A predator and a maneater

Despite the differences, Dr Nirmali Saikia from the brilliant Assamese film Aamis and self-proclaimed yogi Bikram Choudhury have something in common. They’re both predators

On the face of it, Dr Nirmali Saikia from the brilliant Assamese film Aamis and self-proclaimed yogi Bikram Choudhury have nothing in common. Nirmali, played by Lima Das, is beautiful, kind and lives a modest life in sleepy Guwahati. Bikram of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles – founder of ‘hot yoga’ and subject of a Netflix documentary by Eve Orner – is so flashy, he makes a disco ball seem restrained. Yet despite the differences, Nirmali and Bikram have something in common. They’re both predators.

While watching Orner’s Bikram Yogi, Guru, Predator, you must remind yourself Bikram is not a B-grade Bollywood villain, but a real person (Twitter)

In Aamis, which shows the unusually intimate relationship between an older woman and a younger man, writer-director Bhaskar Hazarika offers a fascinating take on the femme fatale we’ve seen in a wide range of media, ranging from literary fiction to pornography. Nirmali is a mature, self-aware woman who is bored by the steady rhythms of life and marriage. Along comes bright-eyed Sumon, full of eager charm and naïve sexuality. Without giving away any obvious spoilers, let’s just say Nirmali is the quintessential maneater.

Bikram, on the other hand, fulfils the stereotype of the predatory man so completely that while watching Orner’s Bikram Yogi, Guru, Predator, you must remind yourself Bikram is not a B-grade Bollywood villain, but a real person. Loud, flaunting Indian exotica like a fake tan, and full of himself, Bikram is so completely ridiculous that he seems vaguely unhinged. One of his favourite stunts involves him (wearing nothing but a pair of very brief briefs) arranging a woman – usually wearing a bikini – in a yoga pose that has her literally bent over backwards. He then would stand on her as though she was his pedestal, one foot on each side of her pelvic bone. The pose screams dominance, demands submission and generally reeks of sexuality. Within minutes of watching Bikram Yogi, Guru, Predator, you expect Bikram to do terrible things. Consequently, it comes as no surprise that his students have accused him of inappropriate conduct and rape.

Ironically for a man who has mesmerised so many, Bikram in the documentary comes across as uncharismatic and empty of redeeming qualities. This doesn’t serve Orner’s narrative well because you find yourself wondering why the students find his obnoxious behaviour charming.

Those who have spoken up for the documentary, about being molested or raped by Bikram, talk about feeling powerless. One says she knew if she complained, she’d never get permission to start her own hot yoga centre. Yet, even after some cases had to be settled out of court and Bikram was found guilty of harassment, you can see the adoration in his students’ eyes as they speak of him.

Sumon’s face has similar expression as he falls prey to Nirmali’s charms in Aamis. However, for all her apparent simplicity, there’s something guarded about Nirmali, who later acquires an edge of menace. Meanwhile, Sumon is the ultimate submissive who seems to find his purpose in being her victim. Among Aamis’s many achievements is that despite playing on so many clichés and stereotypes, the film is full of surprises. Until the conclusion, which is ineptly handled, Hazarika’s control over the narrative is masterful as Aamis sifts through ideas like desire, suppression and the way social conventions are both enforced and flouted.

What feels a little dissatisfying in Aamis is the undercurrent of negativity that runs through the characterisation of every single woman in the film. Gossips, deceivers, predators – that’s the range that the women are allowed in Aamis. Even Nirmali loses much of her elegant ambiguity in the final act, when both she and Sumon are consumed by their desires. While Sumon remains unwaveringly sweet and eager to please, Nirmali becomes monstrous. That’s not the most comfortable thing to watch (particularly as an older woman).

That said, if you wanted to see a simple, feelgood story about empowered women, you’d be watching Frozen II. In fact, Disney magic may be just what the doctor, sorry, critic ordered to mitigate the stomach-twisting horror of Aamis. Be warned though: Frozen II’s exquisite animation may distract you temporarily from its well-intentioned and eye roll-inducing story, but rather than Elsa and Anna’s song, what is more likely to linger like an aftertaste is the unpalatable beauty of Aamis.