hundreds of films were on the verge of extinction and sought to be restored, circumstances dictated that Maya Miriga “There are a lot more to add to this list,” says Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, director, Film Heritage Foundation.
A scene from the 1984 Odia classic Maya Miriga : Film Heritage Foundation | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This critically acclaimed film would never have been released today if the director’s son Sandeep Mohapatra had not made serious efforts to restore it. The work, which began in 2021, went from one restoration lab to another, and was successful after three years and is now going to be accessible to cinema connoisseurs.
An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, Nirad Mohapatra is associated with the Italian neo-realism and Indian new wave schools of filmmaking. This is evident in his cinematic choices. Maya Miriga With amateur actors, real locations, lack of melodrama, realistic costuming and immediacy. Nirad Mohapatra wrote in his blog in October 2012 that he was not very keen on focusing on ‘personalities’ but rather wanted to showcase the broader narrative and characters that are part of the story. He wrote, “One of the reasons I haven’t used any close-ups in my film is of course to maintain an aesthetic distance, but it is also to avoid exaggeration through psychological cutting.”
Maya Miriga Film Repair Image: Film Heritage Foundation | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The film stands at the crossroads of transition towards modernization while also staying connected to one’s roots. The director has subtly raised the questions of moving forward and looking back. Mohapatra’s emotional attachment to her family against her own independence is the main basis of its conflict, which arises from the social reality of the middle class.
A large joint family living in the semi-urban area of Puri, Odisha witnesses a silent rebellion as the question of personal ambition and family values troubles the sons and daughters-in-law. Two couples in the family stand at two extremes. The eldest son (Tuku) takes the responsibility of looking after the family and educating his siblings while his wife (Prabha), though docile, constantly questions his decisions but only behind closed doors. Prabha conforms to the ideal of a nurturing and nurturing daughter-in-law. However, as duty takes over dreams, the sparkle in her eyes slowly dims.
The second son Tutu aspires to lead a better life. After joining the bureaucracy, the couple decides to settle in Delhi on the suggestion of his wife. Though Tuku’s wife can be called the ‘villain’ here, according to the principles of realism, it is the time and circumstances that prove to be the real harbingers of change, good or bad. Mahapatra has used many symbols to say less and show more.
Maya Miriga Poster : Film Heritage Foundation | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mohapatra has used many symbols to say less and show more. For example, Prabha’s gaze at the caged parrots shows her own limitations. The stairs in the house are shown as a symbol of upward movement, which Prabha never climbs. In the opening scenes, Tutu comes from the city and brings a picture of an English child wearing a frock. This is the director’s way of showing Tutu’s inclination towards the new age.
In terms of music, he has used a Carnatic raga in the film which is sung by a neighbour. The music comes and goes. Its liminal presence throughout the film strikes a chord in the minds of the audience.
Made on a shoestring budget, the film garnered praise but eventually lost ground. Even after so many years, the film remains relevant. “The balance I ultimately wanted to achieve was between realism and simplicity on the one hand and my preoccupation with a particular cinematic form on the other,” Mohapatra said.
