2.5/5 Stars
Watching the film without having an idea about its theme and
message would not serve the purpose. ‘Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan’ (Alms for a Blind
Horse) is a Punjabi film (subtitled in English), based on a
Jnanpeeth-award-winning novel of the same name by Gurdial Singh. The film
“tries to bring to screen the effect that years of subordination can bring to
struggling masses in the face of events spinning beyond their control” (in the
words of the debutante director Gurvinder Singh). In a nutshell, it portrays
the problems faced by the Indian farmers and landlords on the outskirts of
Punjab.
Having watched this film only after watching a
one-minute-long trailer, it did seem very random. One does feel that the film
is devoid of any basic premise, hence making it difficult to enliven enough
interest for almost 120 minutes. However, it would be advisable for those
watching this film to read a bit about the theme and the concept to understand
the film better.
Set in a village on the outskirts of Bathinda in Punjab,
where people are trying hard to make peace with their existence, the film
revolves around a Dalit family. The head of the family, the Father (Mal Singh),
is a silent spectator to the various occurrences happening around him. The
landlord has apparently sold his plots to an industry that has demolished the
house of one of the villagers. Mal Singh’s character joins the community in demand
for justice for the trouble family. His son Melu Singh (Samuel John) is a
cycle-rickshaw puller who is participating in a strike by his union. The strike
turns violent and Melu gets seriously injured. All along, Melu along with his
friends are unsure about their existence and their future. They find solace in
their drunken conversations during the night when they get to vent out their
‘unheard’ grievances.
Back at the village, the atmosphere is tense, with the
police randomly arresting a farmer, gunshots being heard in the night, the
apathetic condition of the farmers and their families and just, the solemnity
and the eerie silence of the place itself. There’s a recurrent scene in the
film featuring a man asking for alms, crying out ‘Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan Do’. The
title of the film, just like this appeal, is metaphorical and is left to your
interpretation of who the blind horse is. The plot is meandering, but in
retrospective, that is the condition of most people living in the rural areas
of the country.
The principal cast of the film (Mal Singh, Samuel John,
Serbjeet Kaur who play the daughter Dayalo, Dharminder Kaur who play the Mother
and Emmanuel Singh who plays Melu’s brother-in-law) is brilliant. All of them
effortlessly portray the pathos that was required of their characters. Mal
Singh doesn’t have much dialogue but he leaves a lasting impression only on the
strength of the body language. That is no mean feat! Melu Singh is impressive
in his short, yet significant role. Emmanuel Singh too, does a fine job.
Being a Punjabi film, one would feel a bit alienated from
the characters owing to the language barrier. However, the performances are
such that you don’t have to religiously follow the subtitles to understand what
the characters are trying to convey. That truly is a remarkable achievement.
The film shines in three departments; cinematography (Satya
Rai Nagpaul), music (Catherine Lamb) and the production design (Pankaj
Dhimaan). The film could have done with a voice-over or some text about the
condition of the farmers and other villagers in Punjab, at the start or the end
so that the viewer could relate the sequences to the issue at hand. The cause
on which the film is based is a serious one. Hence, if the makers thought that
they’d do away with a concrete plot, they could have concentrated more on the
issue and enlightened the audiences about the same. Director Gurvinder Singh
picks up a brilliant subject. However, the basic plot is a bit of a let-down.
All said and done, the film is very different from other
‘issue-based’ films. There’s a great deal of subtext. The viewer would need to
‘read between the lines’ to really understand the basic essence of the film. (First Posted in MSN)
Shivom Oza
Is this out on DVD?
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