The Govinda Project: TAN BADAN in its ENTIRETY!

GOVINDA PROJECT! I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN YOU! First on ChiChi’s filmography: Love 86, which I have actually previously covered here. So my rule is: I can skip it, since the whole point of the Govinda Project is I watch the stack of UNWATCHED DVDs that taunt me at night. So next up…sigh, the holy grail, Tan Badan.

OMIGOD OMIGOD HYPERVENTILATING.

Though Love 86 was released first, Tan Badan was actually Govinda’s first film – his first leading role in a motion picture. You may have heard of it, given I have written about it several times. I’ve been kind of obsessed with it. To put it mildly.

AND I JUST WATCHED THE WHOLE MOVIE, thanks to the generosity of a lovely, lovely blog reader, Jennifer, who read about my obsession and sent me a copy of the film.  

AN ACTUAL COPY OF THE ACTUAL FILM!  

So, before the write up, here come the disclaimers:

1. As far as I know, Tan Badan is still currently unavailable anywhere on DVD or VCD. The copy I have is a transfer from VHS to DVD (complete, AWESOMELY, with advertisements for things like Vicco Vajradanti Ayurvedic tooth powder and paste,

and ZANDU BALM!

dotted at intervals throughout). You can see from the screencaps that the picture quality is pretty iffy.

2. Along with dodgy picture quality, there are no subtitles, and really poor sound. So the major disclaimer is that, given my extremely limited grasp of Hindi, my interpretation of the story as it played out does involve some…wild guessing and extrapolating. Like every time I do a “No Subtitles Sunday”.

3. Let neither of the above points detract from the fact that this film is pretty much the Holy Grail for me, and I am SUPER DUPER GRATEFUL to be lucky enough to have finally seen it, and of course, POWERS THAT BE, if you ever release it on DVD (with English subtitles!), I will be first in line to buy a copy too.

Tan Badan (Anand, 1986) 

I am by no means an expert on first films – you’ll have to go and read TotallyFilmi for insight into that – but if this film was ever actually intended to be Govinda’s launch to the public (when in fact Love 86 claims that title, and Ilzaam – his 3^rd release – was the hit that really ‘broke’ him as a star) then it’s a very…interesting, unusual choice of film to introduce a new young hero to the masses.

Because at the heart of it,  it’s ALL ABOUT SEX. I’m not kidding, either. The way this film deals with the issue of sex is unlike anything I have ever seen in Hindi cinema, and I found it actually really fascinating, and ultimately, a satisfying, sweet way of presenting the done to death “boy and girl at odds who eventually fall in love” storyline. That might not make much sense now, but bear with me, I’ll get there.

The story is centred on Ravi (Govinda), a spoiled, good for nothing rich kid, the son of Deewan-saab (Iftekhar), a successful businessman. Deewan-saab is increasingly disappointed in Ravi’s behaviour, because all Ravi wants to do is hang out with his dodgy girlfriend Kamini, drinking, fighting, and gambling away all his father’s money.

SO CUTE! SO YOUNG! 

So – when Ravi shows no signs of growing up, Deewan-saab cuts him off – NO MORE GAMBLING MONEY FOR RAVI!  and decides, along with his brother (?? or advisor…or both maybe, it’s hard to tell) Kareem Chacha, that the only way to straighten Ravi out is to get him married. Preferably to someone with simple, honest values. Like an innocent village girl. And it seems that Kareem Chacha has someone in mind. Gauri (Khushboo).

Gauri – the village girl – is seemingly incredibly naïve – she hangs out with a bunch of kids, and when she childishly decides she wants a baby, she asks her grandma how she can get one and her grandma, apparently unwilling to start Gauri's sex education, fobs her off with: “you have to be married”.

So Gauri hilariously tries to marry a little kid – thinking that a husband, any husband is the only requirement. 

 Gauri's would-be husband. 

Gauri, childish as she is, is actually hilariously likeable and spunky and awesome. And, importantly, is NOT childish and naive in the irritating, whiny little-girl way, or the bratty, annoying, spoilt and entitled overgrown child way; she is merely naive in that there are things she doesn't yet understand about the world, things she is yet to learn and be exposed to.

Then her pregnant friend Seema arrives in the village and enlightens her a bit more as to the ways of the world – telling her something about how a baby is made on the wedding night and how it involves the groom entering the bedroom and drinking a glass of milk and then BOOM, BABY. Seriously - I know my grasp of Hindi is limited, but I am PRETTY SURE this is what Seema tells Gauri - and I think she's dumbing it down for her a bit (um, no kidding) so as not to scare the living daylights out of her.

Unfortunately, that happens anyway, quite traumatically, when Gauri witnesses Seema dying violently in childbirth. 

