“Shirdi Sai” is a biopic starring Nagarjuna playing the title role of the mystical phenomenon of Shirdi Sai Baba who is revered by millions of devotees across the world. Shirdi will be thronged by scores of visitors just like ants drawn to sugar, said Sai Baba. It has become as iconic as places of worship of major religions like Jerusalem, Mecca, Benares, Tirupati or Rameshwaram today thanks to a continuing upsurge of devotion to Sai Baba almost in every generation since the passing of the Saint on 15th October 1918. There have been quite a few films on the phenomenon of Shirdi Sai Baba but the most talked works are one by Actor Manoj Kumar involving the best of the Hindi artists and one in Telugu directed by K.Vasu starring Vijaychander in title role. Both these films are etched in public memory and are quite difficult to dislodge because they were simple, true to the main story as spelt out in “Sai Sat Charita”. In case of the latter film (“Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Mahatyam”), apart from evolved acting by Vijaychander and authentic direction without too much dramaticism there was timeless music by Maestro Ilayaraja. Normally, comparisons are quite repulsive but because of the choice of the subject and the fact that “Shirdi Sai” was most publicized before the release several months in the making, one cannot help compare the original movie with this movie.
If you leave out comparisons with the classic and also the overall essence of what made Sai Baba above any controversies, “Shirdi Sai” is good but not excellent by any standards. In fact, despite the huge cinematic exuberance shown by director K. Raghavendra Shankar Rao and the remarkable performance by Nagarjuna in giving an inimitable feel to the persona of Shirdi Sai Baba with his fitness, facial charm and charishma, the film doesn’t give a complete sense of the “Sai Tatva” or the characterization that that every devotee loves to see on screen, having read His Life Storyat least once or many times.
145 minutes is good enough time to settle all that there is to know about Sai Baba and to be fair, KRR tried his best to put forth the personality, the mystique and the salient snippets covered in books like “Sai Leela” and “Sai Sat Charita”. He has selected a reasonably good starcast but I felt that the storyline runs superfast and doesn’t register many scenes of the film like the essential grace, wisdom and guidance as a Guru that Baba gave throughout the fifty years he spent at Shirdi until his Mahasamadhi after entering the village as a youth two decades before the Sepoy Mutiny. He has chosen some lovely episodes to collapse into the narration which is edited beyond the brief. So, what I sense is that the pace of the film is so fast that for someone who has never read His Life Story as a “Parayan” (weekly reading for a wish fulfilment) or well-acquainted with His life, it doesn’t excite enough beyond a few exceptionally good songs and a neat performance.
The movie starts off with an exceptional title song that raises expectations, then wastes a lot of footage on his early origins in Himalayas and other nomadic travels and then alternates between a sketchy narration of Sai Baba’s meteoric rise as a Miracle Saint and unnecessary excursions into silly comedy with Shinde and Ali and gang. In the bid to make it entertaining, Raghavendra Rao has made it very elementary at times and fails to convey the subtler aspects of spirituality that Sai Baba has embraced all his life. Most of the film tries to be entertaining and the characterization of all the people who form part of Sai Baba’s closest disciples are shown hurriedly without extending the impact of His appeal and web of interactions with them for greater wisdom. Obviously, in an exercise of this nature, you have to be selective of the episodes that showcase the Seer’s magic but that’s what KRR should have done - if the movie is made for the current generation, there should have been more interesting elements weaved into the narrative – there were examples from Baba’s book of stories which could have connected with the young and old. For example, there was a story on Bhagawad Gita’s interpretation by Nana, there was a story of a boy who is counselled by Sai Baba not to believe in astrology when writing examinations, there is a story of how the cycle of birth and re-birth can affect our lives and our actions… My point is, a golden opportunity is wasted in most by selecting themes which are more populist in nature and appeal to a wide majority – like the unity of religions, being seen as the universal God by every visitor in Shirdi and being kind and large-hearted. The director could have done better if he had cut down on some characters like the Britisher Wales (played by Srihari blatantly imitating Mohan Babu), Brahmanandam and few others.
