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Friday, January 3, 2025
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BOLLYWOOD CHAKRAVYUH
EDITOR'S PICK
`Chakravyuh`
resolutely etched, firmly grounded drama
Rating: ****
Becket beckons Bollywood once again. The immortal French play by
Jean Anouilh was furnished with a sensitive renewability by Hrishikesh Mukherjee
in the 1973 movie Namak Haraam and then again by Govind Nihalani in
Dev (2004).
Now the story of two friends, separated by caste, creed and ideology, who are
torn apart by their irreconcilable socio-political differences, is given a
seriously spunky spin by Prakash Jha in Chakravyuh.
Straightaway, let`s get to the point. This is Jha`s most resolutely etched and
firmly grounded drama since Mrityudand, and a work way superior to
his last two films - Raajneeti and Aarakshan - both of
which suffered to some extent by being scattered in intent and pulled in too
many directions.
In Chakravyuh also we witness Jha`s penchant for whipping up a
frenzy of crowd sequences, mob fury, gargantuan political rallies and fleets of
red-light-topped government cars winding their way urgently through dusty
roadways, but never does the narrative lose hold of the plot`s central theme.
Jha is in full command of his wide-angled canvas, never allowing the
storytelling to become a slave to the political ideology that fans and fuels his
wound-up stressed-out characters as they`re cast into reluctant roles of
outcasts, into a frenetic bundle of activities that define and somewhere
rearrange the rapidly-mutating socio-political synergy of Indian democracy.
Jha enters the dark, largely-unexposed, world of the Maoists fighting for their
land and dignity and braving all odds including an apathetic government, corrupt
and sadistic cops and bureaucrats, betrayal within their own Maoist ranks and
avaricious land-grabbing entrepreneurs. And here we have Kabir Bedi and his
wimpy yankee-twanged son as easily-recognizable global `entre-players`
ruthlessly manoeuvering to usurp the Maoists from their rightful land.
It`s a complex morally ambivalent world of arbitrary, treachery and strained
loyalty. The well-researched material is culled into a condensed but brightly
illuminated screenplay by Jha, Anjum Rajabali and Sagar Pandya that brings out
the basic theme of monstrously growing socio-economic inequality in our society
through the characters of two friends.
Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal) and Kabir (Abhay Deol) are separated by their differing
attitude to socio-political injustice, but united in their combat against
corruption, the path chosen by the friends diverge, unify and then split apart
in ways that keep us riveted to the devastatingly tragic finale.
There`s also a girl between them, a colleague from the college days (Esha Gupta,
miscast). Mercifully there`s no love triangle happening here.
If anything, the film should have been longer. There should have been more space
for the Adil-Kabir friendship to be nurtured.
The same goes for the delicately but rather hastily-drawn relationship that
grows between the loyalty-challenged Kabir and the spirited Maoist girl Juhi
(newcomer Anjali Patil). But then Jha has always been shy of dwelling on
feelings.
He only slows us glimpses into his characters` hearts before pulling back
ruthlessly to allow them to go about their jobs as professionals who have to
travel far beyond their call of duty.
In a film about social injustice and the ire that it fosters, it would be unjust
to give away the plot. Suffice to say that Jha copes with the complex themes of
love, loyalty, friendship and betrayal in a language that never resorts to
gutter-level sniping and combative belligerence just to appear trendily earthy.
Armed with an explosive plot that tests the loyalty of two friends as they are
pitched in an ideological battle, Jha`s narrative remains unwavering in its
allegiance to a powerful content-execution and a voice that`s raised in protest
without getting shrill or hysterical.
The crucial confrontation sequence towards the end is a make-or-break moment in
the narrative. Thanks to the brilliantly-written words and the restrain with
which the two actors put their viewpoints forward, the sequence scorches the
screen.
While Abhay once again after Shanghai displays remarkable
understanding in playing a complex hard-to-pin-down character, it`s Arjun as a
cop doing a job that could not just kill him but put a whole community of
people`s lives into danger once again surprises us with his deep understanding
of his character`s socio-political context.
The time-tested Manoj Bajpayee and Om Puri have smaller but significant parts as
Maoist leaders. They add that much-needed touch of gravitas to a film.
While the film contains a collage of competently calibrated performances by some
brilliant actors like Chetan Pandit, who was last seen as an idealistic
schoolteacher in Agneepath, here slips into a cheesy cop`s role and
debutante Anjali Patil leaves the best impression among the supporting cast. A
truly worthy successor to the holder of that never-forgotten actress with the
same title (Smita).
Chakravyuh does have its unhinged moments but Jha quickly reimposes
a sense of ongoing drama and impending catastrophe which keeps the audiences`
heartbeats racing dangerously.
The editing by Santosh Mandal could have been more austere. But the loose
moments never overpower the film`s strong convictions and powerful story
structure.
Chakravyuh ends with Jha`s voiceover warning us of growing
inequality in the Indian social structure whereby 25 families control a majority
of the nation`s wealth while a majority of the people live on Rs.70 per day.
Would the Rs.70 wage earner be able to afford the Rs.200 required to watch this
film?
Would his life change? The process of social awakening that started with the
cinema of V. Shantaram and B.R. Chopra has come a full circle.
Now if only cinema could change mindsets.
Music Launch of Chakravyuh Stills