Maharaj

This is the debut film of Junaid Khan, son of the very popular actor, Amir Khan. He plays role of Karsandas Mulji, who has been questioning blind faith and unfair social practices since his childhood. He professed education for women, widow remarriage – and his reformist nature always ended him up in trouble – the very people he fought for turned against him. This movie draws inspiration from the real-life Maharaj Libel case of 1852. 

Karsan is exposed to another tradition when Kishori, his fiancée, is exploited physically by a religious leader, JJ Maharaj.  When Kishori realizes her misjudgement of exploitation as a religious act, she kills herself out of shame but urges Karsan to bring forth the truth behind Havelis, or lavish temples. What follows is a story of determination and grit. The climax is reached when JJ Maharaj sues Karsan for defamation, where tradition and logic battle it out in court.

 

The takeaways include Junaid Khan himself, the grandeur and Jaideep Ahlawat. Junaid looks convincing in his role with his freshness, and not like a first timer. I loved the way he carried attire of pre-independence times – dhoti and kurta, puffed sleeve shirts, etc. I saw some of his photographs, and he looks very different in this movie. The girls, Shalini Pandey as Kishori and Sharvari as Viraaj do justice to their roles. You would not be able to take your eyes off Jaideep Ahlawat – he uses his big frame and acting skills to portray the arrogant JJ Maharaj, who has never laid a foot on road, but on hands of his devotees.

The film strongly urges everyone to say no to blind traditions. This is a movie you would definitely like, and probably watch over and over again.

Image courtesy: Google

Bhakshak

Sometimes good movies are not lauded enough, maybe because they touch upon sensitive topics. This one centres around young girls, all orphans, being abused in a shelter homes in a small town in Bihar. On the other hand, Bhumi Pednekar plays the role of a journalist, who runs her own news channel, almost singlehandedly, gathering information herself with her cameraman in tow. Upon being tipped about the notorious activities against girls, Bhumi fights a sole battle against powerful people, her family members who are concerned about her safety, a police system that chooses to remain silent and more.

The narration is tight and you would not want to miss a single moment, be it heinous crimes against helpless girls, their purporment by powerful men and strong determination showcased by the protagonist to help the exploited. The characters speak in a strong Bihari accent, which gives a realistic feel. Although the end was a little hurried up, I felt this is a strong movie and should be watched by everybody. We need to raise our consciences beyond our ownselves. At the end, the movie urges you to raise your voice if you notice anything wrong being done to others, and not wait till something happens to you or your kin.

 Image courtesy: Google