Movie reviews : Gumraah, Jana Gana Mana

    

                              

 

 

                                       

 

Watched a couple of movies this weekend. Both were about seeking and delivering justice via the legal route. However, turns out that truth & justice are relative - they are not black and white terms as we are used to believing. The human bias, mass sentiment and flawed assumptions always create havoc in the path of true justice. 

 

Jana Gana Mana 

This malayalam movie is simply awesome. The movie literally unravels like the layers of an onion and makes you cry (figuratively) more and more as it unravels. What starts as an obvious case of crime against a woman, slowly escalates into discrimination, bureaucratic corruption and attempt to mask the reality underneath massive public outcry. One should always question what one hears in media, never blindly trust the law upholders, ask pertinent questions and only then arrive at any judgement. Our legal system is in place for a reason; justice should be served after rigorous research and meticulous thought; not like instant coffee.

The film is definitely influenced by many real-life incidents, especially the 2019 Hyderabad gang rape case and the ‘extrajudicial execution’ that followed the incident. It shows what exactly is the problem with the police breaking the law through these actions.

Both protagonists Suraj Venjaramoodu and Prithviraj Sukumaran have done abundant justice to their respective roles, and the crew behind the film also deserves applause aplenty, for boldly narrating such a relevant story on screen. 

Its a serious and thought-provoking movie that addresses the many gaps within the Indian society and legal system. Watch with sub-titles - it has mix of Hindi & English too, so easy to understand.

 

Gumraah 

This 2023 Hindi who-dun-it (remake of Tamil film 'Thadam') starts off showing the killer clearly. However, as the police start investigating the murder, they come across two possible suspects who look exactly like each other. The movie flicks through the lives of both, in flashback, and eventually the relationship between the two is established. However, the scales keep tipping between which of the 2 suspects is the murderer, so much so that eventually, the case drags in court for 6 months with no concrete decision made! 

Every tool in the book of investigation viz. crime scene recreation, forensics, alibis, motive, surprise witnesses etc. is exhausted to no avail. The climax offers the solution and the reasoning behind the crime, as well as, the clever fogging of truth. The plot twists and the grip of the movie is retained till the very end.

Aditya Roy Kapur as the look-alike has performed both his roles extremely well. Both the emotional as well as the intellectual personalities are portrayed convincingly by him. The two investigators, Ronit Roy as well as Mrunal Thakur, are both extremely smart & seasoned at their jobs but get distracted by their personal biases due to which they are defeated.

All in all, its a must-watch movie for the nail-biting clash of wills and wits between the cops and the (possible) criminals.

 

Lessons from renovation 2023

My home is undergoing some major renovation and repairs this summer. In the initial 3 weeks, our family split up and stayed separately. We are now together since last one week but continue to live through disruption, loud noise & constant dust, workers coming and going at all hours while our work and school go on.

The entire house, our routines and mindset has undergone a sea change in this last one month. Its been a major shock and awe experience for my teenage daughter. Her room, that is her haven, has been under attack, and rejuvenated into a new avatar, right in front of her eyes. She used to lie awake at nights and had withdrawn into silence initially, to absorb this shock. On top of that she was missing her friends and confidants in this sensitive time. Hubby stayed away from us for so long for the first time and was visibly out of his comfort zone. We had basically cleanly split the responsibilities of our home and daughter for a good 3+ weeks which was not easy on either of us. I have been doing a fine balancing act managing the moods of everyone, including my own, while my home was literally torn down and is being resurrected.

We have each of us discovered new ways to cope with the situation. Not being at our own place for extended period, and adjusting to another space, is not trivial. Staying alone in a broken up home is another level of tough. Coping with work related pressures, new grade school routine and social commitments amongst all this takes resilience.

Sometimes life needs this kind of a major overhaul to come back to a better track. Change is a constant and being out of comfort zone really makes one stronger and more confident. Houses, relationships and routines sometimes need to be torn down so that a stronger and healthier foundation can be established. The pandemic and enforced lockdown had put us all into a comfort zone that we are now shaking off (or having to) in different ways.