This book is based on the film made by Shekhar Kapur (of Bandit Queen and Elizabeth fame), and that was adapted from Eric Segal's Man, Woman and Child; unlike Segal's original suited to US ethos of a family that wishes no disturbance in their lives and would rather not acknowledge a member they did not know existed, this film was written and made for India with very very family oriented viewers, so the boy going back to be alone just because his mother had in fact provided for him financially would have been completely unacceptable, so the daughters in question had to walk the delicate balance of being disturbed and being friendly to someone who they don't know is a brother (in a culture where up to fifth cousins are brothers and sisters, half does not could but as full), and the wife and mother the tight rope walk of hating him for being a reminder of her husband's infidelity she did not know about while being naturally melted at her maternal heart for his lonely and lovely self that needs and misses a mother and seeks his father.
The film and especially the children were entirely lovable, and the couple dealing with the problem they did not know existed but needs to be cared for did a good job, as did those that played friends. This was an early evidence of excellence of the director, and that he did not write it was perhaps due to his being new at the film business then.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014.
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