Out of 145 minutes of the film, atleast 30 minutes of the film is taken away by repetitive comedy which is not required in a film of this genre, another 20 minutes of the film goes in some cinematic shots of showing celestial skies, origins and establishment of the character, then the story with characters gets built quickly almost like a précis of the book without highlighting aspects that people would have loved to watch – how Baba spent his day, how he lived, how he created the customs that are followed in Shirdi today, how Shirdi looked like in those days, and how he mentored and touched millions of lives. Because of little time for maneuver in the way of the treatment, he had summarized most of the aspects in song format leaving the audience to pick what they can. It doesn’t take even two minutes to explain what are the nine paths of devotion that Baba explained to one of his closest disciples Lakshmibai Shinde, as recounted in the Sat Charita, but we have none of it that way. Baba just hands out the nine coins to Lakshmibai and then tells her to remember the nine paths of devotion (these are actually, listening, devotional music, remembering, worship, obeisance, service, friendliness, self-surrender and feet worship). There are quite many scenes like these which make less impression on a mind never exposed to Sai Tatva. What redeems the film is music by MM Keeravani and performance by Nagarjuna and Srikanth and few others. Keeravani’s music doesn’t have the trappings of Ilayaraja but it has a unique hummability that give his music the enchantment it deserves. However, one of the best songs of the album “Maanava Sevee Madhava Senani…” is cut out in the film disappointing music-lovers.
To be fair, Raghavendra Rao has done better than his previous films in this genre by sticking to near-authenticity and above all, neatness on a scale never done before – he has captured only the simplest essence of Shirdi Sai Baba and made a poetic film within a concise format without too much authenticity or care to endear to all. For example, instead of showing Queen Victoria’s portrait in a police station, we see Queen Elizabeth-II. Instead of Rotis, we see Butter Naans. And so on. Because it is neither “Mahatyam” nor “Katha”, and the title is “Shirdi Sai”, he has shown a non-linear procession of how a Saint became a Miracle Man and later became deified for generations. There are many omissions and commissions but it didn’t create the urge to want to visit Shirdi as it did in me when I watched the older films on Baba few decades back. Nagarjuna, however, should be proud of his achievement and delivers an unblemished role as Baba – if the movie clicks mostly despite the shortcomings of the director, it is because of Nagarjuna that one must feel compelled to see it atleast once. That makes this movie get rated 3 instead of 2.5. It is a good movie but no way excellent.
If you leave out comparisons with the classic and also the overall essence of what made Sai Baba above any controversies, “Shirdi Sai” is good but not excellent by any standards. In fact, despite the huge cinematic exuberance shown by director K. Raghavendra Shankar Rao and the remarkable performance by Nagarjuna in giving an inimitable feel to the persona of Shirdi Sai Baba with his fitness, facial charm and charishma, the film doesn’t give a complete sense of the “Sai Tatva” or the characterization that that every devotee loves to see on screen, having read His Life Storyat least once or many times.
145 minutes is good enough time to settle all that there is to know about Sai Baba and to be fair, KRR tried his best to put forth the personality, the mystique and the salient snippets covered in books like “Sai Leela” and “Sai Sat Charita”. He has selected a reasonably good starcast but I felt that the storyline runs superfast and doesn’t register many scenes of the film like the essential grace, wisdom and guidance as a Guru that Baba gave throughout the fifty years he spent at Shirdi until his Mahasamadhi after entering the village as a youth two decades before the Sepoy Mutiny. He has chosen some lovely episodes to collapse into the narration which is edited beyond the brief. So, what I sense is that the pace of the film is so fast that for someone who has never read His Life Story as a “Parayan” (weekly reading for a wish fulfilment) or well-acquainted with His life, it doesn’t excite enough beyond a few exceptionally good songs and a neat performance.
