Parched

The mother of all realistic films, it doesn’t get more “real” than this.  The film literally takes you inside the houses of rural Rajasthan, into the lives of oppressed women and their tragic existence. Brutal blows and punches into the delicate faces and fragile bodies make you cringe with pain. The pain was unbearable as I watched three women bear physical, emotional, mental trauma day after day. An existence so depressing and archaic, that you will wonder if you are living in the real world or living a dream. The behavior of the men and the patriarchal systems seem unreal and unfathomable.  Leena Yadav gives it to you in your face, the life of women, women made of steel for no man has the endurance to bear what she bears. Radhika Apte glorifies her role and goes beyond what the script would expect of her marking the strong character of this artwork.

Equally fulfilling are the performances of Tannishtha and Surveen who do not let go of the soul of Rani and Bijli. Rural uneducated women with no access to information in the digital world decide to fight back and recognize their identity to fulfill their existence. A rapid transition and transformation seen in Hindi cinema in the past couple of years “Parched” goes to the next step in taking the issue of feminist movement to the heart of hinterland in rural Rajasthan. The war cry has been called. The stage is set, for mythololgy to repeat itself as Kali and Durga. The scripts have the right ending. Will it come into our lives, our everyday lives cutting across geographies, castes, economics and household walls  and end this blasphemy of suppression, oppression and regression?

PINK

I have never acknowledged Amitabh Bachan’s greatness as an actor. The consensus of people of India about his greatness as a performer never appealed to me. After watching many of his films I always thought of him as an average to good actor with a powerful personality and charisma. After watching “Pink” I have developed great admiration for him as an artist. He has single handedly molded the film to give it the shape, character and infused life and power  into the story. The brilliance of this film lies in the dissection of an average Indians thought process and prejudice.  Mr Bacchan plays the role of lawyer Deepak Sanyal who peels the layers of hypocritical standards of morality and ethos we Indians pride ourselves with as “Indian culture”. The lawyer answers the elephant in the room by boldly bringing out the real issues to the fore exposing the intolerable sexist face of our society. Similar to what Denzel Washington did in Philadelphia, Amitabh gives a candid performance in the courtroom with some serious arguments and follows a serious code of conduct eliminating the dramatics we usually see in Hindi cinema. A brilliant script and screenplay inspiring direction that pounds into you the gravity of the issue of rape and molestation and the even more dreadful aftermath that takes place almost every day. The callousness and jingoism of the system fuelling the hyper masculinity and feudal pomp of the cold blooded indian male shakes your tolerating life in this country.  Moments of brilliance pushing the victim to be fearless by uncovering her head while walking on the street as people give accusing glances to her for standing up for herself, complete this film. “We need to save our boys and not our girls” says Amitabh. From the evil that resides in his head fortified by strong walls of patriarchy and permission to suppress. The film ends with astounding and poignant verses in hindi giving out a strong message to the society. It stops becoming a film and graduates to become much more than just a piece of art. It is a message to be played in the crowded Connaught place in Delhi on a large screen and every other crowded place in India.  Sensational performances by the girls, calling all girls to watch this film immediately, urgently.

Rating – 4.5/5