Just like that, the innocent dream of someday wanting a baby is gone for Gauri and the equation she remembers is this: SHAADI = WEDDING NIGHT (= SEX) = ULTIMATELY TRAUMATIC DEATH. So, understandably, she’s not especially willing, when the time comes, to marry Ravi.

Nor is Ravi willing to marry Gauri. Ravi is a massive spoiled brat, and is in love with Kamini, and when Deewan-saab issues Ravi with the ultimatum: get married to Gauri or no paisa for you, son, Ravi’s response is an exceedingly mature emo scream: “If I have to marry, it’s Kamini or NO-ONE!”

But UNBEKNOWST TO RAVI, Kamini is cheating on him with a violent goonda named Janga (Sharat Saxena).

It seems that Janga and Kamini are plotting on how they can get Ravi’s wealth: if Ravi marries Kamini, then his wealth will be hers, and thus, her wealth will be Janga’s.

So Janga MURDERS Deewan-saab, making it look like an accident, presumably to prevent him from stopping Ravi and Kamini getting married.

BUT THEN: Deewan-saab’s will decrees that the only way  Ravi gets anything is IF HE MARRIES….GAURI. I have to give Kamini credit for her uber evil greedy bitch skills – Ravi is all like “NAHIIIIIIN! My love for you is more important than any amount of money in the world!” and she’s all like “NAHIN RAVI! This is your father’s dying wish, it’s his HONOUR we’re talking here! YOU WILL MARRY GAURI AND YOU WILL LIKE IT! ”

Actually, what I THINK the will must decree, based on the rest of what happens in the film, is that the wealth goes to GAURI’S CHILD. The implication being that Deewan-saab wanted Ravi to marry Gauri and settle down, and the only way for him to ensure that happens is to leave his wealth to their offspring.

Because this is where the emphasis on sex comes in.

Ravi and Gauri get married because neither of them really has a choice, in the end, but on their wedding night, Gauri is terrified as soon as Ravi enters the bedroom with a glass of milk. Remembering what Seema told her, and Seema’s death in childbirth, she stops Ravi from drinking the milk, telling him she will die if he does. Then she feigns sleepiness, forcing him to leave obviously…frustrated.

And as frustrated as the lack of consummation of the marriage makes him, Ravi never takes it out on his wife, which is something I was very glad to see. He never pressures her to even let him touch her – Gauri is 100% in charge. Instead, we see Gauri’s gradual loss of naivete; her husband clearly wants to be with her but will not touch her unbidden, treating her with respect, teaching her about sex when she asks but not pushing further than she is willing to go; 

 This is the painting at The Honeymoon Hotel where Gauri and Ravi go to stay; Gauri asks Ravi to explain it to her and it leads to them getting a little more...comfortable with each other, momentarily. 

 ...until Gauri realises she's not ready. So Ravi backs off.

housemaid Bijli informs her offhand one day something along the lines that childbirth and death do not go hand in hand, not everyone dies after their wedding night; and then accidentally, Gauri witnesses Bijli in the throes of passion with another servant – sex as recreation, not procreation. And at this point, she clearly has a realization that she WANTS to sleep with Ravi – she goes and looks at him sleeping scantily clad, 

 This scene is really kind of cool - Khushboo does a great job of conveying Gauri's gradual enlightenment. Also, good job on not just molesting ChiChi in his chuddis.

and imagines the BEST SONG IN THE FILM, Gale Lag Jaa which is totally her sexual awakening.

It (my heir theory) also explains why Janga comes after Gauri in the climax of the film and tries to rape her – if he can impregnate her, the wealth inherited by her child will be partly his. (Like I said at the start though, I am extrapolating a bit and my interpretation could be WAY off). It’s disturbing enough as it is, but knowing that Gauri has up until recently in the film been deathly afraid of sex anyway makes it seem even more traumatic, and makes Ravi’s heroic rescue (he kills Janga) all the more satisfying – Gauri is safe with a man who loves her, who respects her boundaries and will never force her – he never remotely pressured her when he stood to gain the most from it.

It’s…not your average launch film, and actually, it’s not your average HINDI film. I...find it fascinating, and love it with an obsessive's passion, but I think my bias is pretty clear: I don't think, objectively, that this is a fantastic piece of cinema. 

Govinda didn't make his mark with this film, and for good reason - though Govinda’s youthful good looks, and his dancing are both amply spotlighted,

 Gratuitous youthful mancandy.

it’s not really a “hero” film in which he’s given a lot of range to show off what he can do; thematically, it’s really quite unsettling, the emphasis on actual sex, birth control, and sexuality. I don’t think I’ve come across anything quite like it before, and I really hope one day I can find a copy of this film with subtitles so I can comprehend it all a little better.