April 13, 1998

A Bollywood movie under production creates a stir of sorts not just in the film industry but also in Gujarat for daring to portray the life of an underworld queen.

By Sheela Raval

The beat of the dholak rises to a crescendo sending the bejewelled bodies into frenetic movement. For the villagers of Morabi in Gujarat, it is a night of celebration. Viram Odedara, the guest of honour and leader of the Mer community, is seated in their midst. As the Garba dancers move in synchronised steps trying to keep pace with the music, the deafening roar of gunshots rents the night sky. Odedara, the messiah of the Mers, is sprayed with bullets.

This may seem like a lift from a typical Bollywood gangster film. It is, except that the film sequence is a replay of what happened 12 years ago when legendary don Sarman Munja was shot dead in Bokhala village in Porbandar. In a case of art imitating life, HMV Production's new venture Godmother, due for release this month, is creating quite a flutter. Not just in the film industry, but in the whole of Saurashtra too, specially in Morabi where the film is being shot. Written and directed by Vinay Shukla of Viraasat fame, Godmother's plot is ostensibly based on true-life characters of this region. At least the locals, who are participating in the shooting, swear it does. Says 70-year-old Kanji Keshav, a villager who forms part of the audience in the Garba sequence at Morabi: "It felt so real that I forgot for a moment that the real Sarman died 12 years ago."

Godmother captures the life of Rambhi, Viram's anguished widow, who takes to a life of crime to avenge her husband's death. Just as Sarman's widow Santok Jadeja did. However, Shukla denies his film is inspired by Santok, dismissing it as mere coincidence. "A lady called Jeenamasi, who was involved with the crime world of Mumbai, originally inspired me," he says.

Shabana Azmi plays the all-important role of the vengeful female don, Rambhi. In fact, Shukla says he wrote the script with Azmi in mind. "She is the most competent actress we have. Besides, the film is about a woman in her early 40s and Shabana fitted the bill." Azmi finds the role all the more challenging because she plays "different facets of a woman -- a wife, mother, widow, community leader, activist, sarpanch and gang leader, especially since it resembles some real-life character in Gujarat".

Meanwhile, back at Santok's huge mansion in Bokhira, Porbandar, the local police who have come with a search warrant for illegal weapons and the queen of crime are disappointed. The 45-year-old underworld queen is one step ahead of the police, as always. Obviously, her network is more powerful and efficient than that of the local police. But the police is determined to end her reign of terror. Not surprising, considering that the lady has 10 criminal cases, including two murders, two attempted murders, and nine cases under the Arms Act against her. Says G.P. Mallik, dcp, Porbandar, who led the raid: "We have requested the court for her judicial custody for further investigation."

However, Santok has denied the charges levelled against her, claiming it has everything to do with political vindictiveness. "Some of my rivals in Porbandar wanted to frame me in criminal cases and they've succeeded in their mission," she says. A former Janata Dal (Gujarat) MLA who contested in 1990, Santok will not give up without a fight. She believes that the people of her constituency, Kutiana, are with her.

Whether or not they are on Santok's side, the people are definitely excited that a film is being made on her life. So much so that the excitement has rubbed off onto the artistes as well. Says Nirmal Pandey who plays Zakhara, Rambhi's loyal henchman: "For the first time, we were more recognised by the characters we played than our real selves." He even plans to meet Santok after the shooting is completed. Says Milind Gunaji, who plays Odedara in the film: "The local villagers would advise me on how I should act and change my mannerisms to resemble Sarman. In public places, people introduced me as 'the man who plays Sarman in Godmother'."

But there are moments when the film does meander from reality. In the film while Rambhi has a loyal henchman cum bodyguard, Santok moves around with her sons and a few female bodyguards. Also, she wears only saris and not ethnic costumes that Azmi wears in the film. But she has traditional tattoos on her arms.

Despite their enthusiasm, some Mers do have reservations. Raju Jadeja, a paanwala, objects to the "godmother" smoking in the film: "Mer women don't smoke like Shabana did. Santok may be a criminal but she hasn't forgotten the basic tenets of the Hindu tradition." But the essential parallels are there. Reality spills over onto the screen when Rambhi regrets the life she has adopted as her three sons get sucked into criminal politics. Similarly, Santok is an embittered woman today as three of her four sons face criminal charges. "Even if I want to lead a peaceful life, my fate won't permit me," she says. Though the film ends tragically with Rambhi being killed by her rivals, Santok's life is no better. A marked woman, she's constantly on the run.

The lady don of Porbandar, as Santok is called, obviously has the last word. Apparently unaffected by the brouhaha over the film, she says, "I don't know what Godmother is all about. But if I see any facts being distorted or if they show me in a bad light, I'll drag them to court. My children shouldn't suffer the way I did." As Bhikhabhai Tadvi, a shopkeeper in Morabi, says, "We don't know who is emulating who and whether the director is looking for an authentic story or whether Santok is looking for some credibility through the film."

Controversial or not, Shukla's film promises to be different. He has painstakingly tried to give an authentic touch to the film. Most characters wear ethnic costumes and speak the local dialect, which is a mixture of Gujarati and Rajasthani. For Shukla, Godmother may be an artistic portrayal of a female don. But for the locals in Morabi, it is the story of a woman whose name evokes fear and respect in the backlanes of Porbandar.

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