Two Movies

Saw Apharan yesterday at home. The film paints a rather bleak picture of (The Republic of) Bihar, a law unto itself. If it was not tragic or grim, it would be almost comical to see the absence of any law and order, a state of affairs where the police, politicians and ministers connive with each other to maraud the wretched citizen, where criminals park themselves in plush cells in jails and control mafia from inside and walk out at will, where police protects the criminals and prosecutes the innocent, where kidnapping is a well-organised business and the human being is an expendable commodity, where there is almost no hope….Is this for real? I hope not but I suspect it may be. A very bleak and powerful film by the master craftsman, Prakash Jha. It’s not perfect, however. Read this review by Raja Sen at Rediff. It sums up much that I want to say about Apharan: “A flawed good film!”
Saw Antarmahal at home this afternoon. What can one say about Rituparno Ghosh!He is truly one of the most gifted directors in India. This period piece, set in late 19th c Bengal, is to be seen to be believed. Tells a tragic tale of female exploitation, marital rape, priestly debauchery and an unbridled lust for power in an overarching feudal background. Do read this brilliant review by Subhash K. Jha at nowrunning.com.
And now from the entrails of feudal India to the gutters of street harassment in NYC. This is how the women in NYC fight back. Something like this may work in India too, whaddya say? Holla back, my friends, and take care…