Lion

Movie to move the heart, mind and soul

A.O. Scott said in his NY Times review: “If you have ever been a child, raised a child, lost a child or met a child – or any of the above with respect to a mother – this movie will wreck you.” Well, it did me.

The movie opens with the most haunting musical score accompanying the rolling landscape of Tasmania, which eventually switches to some rocky hills in India. Five year old Saroo is surrounded by butterflies, exactly how a child should be enjoying and experiencing nature and life.

Saroo and Guddu earns enough money that day to buy some milk but Saroo wants some jalebi, which his brother promises to get him some soon. They leave for home. Every step of the way - past the bridge, through the fields and finally through the small alleys to their tiny home - is significant.

Saroo could never imagine his insistence on following Guddu to his night work would change the course of his life forever. When they get to the train station, he has fallen fast asleep so Guddu tells him to stay there till he comes back. Saroo wakes up to an empty train platform. He steps into the lone train, still searching for his brother but falls asleep in it. By the time he wakes up again, the train has travelled miles away. He screams for his brother but no Guddu and no one to help him. Because the train has been decommissioned.

1600 miles away. That’s how far he will travel from home on the train. In Calcutta, he gets no help in the train station even among the ocean of people. He didn’t speak Bengali, only Hindi and people were too impatient or busy to help him. The only one who showed a tiny bit of sympathy was another street child who gave him a piece of cardboard to sleep on.

That was short-lived as the children are snatched up. Saroo runs and runs until he comes to a temple. He next meets Nur, who seems nice enough, feeding him food, giving him a bath and a bed to sleep on. But that too was short-lived because she had bad intentions for Saroo. His instincts told him to run. So he does. He runs and runs again. For the next two months, he fends for himself on the street. He sleeps on a cardboard under a bridge, often dreaming of his ‘a-mi’ (mum) and hunts for food among the trash during the day. Among the trash, he finds a spoon and pockets it.

This spoon leads to a good Samaritan which leads Saroo to an orphanage and eventually to his new adopted parents, Sue and John in Australia. The first year was blissful. The next year, his parents adopted another boy from India, Mantosh. This boy has obviously been scarred. He is a total opposite of Saroo, and will continue to cause his mother heartache.

20 years later and Saroo is going away to study hotel management. He is invited to a friend’s home and here a plate of jalebi brings his memories back. He tells his friends, “I’m not from Calcutta. I am lost.” They tell him about Google Earth and he could possibly find his family in India. During this same time, he also meets and falls in love with Lucy. For the next four years, he becomes more obsessed with the search for his family, with the help of Google Earth and fueled by the constant visions of his mother and Guddu. The visions start to consume him and affects his everyday life. He pushes Lucy away and eventually his parents too.

When he meets Lucy again, she tells him that his mother is very ill and she needs him. He eventually goes to see his mum and finds out the real reason his mother adopted him and Mantosh. He was wrong. And torn. He goes to see his brother and apologizes to him for his outburst that one night, “You’re not my brother! We are different.” Perhaps, they are not so different after all. The past haunts them both.

He then goes home and starts ripping off all the work he has made. One last time, he scrolls Google Earth. Lo and behold, he finds those rocky hills from 25 years ago. Then the railway station with the two water tower. He continues to trace the railway tracks until it takes him to the town, and the bridge, and open field and finally the alley to his home. Tears stream down his face. He found home.

He tells Lucy the good news and asks that she waits for him. And tells his mother he has been searching for his family. She tells him she hopes he finds her, his mum. Thus begins his journey home. He traces his steps from the town, where he got hit by a motorcycle carrying watermelon, to the bridge, and the open field and finally the alley to his home. But it’s no longer a home. Only dwelling for goats. He’s dismayed. A passerby asked if he could help. He shows him his picture as a child and tells him he’s Saroo. He is looking for his family. The man does not say another word but just walks off. Saroo was annoyed but walks the same direction and finally see the man who gestures for him to ‘Come.’. He does though a little hesitant at first. In the distance, he sees an elderly lady.

This is a poignant moment in the movie. When Saroo finally finds his mother and they embrace.A touching reunion. The whole town comes out to celebrate his return. Sadly, Guddu is no longer alive. There are no words to describe this scene. If it doesn’t tug at your heartstring for even a moment, then your heart has to be made out of stone.

Lion was my favorite movie at last year’s HIFF. I vowed to watch this movie again when it came to the theaters. Today, I finally did so. And it still made me cry. There are many heart wrenching scenes in this movie but I particularly like the one of Saroo and Sue by the bathtub. Watch the movie and you’ll understand why.

Trailer here.