In between

AUG 31 -
Prakash Jha is a Bollywood director known for the gripping nature of his political and social dramas. His repertoire of films include Mrityudand, Apaharan and Gangajal, all films that helped established his credentials in the Indian film industry. His most recent venture Satyragraha, however, fails to hit the mark.

Jha’s last well-received film was 2010’s Rajneeti. Aarakshan, which was released a year later, did not fare as well, neither did 2012’s Chakravyuh. Sadly, this year’s Satryagraha follows the same ill-trodden path, and fails the director miserably. The film seems to have the makings of an engaging political drama, dealing as it does with an anti-corruption revolution, but the reality is that Satyagraha is an unconvincing movie .

The film’s screenplay is said to have been inspired by Anna Hazare, whose 2011 hunger strike became a beacon for anti-corruption revolutionaries in India. However, the storytelling itself fails miserably. From the badly stretched narration to the abrupt climax, nothing goes quite right for the film. In fact, Satyagraha is a tad predictable. You might even find yourself getting drowsy at the cinema if you’re not careful.

This is a sad thing, especially since the film’s cast boasts of some remarkable actors. Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Manoj Bajpayee, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and Amrita Rao star in the film, but they do not offer anything remarkable. Ultimately, Satyagraha fails in delivering. It hardly does what it intended to do. Despite dealing with heavy subjects like corruption and the bureaucracy, the film lacks punch. An inherently weak script means the audience loses interest with each successive scene.

To make things worse, there’s an item number included, and a ‘romantic angle’ that makes no sense in the larger scheme of things. And an abundance of melodrama only takes away from the beauty of reality as might have been portrayed in the film. The treatment given to some scenes in particular, is very unconvincing.

The director seems to have lost direction while trying to find balance. His film is neither a Bollywood entertainer, nor a hard-hitting realistic portrayal. In the process of bringing the two together, Jha loses the point he was trying to make in the first place. Even with big names and an amazing concept, Satyagraha is anything but revolutionary.

Labels: Entertainment