All heroism need not display heroics.
What a lesson I learnt from The Great Indian Escape, a true story of the Indian Air Force, courtesy a film made by my young friend Taranjiet Singh
In a dignified, tightly on a leash and quietly compelling narrative, Taran took the true story of unassuming inspiration and made it into a film that stopped just short of giving you goosebumps.
It's very easy to say that perhaps there lies its flaw, but I personally feel that this is the film's triumph, the Director's reluctance to glorify dedication.
None of the characters wore capes. Because they were not given the role of a hero. They were Prisoners of War and they were reminded that escape should be their aim. Simple.
And a bunch of them proceeded to do just that.
No Eureka moments. No nail biting finales. No putting down the enemy, no berating of Pakistan. Just a film about taking aim, taking a deep breath and then firing dead center, on target. The escape was circumstantially simple. And the film did not tweak the story into a comic book caper.
Instead it took the route of telling the story as it is, with no frills attached.
The visuals were majestic, not quite stunning. The music was complementary, not the kind that takes it upon itself to vary the pace, just a series of tracks that swam along with the mood of the moment.
And the acting...no histrionics thank you. Just a matter of fact depiction of history as it happened. I classify this film as an honest film. A refreshingly honest one.
A classic case of a documentary choosing the fiction feature format to present a unique story. And doing a darned good job of it.
A 'Must Watch' for sure.