A few big movies released recently. One of them was called “SOTY”. While I have nothing against people who like young mindless bimbos gyrating and being seduced by young bodybuilders, all this while pretending to be the i-go-to-school-in-muthafuckin-ferrari type of kids, I sincerely believe film-makers underestimate young India’s intelligence. Or do they?
Then there are movies like “Chakravyuh”, which does not target everybody but is still well received. The basic difference between them is the kind of audience they attract. In stark contrast to the above, this movie does not have any dream sequence shot in the swiss alps but has shown what actually happens in India. Truth has been shown and that too very aesthetically. On a subject where one cannot pick sides, the director has been able to show a more or less balanced viewpoint.
Let me be honest here, I don’t review movies. So, I cannot go into the details of film-making and tell you if the movie is technically sound. As a common man, who reads newspapers regularly and sees people killed, police stations burnt, and armed forces being ambushed regularly by Naxals every second day, this subject is close to my heart. For me, a problem exists. And anybody who is doing something to spread awareness about that problem amongst my fellow countrymen deserves my applause.
Top that up with brilliant acting by Manoj Bajpayee, Abhay Deol, Om Puri, Anjali Patil, and for a change Arjun Rampal as well. The first half of the movie is tight and well-paced while the second half drags a little. Songs play a spoilsport. Film-makers have to understand that in a serious movie, going without a song is better than going with bad songs. Manoj Bajpayee could and should have been given more screen space, although he dazzles in whatever he has been given.
Inclusion of references about ‘Salwa Judum’, ‘Janta-na adalat’, ‘Tendu leaves’ and Naxal use of tools like ‘Jan-natya mandali’ makes sure that a little background of the problem is necessary to understand the movie. Surprising faces in the audience, made me realize they have no clue what is being talked about. I think the director and scriptwriters could have dwelled a little more on the topic. The recent success of the GoW series tells us that investing screen time in explaining something in an entertaining way is rewarded.
A war is raging far from the cities, the glamour, the big life. The people standing in queues in front of a fancy coffee shop do not realize that if they don’t do anything now, soon there will be no coffee shops and no queues, only chaos.
P.S- ‘Chakravyuh’ made me realize why Sameera Reddy should not be allowed to torture people with her dancing abilities. “Kunda Khol’ is officially the worst item song ever on our list.
