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Jagte Raho to Anokhi Raat: The magic of single-night stories

By Bharat Dogra 
Raj Kapoor’s Jagte Raho is one of the all-time great films of Hindi cinema. It received international acclaim and won prestigious awards. The film revolves around the simple story of a migrant worker who, being thirsty, enters a gated colony in a big city to find water but is mistaken for a thief. The film narrates his experiences as he is chased throughout the night within the housing complex. The filmmakers use this setting to make many significant social observations — sometimes with sadness, and at other times with great humor. It is a film with many smiles and a few tears too, as Charlie Chaplin might have said.
Anokhi Raat (starring Sanjeev Kumar) is another outstanding film that unfolds almost entirely over a single night, except for a short initial sequence. It is rich in meaningful reflections on society and human relationships, and it also features some memorable songs.
Social thrillers that take place within a day or two include several well-made and socially relevant films such as 36 Ghante and Deadline: Sirf 24 Ghante.
At the same time, some films have used the one-night format in unfortunate ways, guided more by sensationalism than substance. Kaun, starring Manoj Bajpayee, features an excellent performance by this highly talented actor but otherwise lacks credibility or sense. It is supposed to be a horror film, but it is better described as a horrible one.
Another much-discussed one-night film, Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, despite its success, is filled with so many killings and endless violence that it risks being socially harmful. Exposure to one violent death after another on screen ultimately dulls human sensitivity to violence.
The shortcut of trying to earn box-office success through sheer sensationalism has spoiled several recent attempts at one-night films. However, as Jagte Raho and Anokhi Raat have shown, films centered on one day or night can achieve excellent results. A skilled filmmaker can use the limited canvas of space and time to explore human relationships and social themes more deeply. Such films also offer great opportunities for filmmakers — especially young directors with strong ideas but limited budgets. Even Kaun, despite its flaws, demonstrates how a film can be shot quickly and at very low cost.
Internationally, the Italian classic Bicycle Thieves provides an outstanding example of how a film set within a few urban locations and over just two or three days can still become a timeless masterpiece of world cinema.
Such films can be a great way for emerging filmmakers with modest budgets to make their mark. However, they should focus on exploring socially relevant issues with honesty and artistic integrity.
Literature centered on one-day or one-night stories can also be an excellent source of inspiration for such films.
This writer has often tried to specialize in stories that unfold within a day, a night, or even a few hours. My Hindi short story 7 Ghante deals with two fugitives from the law seeking shelter in the home of an old lady who must protect her granddaughter. Ek Shaam tells the story of a club dancer yearning for a different life but first forced to contend with two suitors from the underworld. Ek Raat follows a young girl and boy hiding overnight in a high-rise building after being wrongly victimized. Sachhai Ki Kasam portrays the traumatic experiences of a man who has taken a vow to speak only the truth.
Dramatic settings like these provide opportunities to make important social comments and explore human relationships in meaningful ways. Even larger themes can be tackled, as in my novella A Day in 2071 — which I am also translating into Hindi — describing the first day of a revolt against the injustices of a dystopian order. When themes become broader, flashbacks often help tell the story more completely, even if the action appears to occur within a single day.
Clearly, there is much scope to explore this format of filmmaking more creatively and achieve excellent results even on low budgets.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Hindi Cinema and Society, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071, and Navjeevan

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