Hindi cinema has often portrayed Parsis as eccentric buffoons. Oovazi Irani has now made a film challenging all popular myths around her fast fading community.SANGEETA YADAV spoke to her at length
For many filmmakers, cinema is a mode to entertain people and make big money. But there are some others who encourage the art of cinema through unconventional films. One such independent filmmaker is Oorvazi Irani whose movie The Path of Zarathustra was released last week under PVR Director’s Rare banner. The movie touches upon the some important aspects of Parsi community in modern times and their ancient faith.
“The story revolves around discovering the mystery of the book which Oorvazi’s grandfather gave her when he was on his deathbed. Her journey to explore and unravel the mysteries of the book brings her to Mumbai. In the Parsi community, the main aspect which we still refer to and follow by heart is the book. I remember even my grandmother used to say that it’s written in the book so you can’t question it. So the book is something that we are questioning. The journey of the film is that you discover what this book is,” Irani, a pioneer in bringing the Michael Chekhov acting technique to India, says. The movie also stars Tom Alter, Rushad Rana and Shishir Sharma.
Irani who has donned the hat of producer, director and actor feels satisfied by the way this movie has shaped. “Playing a protagonist is an extension of my role as a director. It’s my artistic exploration into what I want to say and give it a raw and real look. I love Iranian new wave cinema and you’ll get to see that style of filmmaking in this movie,” Irani says.It is alarming that
It was the alarming fall in the number of Parsis in India that drew Irani to this film. “The census figures and the thought of the Parsi community being on the verge of extinction, struck me hard. A majority of the Parsis in India are Zoroastrian. It there are no Parsis, the Zorastrian religion would fade away. Making a movie on this subject was a personal quest of my community’s identity and an urgent need that is to be addressed,” Irani says.
Being a Parsi and a Zoroastrian, Irani used the film making platform to throw light on the Zoroastrian religion which is ancient. “The first prophet was a Zoroastrian. His influence and vision and simple truth about ethics, choice etc are relevant even today. We have picked up a salient period of the empire where the Zoroastrianism was a state religion. We have shown heretics which are anti-establishment to bring a completely different dynamic to exploring Zoroastrianism,” he says.
What started off as a dream turned out to be Irani’s first feature film of 79 minutes. The desire to make a film on the subject of this nature was in 2006 but it was actually in 2013 when Irani collaborated with Farroukh Dhondy who is the writer of this movie.
He explains that “there are two perceptions about Parsis. People think it’s a community who are associated with charity and honesty. Some Parsis are pioneers who moulded out Mumbai. On the other hand, there is superficial knowledge about Parsis who are sometimes highlighted in popular cinema as buffoons and eccentric people. This movie gives you the authentic and truthful Parsi characters.”
The first thing that comes to the mind of people about Parsis is that they dispose of their dead by throwing them to vultures. But Oorvazi feels that it’s not just Zoroastrianism but many other religions that follow this ritual. He explains how this too is a charity act of giving the last remains to vultures to satiate their hunger.
“The dead body is supposed to be impure. We don’t burn it as we believe that fire is holy and will be polluted,” he explains.
The movie also challenges the perception that women are not allowed to be part of the death ceremony. “As a woman protagonist, I wanted to take up that issue. In India, a Zoroastrian woman priest is not accepted but elsewhere, they do have women priests,” Irani says.
Her biggest challenge was to find a priest who would allow her to film in the fire temple. “No fire temple will give you permission to shoot. I had two options: One, to shoot on set for which I didn’t have a budget. Second, to find someone who would allow me to shoot on location. There was a priest who believed in the vision of my film. So, I shot in his fire temple and for the first time you’ll see the real fire temple from inside in this movie,” Irani tells you.
