Film: Maqbool
Direction: Vishal Bharadwaj
Art Direction: Jayant Deshmukh
Actors: Irrfan Khan, Om Puri , Naseeruddin Shah and Piyush Mishra.
Scene: Power shifting towards Miya establishing everyone’s role in the movie.
The movie begins where Om Puri is drawing a Kundali of Mumbai City in a Police van in stormy weather with Naseeruddin Shah with another guy gangster from the Moghal gang (rival gang of Abbaji). The gangster himself is unaware of the subtle interrogation that is taking place in the scene following his brutal execution (encounter) in the next few minutes.
The next important scene takes place in the palace of Abbaji, where they celebrate their victory over their rival gang. They ask who will rule this city Abbaji or Moghal? Om Puri exclaims Maqbool meaning the one who deserves!
This scene is of great importance because it clearly establishes a clear alliance of the police partners with Abbaji’s gang. However, they both are incredibly playful, funny, yet cruel and wicked at the same time deciding the fate of Mumbai city.
A game changing prediction
This is particularly a very interesting scene when I understood the depth of it. The reason being, this scene moves the story forward. In scenes before this, the rival gang of Abbaji is finished. The traitors are gone. The field is clear. The table is set for the one who deserves to lead the gang. This scene evokes a sinful ambition in the Maqbool. Om Puri is drawing Kundali with Chicken leg bone using red chutney (sauce), but interestingly, the chutney is red and not green. He is studying Kundali of Miya, the protagonist played by Irrfan Khan. Piyush Mishra is seen humored by Om Puri’s Kundali predictions about Irrfan.
Om Puri says, his Sade Sati (Saturn’s 7 and half years of influence has subsided) has come to an end, and he will get anything he wants, which he deserves. Particularly mentioning Bollywood (looking after Bollywood business). He also predicts that within 6 months, he will also get the seat of Abbaji. Everybody gets silenced.
Rahu and Ketu at work
Piyush Mishra then asks Om Puri about his destiny. What is noteworthy here is that Om Puri and Naseeruddin sit in the opposite direction to each just like Rahu and Ketu. Om Puri acts more like Rahu, who is known to create the Illusion of ambition and desire in everyone’s lives. He is seen fueling the ambition of Miya and subtly pitting Miya and Piyush against each other as they both are equally deserving to lead their gang. Naseeruddin acts as Ketu, who is known to keep the individuals grounded and give them a reality check.
Om Puri, now looking at Piyush Mishra’s Kundali, gets surprised and asks, “Tu abhi tak zinda kaise hai?” (how are you still alive?). He gets up unapproving of his prediction to make himself a drink. He then says that he has seen Guddu’s Kundali (son of Piyush), has a lot of potential and he will be the answer to your Miya, giving him a reality check again that he too could be finished.
Final positions of the planets (characters)
At the end of the scene the positions are changed. Om Puri and Naeerudding sit next to each other, which kind of shows that they are actually on the same side just as Rahu and Ketu were once a single being before they were cut into two halves. Piyush the moves and sit down a step below Irrfan in a way conceding to him as he considers him as a dear friend and not willing to compete Irrfan’s position in the gang.
I hope you like my interpretation of this scene. I’m looking forward to your feedback and response. Do write to me or comment. I would love to hear from you.
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