With the launch of the
Mohenjo Daro posters and trailer, much ado is being made over whether or not
the movie is true to what is known of the actual city and people of Mohenjo
Daro. I do not claim expertise, but as someone with a love for all things historical, it has
been fascinating to do some preliminary research into the archeological
evidence that does exist. My findings below show that, to a large extent, the
movie is paying tribute to authenticity in a multitude of different ways.
The Indigo Farmer
Sarman refers to
himself as an “indigo farmer”. “Indigofera tinctoria”, a shrub of a plant with
purple flowers was an ancient source of an Old World blue dye known as
“indigo.” The earliest example of indigo from Indigofera probably comes from
the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilization, cultivated along the banks of the
Indus River. The ancient civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro fermented
the leaves of indigofera to create a blue cake-like powder that was a natural
dye for cotton. They were not just farmers but also merchants who traded indigo
with the other great civilizations of the time. When the town of Rojdi (a site that was part
of the Indus Valley civilization) was excavated, archaeologists recovered seeds
from at least 4 different species of the genus Indigofera. Archaeologists also
recovered remnants of cloth dyed blue from Mohenjo Daro that dated to 1750 BC.
Portraying Sarman as an indigo farmer is therefore perfectly in line with what
is known of the economy of the Indus Valley civilization.
The Mother Goddess
When Sarman arrives at
Mohenjo Daro, we see him staring wide-eyed as he walks past a towering female
statue. This statue seems to be the recreation of one of the Mother Goddess
figurines recovered from Mohenjo Daro. A
large number of such figurines, carved in various forms and fashions, have been
recovered at the site, indicating that Mother Goddess worship was probably very
widespread during this era. The statue in the movie has been cast with
necklaces and a waist-band that are almost identical to the original statue.
The Seal
The first scene of the
Mohenjo Daro trailer almost perfectly recreates the artefact of one of the
ancient seals found at Mohenjo Daro. Seals were made of stone, copper or
bronze. The most typical Indus seal is square, with a set of symbols along the
top, an animal in the centre, and one or more symbols at the bottom. The most
common motif is an ox-like beast with a single horn, popularly nicknamed as the
"Unicorn”. The significance of this animal is, as yet, unknown.
The Horned Headdress
Horns also seemed to play
a prominent role in the depiction of deities of that time. A number of seals
recovered from Mohenjo Daro depict deities with elaborate headdresses comprised
of two curved horn-like objects. One of the most significant finds of the Indus
Civilization is known as the Pashupati Seal (top left); it is claimed that this
is one of the earliest representations of Lord Shiva. In the movie trailer, the
first scenes of the character of Maham show him wearing a huge headdress with
curved horns on either side. The first words we hear from Maham are: “It is
only me who decides who will live and die in Mohenjo Daro”. From this, it can
be speculated that Maham has a God-complex; he seems to consider himself a God
and therefore may be deliberately using this headpiece to represent himself as
such.
The Dress of Chaani
The archeological
finds from the Harappan civilizations are unclothed, and the preservation of
textiles are rare, so there is in fact very little evidence of clothing from
Mohenjo Daro. Some evidence of dress styles comes from iconography and
figurines, though it is impossible to be certain that these even represent
the clothing of everyday people. It is speculated that dress was based on
lengths of cloth that were folded and draped in different ways. Small fragments
preserved in the corrosion of metal objects show that the people of this era
wore a range of grades of cotton cloth; there is speculation that flax, silk
and leather may also have been used, and that wool may have been available from
trade. Given the excavation of
Indigofera seeds as well one fragment of colored cloth dyed red with madder, it
is almost certain that their textiles were dyed in a range of colours.
Women sometimes went
bare-breasted; in fact, nudity of both sexes seemed to be acceptable. Excavated
female figurines were carved wearing miniskirts that were fastened by either
sashes or beaded girdles. Elaborate hairstyles and headdresses with flowers and
ornaments worked in also appeared to be favoured by women of wealth. It is
believed that lipstick was also popular at this time. Much evidence points to a
fondness of jewelry by the wealthier of both sexes. Jewelry was generally made
from gold, silver, copper, and a range of semi-precious stones. The figurine of
the Mother Goddess discussed above was carved wearing a multitude of chokers
and pendant bead necklaces draping over the breasts and extending to the waist.
In the first poster of
the female lead of Mohenjo Daro, it is very striking that the primary colours
of her clothes are indigo and red - colours that have been archeologically (and
economically) linked to Mohenjo Daro. Her beautiful headdress is ornate with
beads, gems and flowers. The high slit in her skirt points to both the shorter
skirts of that era as well as the comfort women seemed to have with showing
their bodies. Her elaborate and rich tunic is heavily decorated with gemstones,
and is fastened with a girdle. Chaani is being portrayed as a woman of both
great wealth as well as great beauty.
The Boats
Like all cities close
to water, rivers in the Indus Valley were likely used for transport. A boat
travelling downstream with the current could cover many miles in a few days.
Seals and tablets recovered from the Mohenjo Daro site show flat bottomed river
boats which would have been guided with long oars. Clay models of flat bottomed
boats have also been found at Harappa and Lothal (two of the other great cities
of the Indus Valley civilization). It is speculated that these river boats were
made from wood or tightly braided reeds. Up to this day, flat bottomed ferry
boats are used to help travellers cross the Indus River near Mohenjo Daro. The
boats used by Sarman appear flat bottomed, textured with reeds, and piloted
with long oars.
The Mohenjo Daro film
needs to be taken in the proper context. It is not a documentary, nor has it
ever claimed to be. Instead it is, as many movies ultimately are, a
boy-loves-girl story. The difference is that this love story is set against the
backdrop of an ancient civilization, which though recognized as one of the
greatest of its time, is also one of which we know the least. Ashutosh
Gowariker has sought to bring this civilization to life through the expression
of his artistic license as well as through detailed and painstaking research. Even
on the limited material of the movie that has been made public to date, there is
undeniable evidence that connects the movie with the archeological finds from
the site. I consider it fortunate that a film maker of his depth and substance
has decided to paint the canvas of Mohenjo Daro. I, for one, have already been
enriched by the experience.
