MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS - Agatha Christie's Masterpiece!

by Ravindra Loomba

I remember reading the book in my late teens or early twenties but could not recall the story when I started watching this movie. There are a few movies based on this book and there is a recent one as well. I chose to watch an older version on DVD recently with David Sachet as Poirot.

The detective named Hercule Poirot happens to be on the same coach as the rich victim along with several other passengers on the once famous train, the Orient Express. We have to grant the story that license for the coincidence or is it really ? [The name Hercule Poirot is pronounced with several letters silent and so it took me a few seconds before I could grasp the pronunciation of the detective's name.] There are a few countries mentioned in the movie like Palestine which were in the news in the past decades. Religion also plays a prominent part in the movie and there might be a lesson for all of us which makes me admire Agatha Christie's wisdom in spinning this tale. Even Hercule has a rosary !

The rich short person who is murdered tries to hire the detective Hercule by offering him a lot of cash but the detective turns him down. There is a reason for that, which he reveals later in the movie! So who is the killer ? This is one story where even the famous Hercule is at a loss to explain in its entirety. If you are not familiar with the story, you should watch the movie and get the answer.

KATHA - old story with a new twist !

Who has not heard the story of the ' Hare and the Tortoise' or Somerset Maugham's 'The Ant and the Grasshopper'! This is a modern low-income version of the same from 1970's Bollywood, set within the confines of a 'chawl' (a building housing many low-income tenants) in Mumbai, with very talented actors. The reason I chose this movie is to show the contrast between what a good person looks like and what a smooth talking con looks like, despite their physical appearance! In 'modern' America, the value system seems too foggy !

Rajaram is a shy and simple hard-working man who helps everyone in the neighborhood without asking much. In walks his 'friend'  unannounced who is exactly the opposite. He convinces Rajaram to share his room with a promise of paying him a monthly rent of 300 rupees which Rajaram accepts reluctantly. This friend is the Hare of the story - a fast talking, uncaring and insincere person. Instead of paying the promised 300, the friend steals Rajaram's 300 and his expensive cigarettes. While the sincere Rajaram works as a clerk, the Hare learns about the boss's  passion for golf and using that as a hook wins him over and gets an executive job above Rajaram without having any qualifications. Then the sweet talking Hare wins over the family of his boss and starts an affair with the boss's wife behind his back. At the same time he starts to woe the girl in Rajaram's neighborhood and convinces her parents that he will marry that girl whom Rajaram has known for several years and has loved her secretly. They serve the Hare with nice meals, you see. There is much rejoicing in the chawl over the news of the marriage.

It is time for the Hare to be exposed! The boss's girl spies on the Hare and her mom having a rendezvous and clicks a few photos which eventually reach the Hare's boss. While Rajaram is flabbergasted, the Hare walks out of the office carefree even after getting fired! The Hare then fails to appear at his engagement party with the chawl girl ! The girl's parents are broken hearted and angry because nobody will marry the girl now because of her affair with the Hare. Here you see Indian traditional values at work. The simple and sincere Rajaram then steps in and agrees to marry her and the chawl people are delighted once again.

In the end, we see the Hare having lunch at an expensive restaurant in Mumbai with a sheikh. The Hare has once again convinced the sheikh to offer him a job in the oil rich Dubai! The movie ends with a Gulf Air plane taking off from Mumbai!

Who do you identify with the most - the sincere Rajaram or his  smooth talking friend(Hare) ? Or are you a blend ? Or is this story too simple for you ?