Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar are two of the most distinguished actors that Indian cinema is gifted with. Surprisingly, we have praised a lot many other actors more than them in the volumes of pages we have written. Journos, are you listening? Let's admit that today.
Shonali Bose, how well you imagined Priyanka as a mother when you wrote this story, which so evidently reflects the pain you've experienced and the brave fight you've continued in going on with your life.
Even if you are not a parent, your eyes will become moist and your voice choke with emotion almost right from the first scene of The Sky Is Pink. The second half, if you're a parent, will remind you that no matter who exist in your kith and kin, it's your love for your child that outweighs all. And the second half, if you're not a parent, will drill it into your head that how much your parent(s) cared for you right from your cradle.
The most important takeaway from this film is that the mother (Priyanka Chopra) and father (Farhan Akhtar) both love their child (Zaira Wasim) equally, but the manner in which they portray it- by nature, mind you, is starkly different. And this is so true in everyday life. I know of couples blaming each other when their child gets even fever. The mother always feels that the father hasn't done enough and is in some way responsible for the trying time. The father always feels that the mother is over-reacting.
I related to several scenes in the film. When Zaira Wasim says that parents who lose their child either divorce or stay in one room as almost strangers. When Priyanka Chopra cannot see Zaira dying and hence (very craftily concealed) walks out of the room looking for oxygen cylinders and making a few calls.
Zaira, please come back. Your decision to stop acting is a loss to Bollywood. You have surpassed your best, which was Secret Superstar till date
The highlight of the film is the confrontation scene between Farhan and Priyanka when they go out for dinner with a lady who says that she too had to endure a lot when her 73-year old MIL passed away. Priyanka loses it, and mind you, that's nothing to when she loses it later after a reel or two.
I have never seen Priyanka dressed so modestly. Priyanka, you had told me in one of our recent meetings (before you flew back to the US) that you will not take up any and every role now, it's got to be special for you to sign on the dotted line. Hold on to your word, YOU ARE special. When tears rolled down your eyes- and in several scenes they did- every time my heart broke. That is the hallmark of a great actress. If she cries, she should make you cry as well.
Farhan, you portrayed pain so subtly but yet so deeply. So natural for a father who loses his child that he wants to make efforts to drown himself in work, whether he succeeds or not I guess depends on the individual. You have underplayed as a father who has an indulgent wife (dare not anybody get it wrong here, as I said the mother's emotions are distinctly different from a father's) and the more I saw of you as reels rolled by, I could vividly recall some fathers who've been in such situations. That is the hall mark of a great actor.
Well, I have some relatives whose children have died young... Pause.
To conclude--- Shonali Bose, thank you very much for this wonderful film. Nowhere do you lose your grip on the film, mind you, you were walking on a razor's edge because you wanted to send out a message that death should not be mourned but yet could not close the door on the fact that bravado alright, the sky turns black for those who lose their kids. I wish your film just brings sensitivity into the people around us- a virtue which we have just thrown out of our windows in our quest of manipulation, personal gains and power.
Thank you Siddharth Roy Kapur and Ronnie Screwvalla for backing Shonali Bose. Goes to show that you guys are just looking for good cinema, not directors who come and tell you 'meri picture pe paise daalo, mere paas XYZ star hai'.
Mark my words guys, The Sky Is Pink will be a front-runner for being India's official entry to the Oscars, next year.
Going with FOUR-and-HALF (I was a teacher once upon a time. Being a teacher here and deducting 0.5 as most teachers do).
Image Source:- youtube/rsvp