By Shankar Venkatraman
Satyagraha – reminder of the “Lokpal” Andolan!!! Some good insights in “what could have transpired behind the scenes of Anna Hazare hunger strike”, great use of technology with focus on Social Media Marketing, minimal ‘gyaanbaazi’ though Jha had the platform to rake in ‘n’ number of issues and the brilliance of Bachchan…
Corruption, politics and revolution huh…a poignant and helpless B speaks the angst in the climax “where is the nation headed as there is no one to hear us out…”True indeed as ‘aam junta‘ continues to suffer for there is nobody to listen to them. It is better to forget the civic lessons we’ve had on the freedom and rights fundas!!! The movie takes a dig on almost all aspects – youth to take up a cause with the advent of technology, the games played by the political parties, conscientious citizens who sacrifice their “current” in lieu of a “future” which looks still bleak. A moralistic media (for a change) who speaks on the “need for a change” without unscroupulous means…the tirade against justice continues.
The movie has come at a time when the country is perhaps undergoing the worst economic and social turmoil ever. There has been a complete breakdown of every possible fabric that binds the nation together. The movie limits itself to a small town while addressing that “this is the state of affairs” across the nation. But how far can a common man go to make life better is still unclear! We pay all our taxes right?
Income tax with onions and oil prices going up…30% of our earnings and efforts…are donated to the national and state exchequers for these goons to keep looting us in every plausible way!!!
Road tax with no proper roads…an aam junta is so burdened with his own troubles…where has he got time for such idealist movements??
Devgan is in his usual space (as always in a Prakash Jha movie), Rampal gets wasted, Kareena is poise personified and Amrita is just about okay…Manoj is cheesy and awesome. BiG B-wallah re wallah…check out his eyes, his gait, his downburst…too much!
Go watch it and if possible grab a copy of “Main Azaad Hun” movie – nothing has changed in the last 25 years though.
