In his own words, “I never pretended – This is eight hours of India, I am going to explain it to you, – I did exactly the opposite”

Through this epic sociological documentary, Malle attempts to come to terms and comprehend the underlying reality behind the complex perception of a land, its people, cultures, religon within the limits of his perception. The seven parts of the documentary (and adding Calcutta as a part of the whole) are logically arranged to signify his discourse and the process of unraveling the myths, facts, mysticism at a leisurely pace. The Narration by Malle himself is inquisitive and adds a certain opinionated dimension to the whole setting.
Whether swaying in melancholy, observing patiently at subjects looking straight in the lens, punning at the west, choking at western influence on educated, lamenting village lives or being amazed by rituals, religion and things that are surreal – each poignant moment provides a spark to a blaze of unfazed honesty. The best scenes come at the end of his visit to the dance school where Malle declares, “Dance is the supreme expression of Hinduism”, the random practices of worship shown at a temple, the Mother’s teachings at Aurobindo ashram, Malle’s sense of judgement in what to shoot, where to cut, how to comment is impeccable.
There is more to history – its rulers and exploitaion angle, the whole evolution and the doctrine of Hinduism than can be wrapped in 6 hours. In retrospect, it does seem Malle had done little, if any, research about each figment related to India, but this impulsive, instinctive foray makes the process of filming that much more challenging and keeps the viewing experience pristine. A lot of those essential ingredients to the Phantom aspect of India were attempted for discussion in “Story of India” a BBC Documentary by Michael woods that seems more like a chronological Wikipedia article, my qualm lies in Malle not delving into these really interesting topics.
A lot of accusations hurled at Malle for his concentration on backward classes and empty rituals, racially tended remarks etc. but in the big picture the propaganda seems transparent and irrelevant, he showed what was prevalant. The obscure question of how India really works on such a large scale and the surreal lives people lead, their customs, rituals, perception is a complicated puzzle and most of the secret to solving it lies in how people stopped civilizing after a certain level of sophistication was attained. It is indeed a curse and a gift.

Louis Malle’s Phantom India is a compelling testament to the wonderful world of documentaries and hence Cinema – one of my most loved.