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Tripurari is really the "ari" (enemy) of the "tri-pura," the three cities. Traditionally, the word Tripurari means the one who is the conqueror of the waking, dream and deep sleep states, but here we can extend the meaning to include three states of being of Dasharath Tripathi --DT's external presentation of himself as the greatly adored mahant, his presentation of himself at home as the loving patriarch, and finally his true self as a pathetic, narcissistic, and insecure old man, who terrorizes everyone in a show of power and wealth. Tripuari will expose these three states of Dasharath, as sure as his darts hit the larger-than-life poster of his father adorning his small tenement. That DT's photo is larger than life is symbolic of his own persona --DT occupies space and dominates every environment that he is in.
Practice makes perfect, and the dart practice shots at the photo of the father prophesy that the public persona of the mahant as genial family man and the loving grandpa are going to be taken down. The prodigal son is not returning home, more obedient and compliant; on the contrary, Tripurari Tripathi is dreaming of celebrating a homecoming of a different kind, where he is accepted, welcomed, and loved --where he is given everything that belongs to him, starting with a last name that is rightfully his. A pragmatic man, Tripurari has no romantic delusions that all this will be handed to him on a gilded platter. Therefore he is prepared to threaten DT by exposing him, or taking from him what is most dear to him --DT's own life.
DT is a real enigma. A scion of a reputed brahmin family of head priests, DT is resting on the laurels of his ancestors, and therefore can get away with everything illegal immoral, and illicit. Behind the veneer of the genial humming grandpa and the mahant that is always in service of the people, DT is a terrified and insecure human being who has powerfully projected his own fears and desires on the most vulnerable section of the society, the religiously and culturally disenfranchised, the poor, and the widows. By some crooked logic, the objects of his desire and temptations become not victims, but perpetrators of impurity. The tender underbelly of societal temptations is managed by the rich through a unique relationship with the prey. The predator hunts during the light of the day by publicly tearing the reputation of the prey to shreds, and unseen, under the cover of the silent night, which conspires to hide the deeds of the famous, the predator seduces and consumes the prey, giving full vent to the range of his desires and temptations that he denies by day. This is DT's modus operandi.
What irks DT is that unlike him, a shoot of his own family, Viplav goes after what is correct, regardless of societal consequences. Furthermore, he is not afraid of his desires and does not seek to deny them or project them on to others. For DT, this threatens to bring down the status-quo of double standards, which are currently practiced by people like himself. In addition to threatening the established hierarchies of caste and class, Viplav's ways come close to exposing him.
The group of widows form an interesting connection to this strange lineage of illicit desires, illegal relationships, and illegitimate offspring. The widows represent all that is inauspicious, and therefore should be hidden away and kept behind the scenes. Yet, the whole plot revolves around those dressed in white, which, interestingly, is a color that represents purity, spirituality, and knowledge. The more the widows occupy a central place in the narrative, the more nervous DT gets. The question is why? Is it just because widows are perceived as dangerous because they are single and not under the control of a patriarch? Or are there other reasons for DT's discomfort? Was Durga a widow that succumbed to DT's wily ways? Is there another aspect of DT's sordid past that we can look forward to being dredged? The plot thickens. Watch on.
Practice makes perfect, and the dart practice shots at the photo of the father prophesy that the public persona of the mahant as genial family man and the loving grandpa are going to be taken down. The prodigal son is not returning home, more obedient and compliant; on the contrary, Tripurari Tripathi is dreaming of celebrating a homecoming of a different kind, where he is accepted, welcomed, and loved --where he is given everything that belongs to him, starting with a last name that is rightfully his. A pragmatic man, Tripurari has no romantic delusions that all this will be handed to him on a gilded platter. Therefore he is prepared to threaten DT by exposing him, or taking from him what is most dear to him --DT's own life.
DT is a real enigma. A scion of a reputed brahmin family of head priests, DT is resting on the laurels of his ancestors, and therefore can get away with everything illegal immoral, and illicit. Behind the veneer of the genial humming grandpa and the mahant that is always in service of the people, DT is a terrified and insecure human being who has powerfully projected his own fears and desires on the most vulnerable section of the society, the religiously and culturally disenfranchised, the poor, and the widows. By some crooked logic, the objects of his desire and temptations become not victims, but perpetrators of impurity. The tender underbelly of societal temptations is managed by the rich through a unique relationship with the prey. The predator hunts during the light of the day by publicly tearing the reputation of the prey to shreds, and unseen, under the cover of the silent night, which conspires to hide the deeds of the famous, the predator seduces and consumes the prey, giving full vent to the range of his desires and temptations that he denies by day. This is DT's modus operandi.
What irks DT is that unlike him, a shoot of his own family, Viplav goes after what is correct, regardless of societal consequences. Furthermore, he is not afraid of his desires and does not seek to deny them or project them on to others. For DT, this threatens to bring down the status-quo of double standards, which are currently practiced by people like himself. In addition to threatening the established hierarchies of caste and class, Viplav's ways come close to exposing him.
The group of widows form an interesting connection to this strange lineage of illicit desires, illegal relationships, and illegitimate offspring. The widows represent all that is inauspicious, and therefore should be hidden away and kept behind the scenes. Yet, the whole plot revolves around those dressed in white, which, interestingly, is a color that represents purity, spirituality, and knowledge. The more the widows occupy a central place in the narrative, the more nervous DT gets. The question is why? Is it just because widows are perceived as dangerous because they are single and not under the control of a patriarch? Or are there other reasons for DT's discomfort? Was Durga a widow that succumbed to DT's wily ways? Is there another aspect of DT's sordid past that we can look forward to being dredged? The plot thickens. Watch on.
Anupamaa
