A comedy of tragic times

This week, Anupam Kher will take you back to 1940s when World War II made the world a battlefield. The Great Dictator by Charles Chaplin is Kher's recommendation for a perfect weekend.

We live in tough times, so I think it’s necessary to go back to some great comedies. The Great Dictator is based on the life of Hitler and the atrocities committed on Jews by the Nazis. Chaplin plays a double role — of Hitler and a Jew. The movie is a comic drama which, at times, forces you to think about the consequences of a war. Sometimes, comedy can be more effective. And that's what this movie does.

Chaplin is flawless in the double role. He is a great actor and writer. We have always seen him in silent movies, but here there is so much to learn from his acting skills.

There is one scene in the movie where five Jews including Chaplin are having pudding. The condition is that whoever gets a coin in his pudding will have to die. The catch here is that everyone’s pudding has a coin and all others puty their coins in Chaplin’s dish and he keeps on swallowing it till his stomach begins to give him trouble. This scene is funny and at the same time it shows actual fear of death.

I have seen the movie 18 times and it’s in my personal collection too. Simply for the reason that every scene is well connected and the story hooks you to the movie. That's why even after watching it so many times, I can't pick a particular shot because I believe once you start looking at the technicalities of movie-making, you are not enjoying the movie. A movie should hold you through its story and not only through excellent camerawork.

The climax of the movie is quite humorous. As the story progresses, Hitler and the Chaplin get exchanged. So in the end, when Hitler is supposed to give a speech to his countrymen, it is actually the Jew barber who ends up giving the speech. And in his speech, he talks about peace and harmony in the world which surprises his army. This scene makes you laugh, but the speech points out many factors which make the viewers think seriously about whether there should be wars.

As told to Chhavi Dang