Nilacharal

After watching the proceedings of Red Fort in Television on 15^th August this author was switching channels. In one of the channels, this author saw the former Prime Minister Deve Gowda giving his opinion on a matter and remarked that the salute of the old lady to the tricolour was the most venerable salute. This author got interested on this matter and watched the rest of the programme. The famous playback singer S P Balasubrahmaniam was (sort of) compereing the programme. Many celebrities appeared on the screen and profusely praised the short movie that they were discussing on. The list of celebrities included Deve Gowda, Union Minister Menaka Gandhi, Kerala Chief Minister AK Antony, Sports persons P T Usha, Vishwanathan Anand, Saurav Ganguly, Actress Lakshmi, noted author Sujatha, movie directors Balachandar, Mahendren, Visu, and many others from film world and from different walks of life. This author could not resist his temptation to know about the short movie that they were talking about.

Actress Lakshmi remarked that whoever has thrown the National Flag to the garbage bin should be shot at. Much acclaimed film director Balu Mahendra differed with the first shot of this short film wherein our much revered National Flag was shown to be in the garbage bin, that too in a torn condition. The director Balachander complemented the short film by saying that this is an extremely moving and timely movie, when everyone is bothered whether our school education and the government failed in their attempts to infuse patriotism in the young minds. The courageous police officer, from whom many movie directors took inspiration for their stories mentioned that she wore the saree for this short film after 29 years. Kiran Bedi also said that she did not act in the short movie rather she got carried away by the concept and "wanted to be part of it". These comments were more than sufficient provocations for this author to know what was it all about.

The short movie conceptualized and directed by the director-duo Guna Sakthi comes up on the screen. It was produced by R R Gopaljee of Malar Network Private Ltd, Chennai. The playback voice was a familiar one and it is that of the great musician Ilayaraja. He has also composed the song. Kiran Bedi as poor, illiterate, old lady clad with green coloured saree appears on the screen picking thrown papers and plastics from a garbage bin. There she finds a torn National Flag. She is angry but controls it. She picks up the National Flag and goes to a nearby petty shop. She buys a needle and a thread spool. She starts stitching the Flag sitting on the roadside. While stitching she sees a big hole on the green part of the National Flag. She could not stitch it and she is afraid that by stitching such a big hole she may distort the National Flag. She tears a piece from her saree and covers the hole in the flag with this piece. The director made the scene more authentic in terms of the context of the scene, by capturing a small fly moving over her nose. After making the flag look decent and intact, she takes it to the nearby flag post. She brings down the flag, which was already on the post and hoists our National Flag. After hoisting the flag, she literally hugs the flag post with fervour. Thereafter, she continues to walk in search of her bread for that day. This short movie titled "The Real Salute" was the one about which everyone was giving his or her opinion.

As the director Balu Mahendra mentioned, this author is also not agreeing with the first short of this movie. This author is highly appreciative of this noble effort by Guna Sakthi and fully agrees with the merit and the need of the concept. However, it is overdone by showing the flag in a garbage bin. It may not only violate the "Flag Rule" but also an exaggeration of the reality. The director(s) of this short movie might have thought of implying through this scene that patriotism and respect for the National Flag is on the decline in the country. This author does not agree with them going by the emotions evinced by the whole nation during Kargil war and also during the latest natural disaster in Gujarat. Even if one analyses the expectations of the whole nation on the eve of Agra Summit, it conveys nothing but the interest people of this country have over the peace and prosperity of this great nation.

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