The movie starts off with an exceptional title song that raises expectations, then wastes a lot of footage on his early origins in Himalayas and other nomadic travels and then alternates between a sketchy narration of Sai Baba’s meteoric rise as a Miracle Saint and unnecessary excursions into silly comedy with Shinde and Ali and gang. In the bid to make it entertaining, Raghavendra Rao has made it very elementary at times and fails to convey the subtler aspects of spirituality that Sai Baba has embraced all his life. Most of the film tries to be entertaining and the characterization of all the people who form part of Sai Baba’s closest disciples are shown hurriedly without extending the impact of His appeal and web of interactions with them for greater wisdom. Obviously, in an exercise of this nature, you have to be selective of the episodes that showcase the Seer’s magic but that’s what KRR should have done - if the movie is made for the current generation, there should have been more interesting elements weaved into the narrative – there were examples from Baba’s book of stories which could have connected with the young and old. For example, there was a story on Bhagawad Gita’s interpretation by Nana, there was a story of a boy who is counselled by Sai Baba not to believe in astrology when writing examinations, there is a story of how the cycle of birth and re-birth can affect our lives and our actions… My point is, a golden opportunity is wasted in most by selecting themes which are more populist in nature and appeal to a wide majority – like the unity of religions, being seen as the universal God by every visitor in Shirdi and being kind and large-hearted. The director could have done better if he had cut down on some characters like the Britisher Wales (played by Srihari blatantly imitating Mohan Babu), Brahmanandam and few others.
Out of 145 minutes of the film, atleast 30 minutes of the film is taken away by repetitive comedy which is not required in a film of this genre, another 20 minutes of the film goes in some cinematic shots of showing celestial skies, origins and establishment of the character, then the story with characters gets built quickly almost like a précis of the book without highlighting aspects that people would have loved to watch – how Baba spent his day, how he lived, how he created the customs that are followed in Shirdi today, how Shirdi looked like in those days, and how he mentored and touched millions of lives. Because of little time for maneuver in the way of the treatment, he had summarized most of the aspects in song format leaving the audience to pick what they can. It doesn’t take even two minutes to explain what are the nine paths of devotion that Baba explained to one of his closest disciples Lakshmibai Shinde, as recounted in the Sat Charita, but we have none of it that way. Baba just hands out the nine coins to Lakshmibai and then tells her to remember the nine paths of devotion (these are actually, listening, devotional music, remembering, worship, obeisance, service, friendliness, self-surrender and feet worship). There are quite many scenes like these which make less impression on a mind never exposed to Sai Tatva. What redeems the film is music by MM Keeravani and performance by Nagarjuna and Srikanth and few others. Keeravani’s music doesn’t have the trappings of Ilayaraja but it has a unique hummability that give his music the enchantment it deserves. However, one of the best songs of the album “Maanava Sevee Madhava Senani…” is cut out in the film disappointing music-lovers.
To be fair, Raghavendra Rao has done better than his previous films in this genre by sticking to near-authenticity and above all, neatness on a scale never done before – he has captured only the simplest essence of Shirdi Sai Baba and made a poetic film within a concise format without too much authenticity or care to endear to all. For example, instead of showing Queen Victoria’s portrait in a police station, we see Queen Elizabeth-II. Instead of Rotis, we see Butter Naans. And so on. Because it is neither “Mahatyam” nor “Katha”, and the title is “Shirdi Sai”, he has shown a non-linear procession of how a Saint became a Miracle Man and later became deified for generations. There are many omissions and commissions but it didn’t create the urge to want to visit Shirdi as it did in me when I watched the older films on Baba few decades back. Nagarjuna, however, should be proud of his achievement and delivers an unblemished role as Baba – if the movie clicks mostly despite the shortcomings of the director, it is because of Nagarjuna that one must feel compelled to see it atleast once. That makes this movie get rated 3 instead of 2.5. It is a good movie but no way excellent.
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