Saturday, February 22, 2014

Jalpari - Movie Review

This was a surprise package. I found this movie while searching for songs by Piyush Mishra on youtube and found 'Bargad ke pedon..' (lovely number, check this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ks9c9zrD6o) from this movie. Whatever little I saw intrigued me.

When I saw the movie I found it well told and impactful. Taking on the subject of female infanticide this is a story of how a city bred doctor comes to his ancestral village which is notorious for female infanticide. Told mainly through the eyes of the doctor's tomboy daughter Shreya and son Sam who dare the village boys and go to the place where there supposedly exists a witch.

Now the villagers say that a death in the village was caused because the town kids irritated the witch but the truth is that they do not wish people to go there. However one night Shreya and Sam follow their friend Shabari and her husband who head to the forbidden lake where they uncover the secret of how female fetuses are terminated illegally and thrown into the lake.

According to the film's figures India has killed 10 million girl children. In Asia 160 females have been prevented from being born. There is more barbarism in our society now than before. More stupidity than ever. Appreciate the effort by Nila Madhab Panda, maker of 'I am Kalam' and liver of a fantastic rags to riches life out of sheer sense of entrepreneurship, survival and grit. For a boy who grew up in poverty and funded his education by cleaning and working menial jobs, ran away to Delhi sold socks, cell phones, cooked and cleaned, he started a new wave cinema, focused on good stories and has an impressive resume already. Indian films are in good hands and its exciting times ahead for us. 

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