Yeh Ballet

The film opens aerially, we fly over the grand Bandra-Worli sea-link with the waters of the Arabian Sea on either side, accompanied by ethereal music, it almost feels like a dream. As the bridge comes to an end, so does the dream, we, still areal, enter Mumbai with its skyline, the ethereal music dissolves into the perpetual honking and police sirens. Finally, we are thrust into one of Mumbai’s shanties, right in the midst of an energetic display of dance among a group of resident youths.

Rarely has a film so effectively and artfully set its tone and summarized what it intends to convey in its opening minutes.

Despite its name Yeh Ballet, this is not just about the dance form, it is, at its core, about the indefatigable human spirit. This is the story of the ambitions of two passionate youths who seek to overcome the myriad obstacles that destiny has placed before them and rise to the very top through their talent and perseverance. 

While film never cease to be engaging, poignant, funny, and entertaining, writer-director Sooni Taraporevala effortlessly weaves layers of social commentary into her story.

There are working-class parents who are rightfully concerned that their offspring is squandering away their hard-earned wages on pursuits that have a slim possibility of yielding any returns. There is bitter rivalry and insecurity among the dancers. There are religious extremists who intend to dominate the proceedings. The film challenges gender stereotypes since ballet is a traditionally feminine dance form. 

At the center of it all is an exploration of class antagonism. The dreams and aspirations of those born in slums are limited. It is only by strokes of luck that the two boys manage to learn that school of dance even exists. Each time fortune places a springboard to fly, fate presents an equally insurmountable impediment that brings the crashing down. Even if success is achieved, some wonder if it was through 'reservations'.

Thus dancing is an allegory for rebellion against society.

The film commendably avoids painting an entire class or community with the same broad brush, the boys find benefactors beyond their groups and adversaries among in their communities.

It takes an Israeli dance coach, a foreigner with no preconceived notions about the boys or their backgrounds, to judge them solely on their merit and to enable them to fly, both literally and metaphorically.  Flying is a theme that prevails throughout the film.

This is also a story about outsiders. The three principal characters i.e. the two dancers and their Israeli dance coach are all outsiders overwhelmed by the almost alien worlds they are thrust into. While they attempt to comprehend it all, they also unknowingly facilitate the enrichment of each other’s lives. The city of Mumbai is among the principal characters of the film.

The cinematography by Kartik Vijay, sound design by Udit Duseja, and production design by Shailaja Sharma, and the art direction by Richard Viagulam effectively capture the lives of the crazy, chaotic, cacophonous, congested city of dreams that is Mumbai. 

The choreography by Cindy Jourdain, Shiamak Davar, and Vitthal Patil dexterously capture the spirit and defiance of the principal characters.

The background score and music by Stuart DaCosta, Jehangir Jehangir, Rohan Rajadhyaksha, Rohan Ramanna, and Viraj Saxena is the soul of the picture

The editor Antara Lahiri does remarkably well in maintaining the pace and kinetics of the film, she effectively punctuates the lively moments with poignant sections of silence where the characters are allowed to breathe in solitude.

The casting of actors are apt, each and every actor from Boman Irani’s cameo as a reality tv show Judge to Julian Sand’s dance coach looks and lives their respective parts. This is the best kind of acting where the acting just does show, it is almost as if it is really occurring and we happen to be a witness. 

For adeptly handling all aspects of this film and extracting the best from her team, the captain of the ship Sooni Taraporevala deserves innumerable plaudits. As the opening moments prove that Taraporewala, who is also an eminent photographer, has an extraordinary gift for visual storytelling. It is amply clear that Taraporewala knows her subjects intimately resulting in the film evoking a distinct sense of realism, devoid of any cliches or stereotypes.

Despite being set in contemporary times the film has that wonderful innocent fable-like quality and simplicity, this is the sort of innocence and morality that the stories of R K Narayan possessed.

As the film ends you are left with a warm feeling in your heart and a smile on your face. It has been two days since I watched it and it is still somewhere in my mind, clearly, it has left an impact.

The following is a documentary from 2017, upon which the film is based, watch this on Google Chrome to enjoy the 360-degree experience.

 

PS:

1.    The name Yeh Ballet, was the reason, I gave initially gave this one a miss. I don’t understand or care much about dance. A film dedicated to ballet, which would most likely contain prolonged portions of dancing, is not what interests me at all.

The reason I did watch it is because it involves the enormous talents of Sooni Taraporevala. When the writer of masterful films such as Salaam Bombay and The Namesake has something to say, my attention is undivided.

Lesson learned, never ever judge a film merely by its name

 

2.    This film emphatically disproves Mark Kermode’s theory.