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Friday, May 17, 2024
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BOLLYWOOD AALAAP
EDITOR'S PICK
`Aalaap`
- a juvenile propaganda film (Movie Review)
Rating: 1/2
When you see people like Chhattisgarh ex-DGP Vishwa Ranjan, who was perennially
under fire for the pathetic human rights abuse in the state during his term, and
state Chief Minister Raman Singh being thanked before the film, you know that
"Aalaap" at best will be a one-sided state propaganda film.
To find it to be one isn`t surprising. What does surprise is that the filmmaking
is as juvenile, simplistic, illogical and outright dumb as its ideology.
Four young adults, after watching soldiers being blown up by a Maoist landmine
in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, are restless at this mindless violence. Angry, they
finally realise that they have the `weapon` with which they can fight Maoists -
music.
Exactly how music is supposed to end any violent struggle anywhere, one must
find from the talented and debutante writer-director Manish Manikpuri.
Besides this very basic and fundamentally flawed premise, its flaws are too many
to recount.
The biggest flaw is that it is an unabashedly one sided and one dimensional
film. Maoists are equated to terrorists and one after another characters scream
at the screen talking about how Naxalism is the worst thing that has happened to
the country.
What is not fair, however, is to completely blind out the other side which
claims the state to be the aggressor stating that tribal having no other option
but to turn to Naxals to protect their hearth and homes.
There isn`t even one-line lip-service paid to the side of the tribal who have
seen 644 of their villages burnt (official figures), thousands killed including
women and children and scores of women raped in the pogrom unleashed by the
state to give their mineral rich lands to corporates.
The death of soldiers and civilians needs condemnation. The death of thousands
of tribal needs equal condemnation. Does the filmmaker even consider a tribal to
be a human to care giving his side as well?
There isn`t thus an iota of doubt that this is a state propaganda film.
As propaganda films go, the history of cinema is rife with examples including
"Casablanca". In recent time "The Hurt Locker" was picked up
by the American state, awarded with hordes of Oscars and made into a propaganda
because of its pro-war leanings.
As you will notice, no matter how twisted their ideology, the quality of both
the films was exemplary. Indeed one can even argue that for propaganda film that
is wrong in many ways, to be right at least when it comes to their technical
specs, is an absolute must.
You have no such luck with this film with its entire gamut of filmmaking being
as terrible as its ideology, excelled only by a wrong casting and terrible
dialogue writing. A small saving grace is provided by a few tracks by the music
band Agnee. Sadly their music too fluctuates between the inspiring and downright
insipid.
With the state-sponsored Operation Green Hunt taking lives on both sides of the
divide, this insensitive film seems like a terrible nightmare one hoped one had
not seen.
It`s an insult to each - civilians, soldiers and tribal killed in the conflict
zone.
Aalaap is an upcoming musical drama film and the first film directed by Manish Manikpuri. The film is set and shot in and around present day with the main protagonists being college students with a passion for music.
Premiere of film Aalaap Stills