By Rajesh Ahuja
New Delhi, Nov 2 (UNI) After getting a lot of critical appreciation for her performance in the much acclaimed 'Neerja' last year, actress is set to enthrall audiences in the film adaptation of Munshi Premchand's classic tale 'Idgah'.
A special screening of '5 Rupiya', a film adaptation of 'Idgah', in the capital last evening saw the audience give a huge applause for Shabana's moving portrayal in the film.
Produced and directed by Piyush Panjwani, '5 Rupiya ' is a feature film adaptation of the classic story.
The special screening of the film saw the presence of Union Minister for communication and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad among other dignitaries.
Shot in the backdrop of the Kashmir valley, '5 Rupiya ' is the story of seven-year-old Hamid who lives with his grandmother (Shabana Azmi) in a small village.
Hamid's granny had raised her grandson single-handedly in spite of abject poverty.
An apple of his grandmother's eye, Hamid shares a close bond with her. For his granny, who has brought him up alone after an accident claimed life of his parents, Hamid is the sole purpose of her existence.
She makes sure to serve him a full meal before he leaves for school every day. She has taken care to instill in him good values.
It is the eve of Eid and like every year, Hamid is looking forward to getting some 'eidee' (some gift or money given by elders to children on Eid so that they can buy themselves something on the festive occasion) from his granny.
Happy about the fact that he has kept 'roza' for three days during this Ramzan month, Hamid's granny has promised to give him Rs five as 'eidee' so that he can purchase a gift from the neighbourhood fair.
On the Eid day, Hamid, without telling his granny, steals Rs 5 from her and directly makes his way to the village fair from the Ramzan prayers along with his friends.
Worried about him, his granny enquires about his whereabouts and realises that perhaps he has stolen money from her and went to the fair without telling her. Her annoyance and anger for Hamid , however, turns into love when she realises that he brought a pair of tongs from the fair so that she is able to bake chapatis on the furnace without burning her hands.
The story ends with the overwhelmed old lady hugging her concerned grandson.
Director Piyush Panjwani has weaved a beautiful story that captures the essence of Munshi Premchand's 'Idgah'.
'5 Rupiya' perfectly captures The essence of Munshi Premchand's story, considered one of the classics in Indian literature. Like Premchand's story, Panjwani 's film gives across the message of how change can happen only through extraordinary gestures by ordinary people.
When his friends are buying toys and sweets for themselves from the fair, Hamid chooses to buy the pair of tongs out of his care for his granny who does not have money to buy a pair of tongs to prevent her hands from burning.
Shabana comes up with an emotional and award worthy performance as Hamid's granny. Her bonding with the child actor playing Hamid comes across as excellent. The performances and the deep bonding between the two lends an emotional appeal to the film.
The breathtaking locales of Kashmir valley and the excellent cinematography make the film a visual treat.
Intact, watching the film is like a poetry in motion.
Another highlight of the film is its background music.
While Munshi Premchand's story has formed the subject of television programmes, '5 Rupiya' is perhaps the first feature film adaptation of the Munshi Premchand's classic.
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