Clew
It all started one afternoon in late 05. It was a screening day. And we got the chance to savour some Welles – ‘The Trial’, based on a novel by Franz Kafka. Adapting Kafka! That sounds a bit ambiguous, but why not? Least a mere effort! Worth trying…
The first idea that was developed was not rooted in time and space. It was like a puzzle – a kinky game. Kafka, in his ‘Passers-by’ avatar, was there but it was somewhat difficult to understand the context and what we are trying to voice out. There was an inane vacuum.
Ultimately we figured out the status of the character, he is a student; gave it spatial planes - roads and college – but still he was nameless and he had no motive. Still it was pretty much vague and heavily metaphorical. Then somehow something happened. Magic? Greece and the good old myth of Theseus and Minotaur! Can we figure out the clew to reach the center of the ‘Labyrinthine Hex’? Still a dream…
Come December and we were struggling to give a proper shape to our script. First we thought why not give a name to our character! Can it be Minhas or Minotaur of ‘The Dark Labyrinth’? Maybe Manas? Mynahs?? Strange eh??
Too much of mind games but nothing concrete! Time for some action, so one Sunday we planned to go to check out the locations for the alley sequence and bingo! Again a whole new motive was added to the plot. Introspection on a greater plane. And now came the real tough time. We felt the need of a concrete story with a proper trajectory. Innumerable ideas, haphazard words, anonymous quotes, global music, massive books, sleepless nights, hours of brainstorming sessions – but still we were living silent!
From an unnamed character to an unnamed college-goer to Minos the college-goer to Minos the journalist to Manas the journalist to Minhas the journalist and then to Minhas the investigative journalist! Phew, quite a long journey!! We thought about a story, worked on the search keeping the alley labyrinth in mind and reached a stage. But somehow we realized that the main concept of the multiplicity and intangibility of reality has become overshadowed and obscured during this process. But we felt that to make it comprehensible we have to stick to this one and it took a good shape. And we were somehow much overwhelmed with the ‘the then’ end product.
But as they say when you are too happy – it’s a sign of disaster. Came disillusionment – the script reading session. And realization – we have to make it ‘happen’ somehow!
And once more we are back to the mode of innumerable ideas, haphazard words, anonymous quotes, global music, massive books, sleepless nights, hours of brainstorming sessions – and ultimately we saw a ray of hope – came the flash of the camera and a few days more and bingo! Came our rescuer – The dead guy aka Dead Guy Rocking (DGR). Came two fellow journalists of Minhas. No, I mean not Minhas anymore rather Mynahs. Then a ‘missing link’. We really can’t decipher how this phase went. But we reached the goal about which we all were dreaming and the pure hard work Anu – Sreya - Palash made it possible. We got Mynahs, Jets, Simian and our Dredge Clew Myphos (DGR) or better be Dredge Clew Azores (more Greek kind)!! Birth of ‘the’ Labyrinth – our LAB!!
Ultimately we felt the maze within us, felt the fear of seeing the ‘self’ face to face in the naked stark daylight – we got everyone rather everything we wanted – ‘The Dark Labyrinth’ (Greek Mythology), Franz Kafka – image-music-text and the much-awaited motive!
Finally came the ‘myth’ factor courtesy Joseph Campbell and his notion of myth! And we realized an amazing thing – we realized that the story we are working on, the concept, which is bugging our brain cells, is already there in the sphere of this mythical world. As if – “THE LABYRINTH IS THOROUGHLY KNOWN, WE HAVE ONLY TO FOLLOW THE THREAD OF THE HERO-PATH”… Thus we ultimately got our ‘clew’!
Only we know how though it was to transform this ‘film’ into a ‘myth’ – it was truly inspiring and enriching experience. And we had our share of criticism that helped this film to evolve. It was a journey after which – “ WE WILL COME TO THE CENTER OF OUR OWN EXISTANCE, AND WHERE WE HAD THOUGHT TO BE ALONE WE WILL BE WITH THE WORLD.”
It all started one afternoon in late 05. It was a screening day. And we got the chance to savour some Welles – ‘The Trial’, based on a novel by Franz Kafka. Adapting Kafka! That sounds a bit ambiguous, but why not? Least a mere effort! Worth trying…
The first idea that was developed was not rooted in time and space. It was like a puzzle – a kinky game. Kafka, in his ‘Passers-by’ avatar, was there but it was somewhat difficult to understand the context and what we are trying to voice out. There was an inane vacuum.
