Heroes rise amid grubby politics
INTRODUCTION
I HAVE always respected the courage and bravery of Prakash Jha who, fearlessly over the years, has exposed dirty politics in Rajneeti and the Naxalite movement in Chakravyuh through the medium of cinema. He returns with a mammoth cast and again tackles burning social issues. The movie portrays the harsh realities that have plagued India for many years.
STORY is set in a small town and is about two friends, Akhilesh and Manav. Akhilesh (Indraneil Sengupta) believes in the simple principles of life and works as an engineer. Manav (Ajay Devgn) is the rising star of the communication sector. When tragedy strikes, Manav joins forces with a strong-willed ex-principal, Dwarka Anand (Amitabh Bachchan), and Akhilesh’s wife, Sumi (Amrita Rao), as they start a movement against greed, corruption and the government’s failure to serve the nation. Jebel Arjun (Arjun Ramphal) and fiery crime reporter Yasmin (Kareena Kapoor) join their cause.
DIRECTION
is comfortable making socially powerful movies and again he remains true and engaging with a masterfully woven story. The daily struggle is captured with brilliance. However, he does not allow the movie to become overly dramatic, but relies heavily on his well-developed characters to huge effect. This, together with some splendid dialogue, makes for an engrossing flick.
PERFORMANCES is great to see Bachchan back, and it’s easy to understand why the legendary actor has dominated the industry for so many decades. As the broken father, he acts with courage. And as the frail, ailing leader doing his bit for humanity, Bachchan is supreme. Devgn again delivers fire in every frame and is comfortably supported through riveting performances by Ramphal, Rao, Sengupta and Kapoor. Manoj Bajpayee is outstanding in his negative role.
MUSIC
THERE’s a nice flow of positive songs that are beautifully incorporated in the drama.
OVERALL JHA has to be saluted for delivering a dignified movie that exposes corruption and exploitation. It’s the idea of the middle class rising, inspired by the battles of Mahatma Gandhi and Anna Hazare, that makes Satyagraha a proudly positive and uplifting movie.