SHADOW

 ’When we are watching a film everything we see consists technically of shadows—insubstantial, fleeting photographic representations of life projected as light effects on a flat rectangular surface of the screen.  Cast shadows are simply the essence of cinema.’

Bollywood, as other cinematic forms, basically operate on this science.

The year was 1965 and the movie Waqt, with an ensemble cast of stalwarts, was playing on the large screen.

Raja (Rajkumar) is in friction with Chenoy Seth (Rehman).

In one such meeting, Chenoy’s underling Balbir (Madan Puri) senses the tension between Raja and Chenoy, and whips out his Rampuri knife. Just as Chenoy chastises Balbir for this childish act, Raja walks upto him and deprives him of his knife. 

In his waxing eloquent style he says, “Ye bachchon ke khelne ki cheez nahi, haath kat jaaye toh khoon nikal jaata hai.” (This is not a child's plaything ... if the hand gets cut, then blood oozes out.)

                      ———-///————

Shadows were playing simultaneously in the minds of the people watching it.

This Rajkumar’s dialogue from Yash Chopra’s Waqt blasting from the speakers rang bells in Lala’s mind. 

As the right hand man to the Home Minister, Hanif Lala was invited to the premier of this movie and was seated on the row that was marked for VIP’s in the balcony.

Raja's dialogue was a warning call to Lala.

In his mind, shadows of reality were playing. He could picture himself as Raja and Burma as Balbir. 

His thoughts strayed to his protegee Burma and his shadow. 

As he had just dispossessed Burma of his knife on the screen he had to replicate it in real life.

Lala reminisced that he was the light that had illuminated the small time muscle man and brought him and his shadow to the limelight. However due to personal differences the equation had now changed. In the last few days it had reached boiling point. It was time to put Burma out of the limelight and disposses him of his shadow. 

Better still he had decided to eliminate his enemy this very evening.

Another Chenoy Seth’s dialogue from the speakers

”Main jitni mohabbat karta hoon … utni nafrat bhi kar sakta hoon”, (The extent to which I love you ... is the extent to which I can hate you) struck home.

’Yes’, Lala thought to himself, ’the nafrat had escalated.’

He gave the signal to eliminate Burma.

               ———-///————

A few rows behind, Burma sat watching the movie, Even in the darkness of the cinema hall his shadow was with him.

As he sat slush in his seat and watched the movie, he was bobbing his head from side to side. He was also playfully tossing his Rampuri from hand to hand.

Lala Kedarnath’s (Balraj Sahni’s) dialogue, ”Waqt hi sab kuch hai … waqt hi banata hai … aur waqt hi bighadta hai”, (Time is everything ... time makes us ... and time destroys us) reminded him of his life. 

Reality shadows started playing in his mind.

                  ———-///————

Burma’s parents, who had migrated to Bombay from Rangoon, were casual labourers on building sites. As a baby, he had been nicknamed Burma by other construction workers because of his parent's country of origin. Losing both his parents when he was around twelve years in an accident made him take up a life of violence and crime. 

As a young adult, his growth in the back lanes of Bombay catapulted him to a stature where he earned respect from his peers. His street-fighting skills had been honed to perfection. He was given the title of ‘Bhai’. 

Umbra was another reason that people feared him. Umbra had been befriended by Burma on one of his duels. 

The name Rampuri comes from the town of Rampur in UP. The royal bladesmiths of local Nawabs from here started making knives after the vulgarisation of firearms after the 18th century. Rampuri the ’Indian gravity knife’ came into the lime light and became popular as a criminal weapon. 

Uttar Pradesh migrants had been trying to get a foothold in the Bombay crime scene. 

Because these men used the Rampuri knife (which was new in the Bombay crime scene) as their choice of weapon they were nicknamed the ‘Rampuri Gang’. 

Burma was trying to protect his territory from such gangs. During one such scuffle, Burma and a Rampuri gang leader clashed with each other. The loud expletive language was followed by tense sparring. When contact was finally made, stomach-and jaw-busting shots erupted.

Suddenly, in a flicking movement, a new player was introduced by his opponent and lunged forward to attack Burma. On reflex, Burma quickly sidestepped to avoid the attack. He reacted with a karate chop, along with a loud aural, guttural sound. Attacking the mastoid muscles and the jugular was enough to fatally knock out the Rampuri gangster. 