Ultimately we figured out the status of the character, he is a student; gave it spatial planes - roads and college – but still he was nameless and he had no motive. Still it was pretty much vague and heavily metaphorical. Then somehow something happened. Magic? Greece and the good old myth of Theseus and Minotaur! Can we figure out the clew to reach the center of the ‘Labyrinthine Hex’? Still a dream…
Come December and we were struggling to give a proper shape to our script. First we thought why not give a name to our character! Can it be Minhas or Minotaur of ‘The Dark Labyrinth’? Maybe Manas? Mynahs?? Strange eh??
Too much of mind games but nothing concrete! Time for some action, so one Sunday we planned to go to check out the locations for the alley sequence and bingo! Again a whole new motive was added to the plot. Introspection on a greater plane. And now came the real tough time. We felt the need of a concrete story with a proper trajectory. Innumerable ideas, haphazard words, anonymous quotes, global music, massive books, sleepless nights, hours of brainstorming sessions – but still we were living silent!
From an unnamed character to an unnamed college-goer to Minos the college-goer to Minos the journalist to Manas the journalist to Minhas the journalist and then to Minhas the investigative journalist! Phew, quite a long journey!! We thought about a story, worked on the search keeping the alley labyrinth in mind and reached a stage. But somehow we realized that the main concept of the multiplicity and intangibility of reality has become overshadowed and obscured during this process. But we felt that to make it comprehensible we have to stick to this one and it took a good shape. And we were somehow much overwhelmed with the ‘the then’ end product.
But as they say when you are too happy – it’s a sign of disaster. Came disillusionment – the script reading session. And realization – we have to make it ‘happen’ somehow!
And once more we are back to the mode of innumerable ideas, haphazard words, anonymous quotes, global music, massive books, sleepless nights, hours of brainstorming sessions – and ultimately we saw a ray of hope – came the flash of the camera and a few days more and bingo! Came our rescuer – The dead guy aka Dead Guy Rocking (DGR). Came two fellow journalists of Minhas. No, I mean not Minhas anymore rather Mynahs. Then a ‘missing link’. We really can’t decipher how this phase went. But we reached the goal about which we all were dreaming and the pure hard work Anu – Sreya - Palash made it possible. We got Mynahs, Jets, Simian and our Dredge Clew Myphos (DGR) or better be Dredge Clew Azores (more Greek kind)!! Birth of ‘the’ Labyrinth – our LAB!!
“Past nine, late night time –
Dense fixation, mellow scent of adventure
Lead me towards you, inside your womb.
Lit up by ignorance –
Plentitude of neon glow and false blazes
Followed the opaque grainy light stream.
Is it darkness –?
Or my fear, your fear
My imagination coupled with yours?
You me us or we
We me you or us
Or is it only you within me
Or me within you?
Known alley – unknown darkness
Known thought – unknown light
I thought I know the way
How am I misplaced then!
Clues disappeared vexing me
You emerged breaking my mind
Choking my fears…
Felt you again inside me –
Was it you or me?
I or we?
It was us – meeting face to face…”
Words by Sreya Chatterjee( Hey gurl do excuse for using your words… they say what needs to be said - Palash)Dense fixation, mellow scent of adventure
Lead me towards you, inside your womb.
Lit up by ignorance –
Plentitude of neon glow and false blazes
Followed the opaque grainy light stream.
Is it darkness –?
Or my fear, your fear
My imagination coupled with yours?
You me us or we
We me you or us
Or is it only you within me
Or me within you?
Known alley – unknown darkness
Known thought – unknown light
I thought I know the way
How am I misplaced then!
Clues disappeared vexing me
You emerged breaking my mind
Choking my fears…
Felt you again inside me –
Was it you or me?
I or we?
It was us – meeting face to face…”
Ultimately we felt the maze within us, felt the fear of seeing the ‘self’ face to face in the naked stark daylight – we got everyone rather everything we wanted – ‘The Dark Labyrinth’ (Greek Mythology), Franz Kafka – image-music-text and the much-awaited motive!
Finally came the ‘myth’ factor courtesy Joseph Campbell and his notion of myth! And we realized an amazing thing – we realized that the story we are working on, the concept, which is bugging our brain cells, is already there in the sphere of this mythical world. As if – “THE LABYRINTH IS THOROUGHLY KNOWN, WE HAVE ONLY TO FOLLOW THE THREAD OF THE HERO-PATH”… Thus we ultimately got our ‘clew’!
Only we know how though it was to transform this ‘film’ into a ‘myth’ – it was truly inspiring and enriching experience. And we had our share of criticism that helped this film to evolve. It was a journey after which – “ WE WILL COME TO THE CENTER OF OUR OWN EXISTANCE, AND WHERE WE HAD THOUGHT TO BE ALONE WE WILL BE WITH THE WORLD.”
