Bhopal: As part of the Cine’ Classic series dedicated to outstanding cinema, the recent screening featured the acclaimed Odia film Maya Miriga. (The Mirage). The 1984 film presents a poignant saga of the gradual yet inevitable disintegration of a middle-class joint family.
The film intricately depicts the complex structure of a small-town household—a retired principal, his wife, a wise mother, the responsible eldest son who is a lecturer, his homemaker wife, the pride of the family—the second son aspiring to become an IAS officer, the third son struggling with self-doubt, the fourth son challenging traditional norms, and a school-going daughter.
Hope and excitement return to the family when the promising son secures a place in the IAS. However, after his marriage to a woman from a higher social class, family dynamics begin to shift. Modern lifestyles and perspectives bring changes to the joint family. His wife refuses to conform to traditional expectations and, citing the need to care for her ailing mother, leaves the household, further weakening the family fabric.
Meanwhile, the eldest daughter-in-law, disillusioned with the constraints of a joint family, is drawn toward an economically independent life. The third son aspires to study in Delhi, but financial struggles stand in his way. The unity of the family is now visibly fractured, and the film concludes with a stark reality—while memories of past togetherness remain, sustaining it is no longer possible. Witnessing his family fall apart, Raj Kishore Babu asks his granddaughter a poignant question—“Will you also leave us someday?“
Maya Miriga, inspired by neo-realism, adopts an observational style of storytelling. The choice of non-professional actors lends it an almost documentary-like authenticity. Shot in an abandoned house in Puri, the setting itself transforms into a symbolic character—a metaphor for the decline of the joint family system.
The film’s brilliant direction is complemented by cinematography that primarily focuses on static and medium shots, emphasizing relationships and their shifting dynamics. The use of natural lighting and minimal artificial effects gives the film an intimate and authentic touch. Its slow pace deepens the emotional weight of a family’s dissolution.
Thematically, Maya Miriga explores the conflict between tradition and modernity, personal aspirations and collective responsibilities. It delves into the profound reality that, no matter how strong emotional bonds may be, they cannot withstand the relentless passage of time.
Produced on a highly limited budget, the film was restored by the Film Heritage Foundation. On this occasion, a newly preserved print of the film was screened, courtesy of the foundation. This special screening of Maya Miriga took place at the Mahila Chetna Manch auditorium in Shivaji Nagar, Bhopal, and was attended by a large number of cinephiles.
