(The title of this article and its feelings are entirely borrowed from the maker of the recent Odia movie “Parab,” Chinmay Das.)
“Gajapati is different—entirely different! It’s awesome! It’s absolutely different from the part you and I are living in! It’s a wonderland for me! My mind finds both excitement and peace there! It’s like my second home!” The excitement and satisfaction could be seen clearly in Chinmay’s voice while answering me about the inspiration behind his recent Odia movie “Parab,” meaning festival or celebration. Though he hails from Puri, he has spent many years in Gajapati since his engineering days. While talking about his initial days at the institute, he added, “You just can’t imagine how burdensome those days were. I had never been to any other place than Puri or Bhubaneswar by then. And suddenly, I was dropped in a land where everything from language to landscape were absolutely divergent. Even the food served there was so different from the food we eat at home!” While listening to his stories of early engineering days, one can hardly imagine that in the next few years he could develop such a strong bond for Gajapati in his heart. With time, he gradually made good friends at the local place, through whom he could see the soul of Gajapati. The local market, its food habits, local culture, and dance—everything seemed quite close to his heart. But what drew his heart the most were the jungles and tribes of Gajapati district. The more he explored those mountains in the Eastern Ghats, the more enthusiastic and curious he became.
I could really connect with him at this point, as I had been to Gajapati a few weeks back. I had exactly the same feelings while climbing the Mahendragiri peak. Each time you rise on the ghat roads, each time you take a twist, and each time you take a turn, the hill pulls you more and more. The previous day of our tour, I got back from the hospital around 9 PM, and our journey began at 4 AM. My alarm clocks didn’t even have the time to take a proper nap. Even the NH16 felt quite sleepy. We witnessed the transition from night to morning. The sun rose quietly from the eastern horizon while we were crossing Rambha. We stopped at Chhatrapur to grab our morning tea. The town was preparing itself for the hustle of the day. Gradually, the landscape around us was changing from a sluggish, lethargic brat to a bouncy, enthusiastic one. We chose the ghat roads via Ichhapuram. Via this road, one can climb the entire Mahendragiri hill from its base to its peak. It’s the second highest mountain in Odisha, located at an elevation of 1501 meters (4925 ft) in the Rayagada block of Gajapati district. This hill road has quite a few stiff turns. With every turn, you will feel the magic of adrenaline inside your body. And the memory of this feeling was enough to make me understand the interest, curiosity, and temptation of Chinmay for this region.
Not only with its size, but Mahendragiri will also astonish you with its vast biodiversity. In its fragile ecology, it houses around 1,348 species of plants and 388 species of animals. According to reports, the jungle accommodates about 5 species of endemic plants, 60 species of threatened plants, and 2 endemic animals. There are also 165 species of birds, 100 species of butterflies, and 36 species of moths. Mahendragiri also serves as a dwelling place for indigenous tribal communities, including the Soura and Kandha people. They reside in small pockets, at various sections of the hill. Apart from depending on the jungle for their livelihood, they also cultivate different kinds of indigenous millets, corn, and a few other crops. While discussing the making of ‘Parab’, Chinmay often mentions these tribal communities, their lifestyle, culture, and beliefs. He had spent days and months researching and collecting various facts about these communities. He had resided in these villages to understand the jungle, Mahendragiri, and Gajapati. The sparkle in his eyes and the excitement in his voice are truly striking as he talks about their cultural beliefs and their approach to embracing life. His love and admiration for the jungle and the indigenous tribal communities can be clearly understood from his lines, “ଜଙ୍ଗଲ ଭିତରେ ନିୟମ ସବୁ ବାଟ ବଣା ହେଇ ଯାଏ..ହେଲେ ସଭ୍ୟତା ଚୁପ ବସେନି .. ନାଲି ସଡକ ପାହାଡ କୁ ଚିରି ଉପରକୁ ବଢାଏ .. ନୂଆ ନିୟମ ଆସେ ନୂଆ ଦେବତା ବଢନ୍ତି .. ରକ୍ତ ଗୋଳିଆ ହୁଏ .. ସଭ୍ୟତା ଧୁଙ୍ଗିଆ କୁ ଭୁଲେଇ ବିଡି ପିଇବା ଶିଖାଏ..ହେଲେ କିଏ ଏ ସଭ୍ୟତା କୁ ବୁଝେଇବ ସେ ଜଙ୍ଗଲୀ ଲୋକ ଟି ଛାଇ ଆଲୁଅ ର ଯାଦୁ ତଳେ ଲୁଚି ଛପି ବଞ୍ଚିବା ଶିଖିନି .. ତେଣୁ ସେ ଅସଭ୍ୟ.. ହେଲେ ବି ସେ ସୁନ୍ଦର .. ଶିବ ପରି ..” (All the civic rules of the so called modern society lose their identity in the meandering paths of the jungle. Still, modern civilization never remains silent. Never remain in a standstill position. Through it the glistening concrete roads go up the mountains while destroying them(their very own selves) along with it. New rules replace the old ones. The number of new Gods increases. Blood gets diluted. Civilization teaches him to smoke bidis instead of dhungia. But who will make this man of the jungle understand this civilization, who doesn’t know the art of living in the shadow of the magic of light and shade! Therefore you may call him uncivilized. But he is a beautiful soul in his own way. He is graceful and handsome…Like Shiva). It’s this love and curiosity that inspired him to pick a theme from Gajapati and create a film like ‘Parab’.