Hitting the pavement, the new player also was lying in another corner. The shining sun, reflected the lone plight. Due to the glint, Burma’s eyes fell on the source. He bent down to pick up and rightfully claim ownership. An invisible bond was immediately formed. Christening with an acronym of ‘Burma’ he carried Umbra home. Umbra would now be his shadow and go wherever he went.

                    ———-///————

Hanif Lala was the local bigwig in crime. 

As he rubbed shoulders with the Home Minister (for the state) he was feared by everyone. The fact that he had supported the Ministers rise to this position, helped Lala carve up a huge portion of the city underworld to rule for himself.

Lala had a big team of musclemen to do his beckoning. He had come across Burma’s name when the kid was just settling down in his ’street fighting.’

Impressed by what he heard and what he saw, Lala realised that this kid had a lot of potential and hence kept a lookout for the boys progress.

True to what he had assessed Burma built up his repertoire -- layer by layer, hand fight by hand fight.

After a few years Lala managed to rope him in to do his dirty work. 

Lala was a shining light. Under Lala’s tutelage Burma along with Umbra became a dark force to reckon with. 

                ———-///————

The assassin hiding behind the long maroon velvet curtains of the darkened cinema hall saw the signal from Lala, his paymaster.

He lifted his gun which was fitted with a silencer and aimed. 

His target was Burma’s head. The young man's bobbing head came to sight on his scope. Steadying his aim, curling his finger on the trigger of the 6.5x 52 Mannlicher - Carcano imported rifle, he took the shot.

The three-centimetre-long copper-jacketed lead-core bullet zipped from the gun.

As Burma was watchng the screen he accidentally dropped the knife that he was playing with. As he bent to pick it up he saw the shadow behind the fluttering curtains. He managed to catch a glimpse of Lala’s shooter.

At this instance, by providence, the bullet zipped over his bent head. Missing it's original target, it hit his friend Raju Pawli who was sitting one row behind him. Slowed to 900 feet per second the bullet entered through Raju's skull and exited, embedding itself in the hard theatre seat. 

It was a fatal shot.

Burma instantly realised that not Raju Pawli but he was the target. All fell into place. He now knew that the actual finger on the trigger of the gun was not that the shooter but of Lala.

The VIP’s were encircled by security and safely led out of the hall. There was a mele resulting in a stampede. In this ruckus, Burma along with Umbra also escaped and went into hiding.

Burma was fuming. Raju Pavli’s death had to be avenged.

                ———-///————

Burma Bhai crept stealthily. Tucked away from others sight, Umbra — his shadow was with him. 

A week had passed since Hanif Lala had attempted to murder him. 

Seven days had passed since his friend Raju Pawli had been killed. 

One hundred and sixty eight hours had passed since he had vowed revenge. 

The time was right. He reached Lala’s Dongri gambling ‘adda’.

Earlier this morning his ’khabari’ (informer) had updated him that this evening Lala would be alone in his ’adda’ (den). 

Kicking open the door, he entered the dimly lit den.

’Lala, where are you?’ 

The six-and-a-half feet well-built Pathan got up from his armchair and stood up. He was all alone. Towering and facing the short but highly charged Burma, he laughed out loud in defiance. 

Burma was quick to flash out, Umbra. 

Flicking open the Rampuri knife, he gashed the belly with a deep swing. 

Umbra did his bidding. The single-edged, 12-inches-blade cut open Lala’s stomach and spilled out his entrails, pushing them out in a stream of blood. The Pathan would not survive. Burma wiped off the blood from the knife on Lala’s pathani dress. 

He folded Umbra, the Rampuri knife and put it in his pocket.

Another Balraj Sahni’s dialogue from Waqt had just turned to reality.

”Kismat hatheli mein nahi … insaan ke baazuon mein hoti hai.” (Destiny is not in a man’s palm....it is in his arms)

When the light source had tried to eliminate object and shadow, both had retaliated by snuffing out the light itself.

                ———-///————

Burma and Umbra disappeared, merged as one, into the surrounding darkness.

A successful surgical strike had just been carried out by Object and Shadow.

Credit for image and some details -- Internet.