Due to a series of unprecedented events on an otherwise blissful Sunday, I happened to watch Hyderabad Blues again. The first time I had watched it was way back in '99. Although it was as much as fun now as it was then, I got to appreciate the movie for so much more this time around. Many aspects of the movie make it timeless, a rare quality which seldom a movie can boast about. The story of a confused NRI returning back home and questioning the idea of what a 'home' is - is a theme which is still very relevant and will be for a long time to come.
The reason for the connect this time around is because the protagonist Varun (Nagesh Kukunoor) is 28 years of age and is pestered by society at large to get married before he returns to the US. Both his best friends are married (one of them marries during the movie, while the other is a father of two kids already). Two of my best friends are married. And another one will in August. Cuts like a knife!
Varun challenges the idea of arranged marriage and in his words - "fights 5000 years of culture" everyday. The high-levels of interest others have in knowing and commenting on his life choices is the closest depiction of the reality today. Pretty close to how my well-wishers track my movements via online voyeurism and unsolicited grapevine.
Varun returns to Hyderabad after having spent 12 years in the USA. Although I am no confused NRI, I did return to my hometown after a 8 year stint in different parts of this glorious nation. And when I did get back, it made me question the idea of a 'home' just like the protagonist's repeated meanderings all through the movie.
What makes Hyderabad Blues a timeless classic is the way in which Kukunoor captures the multi-layered conflict which every average Indian Joe has to tackle during the 25-30 years period. Be it the incessant "When are you getting married?" question thrown at you by everyone around, or the ideological battle between arranged marriage and love marriage, or the perception society builds around your professional-economic status and how that becomes your identity (no matter how hard you try to run away from it), or the sudden unhealthy stalker-ly interest our society shows in your life, or the generation gap and the cultural gap which you are supposed to acknowledge and bridge in record time(remaining sane all the while).
It truly is a lovely take on life in Hyderabad set in the pre_IT boom era. and despite the city having undergone a sea change over the last 15 years, the dilemmas its people face have not changed much. Felt nostalgic spotting a Nestle Milo billboard shown in a scene during the movie. It all seems to have happened such a long time ago. Will revisit this piece of magic in a few years time for sure.
