There was a time when Goutam Ghose could do no wrong. One of the great bastions of Bengali
cinema from the 80s, his brand of filmmaking has inspired generations. Perhaps his loss of
vigour in this decade made Raahgir such a triumphant return to form. It sees him go back
to his roots - making films about villages, abject poverty, and the values of humanity that still
reside in those villages. 

Based on a short story of the same name by Prafulla Roy (also one of the writers of the film), Raahgir follows Nathuni (Tillotama Shome), who is
the sole breadwinner of a family that consists of a paralysed husband (Onkardas Manikpuri) and
two children. Hunger drives her miles away to a town in Jharkhand’s mining heartland in
search of work. She encounters a lone traveller on her way. Lakhua (played brilliantly by Adil
Hussain) is a loner who walks the fringes of survival, while singing songs and dancing. He is a
peculiar character, one who truly belongs on the roads and not their destinations. 

The two encounter Chopatlal (Neeraj Kabi) whose scraped-together van gets stuck in the mud,
carrying an old couple to a hospital in town. The two characters are stuck in a
conundrum. If they do not help, the couple dies. If they do, they and Nathuni’s family will have
to sleep hungry. 

<h2>The dilemma is one that has unfortunately persisted for longer than it should have.
While crippling poverty still plagues Indian villages, it is also coupled with a deep sense of humanity and kindness. Despite struggling with fragile chances of survival, humans often find it in themselves to help others. When
subsistence becomes the only goal of one’s life, life itself must become a way of achieving a purpose that makes it bearable enough to carry on. </h2>

The 69-year-old filmmaker’s strong satire and storytelling is ageless. The film comments
on the plight of the tribal community, the impact of the Naxal movement on them and their subsequent suppression. The
mines and factories that destroy the lush natural beauty of the land are captured beautifully by
the young cinematographer Ishaan Ghose. Wide frames and natural weather play a game larger
than the characters who are at the mercy of the elements around them in the film. The
mesmerising grey hues during rain and storm, contrasted against the green pastures of the land
along with the colourless machinery of the factories, all form a poignant visual treat.

<h2>The sheer brute strength of the powerful acting of the four main actors (all of whom could carry
a film each on their shoulders) is enough to invoke deep emotion. Helped with the masterful direction of a visual-based director, one who is both a cinematographer as well as an actor, and a story that has stood the test
of time, the film has all the bases covered. </h2>

Raahgir is a film that keeps on giving the more one thinks about it. It works as a story about
humanity that keeps persisting despite all odds. It works just as well as a political allegory,
where all the characters are, but a cog in the machine.

 
Written by Nimish K Sharma

Raahgir | Review | Adil Hussain, Tillotama Shome

The documentary is clinical, incisive and sharp in its approach as it reveals to the viewer the life of the inhabitants in a small piece of land in Karnataka. Ambedkar Nagar, which started with four huts, now has close to five hundred people dwelling within its narrow by-lanes. From the idealistic and zealous voice of a young man who wants to bring education to his community, to that of a retired worker who values intelligence over everything and is apprehensive of modern education - the documentary reveals different voices. Without falling in the trap of voyeurism, romanticising or any other problematic forms of portrayal of poverty, the film manages to successfully engage with issues of class, casteism and everyday survival.

Open Doors | Pick of the Festival Circuit

The short film is beautifully inspired by Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis in which the protagonist wakes up to find himself transformed into a cockroach. Borrowing the same metaphor, it attempts to show how humans are no less than insects in an arbitrary, murky world of poverty, chronic diseases and the constant struggle to survive. The colour palette of the visuals is of dirty greens, browns and greys, to further invoke a sense of filthiness associated with insects, or humans who are not rendered any more valuable than them in a society where a father and his son fight with the latter's oral cancer. Amidst these hues of dirt and filth, the red scarf of the boy stands out. It perhaps serves to draw the viewer's attention to how he comes to be the only voice of hope in the narrative. However, this voice is soon snuffed out since a bright crimson has no place amidst illness and pain, a folly that will be realised immediately, but not soon enough.

Metamorphosis  | Short Film of the Day

Malota is unique and refreshing in the manner in which it tells its story. While the adults struggle with practical concerns of sustenance and survival, the world of children has very different issues to deal with. When the birth of puppies throws young Gulaab's plans to finish his homework, the fear of a ruthless teacher's thrashing leads him to bunk school. What he learns outside the institutionalised centre of learning is perhaps more likely to stay with him than the table of 12.75. The film pays close attention to detail and is endearing and profound in equal measure.

