Review of Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) by Sonal N — 14 Apr 2009

"Mr and Mrs Iyer" is set against the backdrop of communal riots in India. The story unfolds with a Tamil Brahmin woman, Meenakshi Iyer [Konkona Sensharma] who is on a bus trip together with her 5-month-old son Santhanam. Also on board this bus is Raja Chaudhary [Rahul Bose]a Muslim wildlife photographer and other passengers ranging from a raucous group of youth, an old Muslim couple and a pair of Sikhs. Prior to the trip,Raja had agreed, at the behest of Meenakshi's parents to assist their daughter and grandson on the trip. However, what was supposed to be a routine bus trip turns out to be anything but when the bus is brought to an abrupt halt with the imposition of curfew due to the outbreak of communal riots [a Hindu village had been burned down and rampaging Hindu mobs are going after Muslims].

Meenakshi who had been unaware of Raja being a Muslim, is shocked when he tells her of his religious affiliation. In fact she is mortified as she had accepted water from him [being a conservative Brahmin, this act of accepting water from a person of another faith is prohibited]. However, when a rioting mob of Hindus board the bus, Meenakshi casts aside her own prejudices and protects Raja's Muslim identity by giving the impression that they are a married couple, i.e. "Mr and Mrs Iyer". There are some disturbing scenes of violence and implied violence, but what is even more astounding is the fact that most people seem to go about their lives after such brutalities - perhaps this is an indictment against society's apparent apathy in the face of intolerance.

In the course of making their way back to safety, the pair come to understand each other better in terms of their respective faiths and beliefs. There are strong undercurrents of attraction between the two, and in fact, this movie seems as much of a 'love story' as it is a portrayal of the effects of racial intolerance.

The strong performances by the leads elevate this movie beyond just another melodrama. Konkona Sensharma is credible in her portrayal of a Tamil Brahmin woman and being familiar with the dialect myself, I was awed at her mastery of the nuances of the language [since she is not a Tamil Brahmin]. Rahul Bose is a fine actor, and conveys his emotions with his expressive eyes and facial expressions without even having to resort to dialogue.

Bollywood is known more for fluff-type movies than those with substance, and with "Mr and Mrs Iyer", director Aparna Sen has given us a gem of cinematic subtlety underscored by finely-nuanced performances.