For me, “Parab” is absolutely flawless. It’s based on the border conflict between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, in the Gajapati district of Odisha. For ages, the people of these villages, from both the Odia and Telugu communities, have been residing there with love and harmony. They have friends and families across the border and have shared the same cultural and life values for years. The food habits, crops, attire, and festivals have all been cultivated and nurtured together. However, like the ancient conflicts between the Gajapati and Vijayanagar rulers, the political border issues are still persisting, which often creates undesirable situations in those regions. The whole story of “Parab” revolves around this issue in a village of the Gajapati district.
One must appreciate the makers of this movie for choosing such an issue, in spite of its sensitivity and seriousness. The pace of the movie will amaze you. At no point will you feel tired, nor will you feel rushed in the process of making it. Enough time has been dedicated to both the development and conclusion of the story. I wish only the riot portion could have been shown with more intensity! Once you start watching ‘Parab’ you will realize how meticulously and carefully the entire team had to work together to make a dream come true. The presentation of the story and its making is methodical. The facts and events were put together in a well-calculated manner. You will never find an exaggerated use of colloquial language or over-dramatized showcasing of regional tradition and culture. The incorporation of “romance” into the story was just mind-blowing. The love life portrayed here is so mature, strong, and logical that while watching, it feels natural, obvious, and needed. Also, the music was used quite wisely. ‘Karkare’ and the title track ‘Parab’ sounded refreshing to the ears. The tunes and compositions were inspired by music of local tribes, Gajapati and Andhra. The whole team paid an accurate amount of attention to costumes and lifestyle, and it was well executed as well. The research on the theme, the geography, the history, and the effects on the present generation is presented to a level of perfection. The labor, dedication, and ultra-carefulness of the entire team are visible on the screen. The best part of the movie is the use of the local language. A very special and keen attention has been paid by the entire team to the regional dialect. I can smell, as a director, how strict Chinmay must be to extract the best acting skills, even from the shortest role or character.
Another fascinating part of the movie ‘Parab’ was showcasing the traditional folk dance, the Pashu Mukha Nacha (Animal Mask Dance). For ages, this southern part of Odisha has had the culture of performing this Animal Mask Dance during various festivals or parabs. The main aim behind this practice is to protect villagers from evil spirits and powers. They wear masks of various animals like tigers, horses, bulls, elephants, lions, and deer. The background story while performing this art form is often borrowed from either the Ramayana or the Mahabharata. Both mythological epics have a great impact on the life and culture of this region. While Mahendragiri Hill is otherwise called Parshurama Kshetra, you will also find temples dedicated to Kunti, Yudhisthir, Bhima, and Arjuna at the hilltop. Though in each of them Lord Shiva is worshipped, all of them are named after the Pandavas. It’s believed that the Pandavas visited Mahendragiri during their period of exile, and the temples we see there were built by them or the Almighty Himself. The priest at the Kunti Temple narrated the story of the construction of those temples and concluded by saying, “can you even imagine that any human on earth can build such huge temples at a height of 4,000 ft?”
Believe me, we didn’t have any idea about the construction of those temples on Mahendragiri. However, the information board installed at Kunti Temple by the authorities states that the temples were built between the 12th and 13th centuries. A few stone carvings of different deities appear to be even older than the temples themselves! The oldest among all the temples is the Bhima Temple. Not only is it the oldest, but it is also the smallest one. It is located on the highest peak of Mahendragiri, locally called Kubjagiri. Archaeologists suggest that this particular temple was built between 360 and 395 CE. One has to hike the narrow, steep, serpentine pathway to reach the Bhima temple. While climbing the steep trails of Kubjagiri, one would often feel as if their lungs are running out of air. One would reach the top in a panting, exhausted condition. But the moment you stand on the top of the hill and start to observe from there, your mind would spontaneously shout, “Heaven is here!” Yes, from far left to far right and from east to west, to the farthest point your eyes can focus on, you would find ranges of blue hills only. You can find all the shades of blue among the undulating hills.
While reading this article, one might think, “What is the need for this article when the movie ‘Parab’ has already been taken off the big screens?” Though it’s not being played on big screens anymore, even if you are not very fond of watching Odia movies, one should still watch a movie like ‘Parab’ as a piece of creativity! One might argue, “Why spend time on such a movie that has not even gained any commercial success?” Indulging in adopting techniques to make a business is different from being involved in creating a piece of art. I always say one need not write a textbook of history, but through her or his writings and art, she or he can provide an account of the present time in a creative and artistic way. For me, the makers of ‘Parab’ are successful in delivering this. While discussing the storyline of ‘Parab,’ Chinmay adds, “The matter of border conflict is not the problem of Gajapati or Odisha and Andhra Pradesh only; it is present across the globe. The movie ‘Parab’ doesn’t represent the story of the villages of Gajapati or the people of Gajapati only. Rather, ‘Parab’ is a reflection of the psychology, emotional confusions, cultural dilemmas, and the extreme steps adopted by the locals, prompted by them in any place on this earth that faces border conflicts.” The mob that spends money thoughtlessly to make a movie commercially successful is different from the lovers of art and creativity. The second category cherishes and creates memories of your creativity for centuries. The message that the makers wanted to deliver through this movie appears to be a reflection of my own thoughts: “War and violence can never bring solutions other than destruction and scarred lives for life.” Yes, it’s very true. Changes that can be made through love and positive dedication are rewarding; violence can only be destructive.