Malota | Short Film of the Day

Based on a true story of a farmer's suicide in Maharashtra, the short film reminds the viewer that the simplest of stories can be the most hard-hitting. Art indeed is an imitation of reality which is often what makes it disconcerting. The narrative is linear, straight and simple, yet weaved in a manner that will make the film stay with the audience for a very long time. Giving us a glimpse into the plight of an onion farmer, the short film delineates a trip he makes to a local mandi to sell his harvest. The exploitation at the hands of the buyers is brazen enough to be even dismissed by his young son as being ridiculous. On the other hand, the farmer, bound by need and poverty, has no alternative, but to accept it. The whole act is vehemently rejected by the child, who violently protests against it. His father, however, can do little beyond weeping at a fate out of which only death seems to be a certain escape.

Mandi | Short Film of the Day

Our introduction to the primary characters in the film is marked by the struggle to survive in a world where a man and a woman somehow manage to make ends meet. When they come home, it is an image of domestic bliss, despite all the obstacles they have to overcome to secure it. Together with their little daughter, they share a meal, play a game of ball and ensure an environment of love and positivity. However, before you realize it, the film brutally undercuts the tone established so far.

 The family of working-class parents makes an honest living by day, but by night, it runs a business of
deception that the film calls a transaction in compassion. There is a challenging of the moral compass, as
notions of truth and reality are thrown off. The thing is that once a sense of mistrust seeps into the
narrative through one opening, it can easily breed distrust in the whole body. 

The long hours at work and the constant undercurrent about having made enough money acquires a distinct identity of its own, revealing to you a world that harbours some extremely unpalatable circumstances. Guilt, discomfort, compulsions and responsibilities of being parents, are all weaved together for the narrative to come into its own. 
Unsettling and disturbing, Dayalu is a complex film to unpack. The narrative remains as inward looking as it is reflective of the outside world.
With a cast of fine actors, there is no shortage of intense performances either. Additionally, there is thought, commitment and a demand on the viewer to engage. The questions that the
plot asks of the audience are all extremely crucial, presenting a loud and resounding comment on society that will stay with them long after they are done watching it.

Dayalu | Vipin Sharma | Short Film of the Month

A Christmas Carol is a story of one afternoon and a conversation between a dejected man and a cheerfully unconcerned boy. The former has had a rough day and is in no mood for the boy's chatter. The latter, on the other hand, is unstoppable in sharing his love for dance and his approach to life. The story is notably well-written and is beautiful in its simplicity. As the two exchange their dreams and stories, a sense of hope and perseverance is invoked which is perhaps all the Christmas cheer one needs this festive season. The film is heartwarming, innocent and goes to show the importance of good narratives in determining a film's success.

A Christmas Carol | Short Film of the Day

Three orphan boys, who somehow fight back the many obstacles of penury to survive, one day scrap enough money to visit the local carnival. As Monty, Kamal and Kunnu reach the fare, little are they aware of how an entry ticket too has to be bought first.


 Spending all their money at the entrance itself leaves them with none for rides or other colorful, dazzling attractions the space holds. As they move from one mini-adventure to another, vicariously enjoying the fare through other patrons, while also longingly staring at the families and children who got dealt a better hand at life than them, the visit nevertheless becomes full of surprises and twists. All of these visuals enjoy the portrayal they deserve with sophisticated camerawork and a judicious use of a very young cast.

 Things finally come to a head in a high-paced chase scene which completely alters the course of the night, and perhaps, also the lives of the little boys. As the older boy comforts the younger one with truths he is not entirely sure of himself, the viewer is allowed a poignant moment where a child is deprived of the innocence of childhood, and forced by the many cruelties of the adult world to acquire the role of the protective caretaker. This protectiveness is evident right from the very start; the undeniable sense of the three of them against the world pervades the plot throughout, allowing us an endearing story of friendship, camaraderie, but one which is cut too short too soon by tragedy.

Mela | Short Film of the Month

Inspired by Premchand’s namesake story, ‘Kafan’ locates itself far from the twentieth century, and in the contemporary coronavirus-ridden world instead. The story opens at a moment of tension, presenting to us a very unwell woman in Budhiya, as well as the plight of her worried, frantic husband, Madhav. 

As a frenzied quest begins to secure urgent medical aid for Budhiya, the film offers comments on privilege, the access the affluent enjoy in hospitals during a crisis, and at the end of it all, on death, the great leveler. At the same time, there is also a reminder that while death and the pandemic might be indiscriminate in who they choose to claim as their own, the poor and the underprivileged still have immense obstacles to overcome at every step, including death. 

The final product of 'Kafan' boasts notable performances, especially that of the protagonist in Madhav, and in a brief glimpse of an unnamed character. This is further coupled with subtlety and uniqueness of voice in the reality and commentary that it brings to life.

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