Decoding Bhumika (1977)

Behind the glitz and glamour, the glittery world of movies is often surrounded by the stories of insecurities and failing relationships. The glimpses of the manipulative and often patriarchal Hindi film industry have been seen in various movies – from Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s coming-of-age drama, Guddi (1971) to Zoya Akhtar’s poignant, Luck by Chance (2009) to the underwhelming Madhur Bhadarkar directorial, Heroine (2012). Shyam Benegal’s 1977 drama, Bhumika uses the same theme to depict the life inspired from yesteryear Marathi actress, Hansa Wadkar. Bhumika traces the tempestuous life of a leading actress, Usha (Smitha Patil), who grows from a spirited young girl into a woman shattered beyond repair, even if her life as a film-star may appear to be perfect from the outside.  

I also could not help but draw parallels to the tragic life of southern actress, Silk Smitha, who was brought to life for celluloid by the spectacular Vidya Balan in The Dirty Picture (2011). Much like Silk, Usha had a regular childhood but gets muddled in the chaos created by men and movies. Born to a strict mother and an alcoholic father, Usha learns music from her renowned devadasi grandmother. After her father’s death and much to her mother’s dismay, an adolescent Usha is brought by their family friend and the much older, Dalvi (Amol Palekar), to maya nagri Bombay to try her luck in films. Usha attains stardom at young age and a manipulative Dalvi manages to gain control over her decisions. Usha, being naïve and young, rebels against her strict mother. Most of her actions seem to stem only to go against her mother’s wishes, including marrying the much older Dalvi. Despite being an extremely sought-after actress, Usha wishes to quit movies and lead a regular life. But, she realizes her life is no longer hers, as an abusive and oppressive Dalvi arm-twists her to continue working. As an escape from an unhappy marriage, she finds a friend and confidante in her co-star Rajan (Anant Nag), who secretly harbours feelings for her. Thanks to the tabloids, the rumoured relationship creates further friction in her life and an isolated Usha moves out of her home. A broken woman, desperate for solace finds herself in the company of a desolate director, Sunil (Naseeruddin Shah). After a failed suicide, she bumps into a feudal lord, Vinayak Kale (Amrish Puri) and moves-in with him into his Haveli. Despite knowing that Vinayak already has a bed-ridden wife, Usha is happy being his mistress, since he gives her what she had been yearning for – lead a simple life as a homemaker. Little does she know, that her happiness has costed her, her freedom!

Set in India of the 1970s, Bhumika makes one question the deep roots patriarchy had in the society back then (probably continues till today), which makes men have a sense of ownership over women. In the end when you see Usha back in her dull hotel room, alone and broken, even the glitzy billboards with her faces on it do not bring any respite or cheer. The gloom is evident. You can feel her looking back at her life and how various men walked all over it. Her rebellious and fickle teen years stem from her problematic childhood, effected by an alcoholic and abusive father. Her wish to give up stardom and lead a simple life with her husband and daughter, is a young woman’s way of trying to salvage her failing marriage. Her angst against her ill-tempered and jealous husband turns into her affinity towards Rajan. A fragile mind seeks to run away from anything troublesome. And Usha runs away from her suspicious husband and an earnest Rajan, into the clutches of a nihilistic Sunil, who convinces her to end her life. Surviving another man, she falls for a rosy picture painted by Vinayak, only to realise she barely has any freedom or respect left (she is treated as his mistress, with not even the freedom to walk in the public with him or his son). In the end you only wonder, would the life of a budding singer and actress would have been any better, had she not let men manipulate and control her? A question that only Usha can answer.

Bhumika leaves many such questions open for the audiences to answer. The National Award-winning screenplay by Shyam Benegal and Girish Karnad, leaves a few issues open-ended for the audiences to ponder over. The dialogues by Satyadev Dubey are stinging and add to the gloomy narrative. One of the most powerful dialogues comes towards the end, when Vinayak’s wife (Dina Pathak) tells Usha, ‘Bistar badalte hai, Rasoi badalte hai. Mardo ke mukhaute badalte hai, par mard nahi badalte’. Sums up the movie for us.

The movie undeniably belongs to Smita Patil, for which she deservingly won the National Award. From a bubbly teen to a distraught wife to a woman who has given up – she gets a complete arc which she performs perfectly. Her eyes convey her pain. At the hands of a craftsman like Shyam Benegal, she shines the brightest. All the four men in her life have been cast perfectly, but Amol Palekar and Amrish Puri stand out. Breaking away from his simpleton, good-boy image, Amol Palekar gives a shrewd character one would instantly dislike. Amrish Puri, with his baritone and slender frame, makes for a domineering man, who uses societal norms to justify his actions.

Bhumika is a rare gem that belongs to an era of film-making, where emotions took precedence over commercial elements. And that is what makes it worth watching, despite its sad and forlorn theme.