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| Movie buffs queue up to watch Aarakshan at Plaza Cinema in Ranchi on Friday; (right) they leave the hall with plenty of food for thought. Pictures by Hardeep Singh |
Ranchi, Aug. 12: Moviegoers, get your weekend reserved for Aarakshan, if only for one reason. Seldom have stairs leading to the exit gate of a cinema heard so much debate.
Viewers of Prakash Jha-directed magnum opus, which released across India today, including Jharkhand, are avidly watching every frame of the film with a cause. And outside the darkened hall, they’re discussing what they just watched without a pause.
It’s a subject that no filmmaker before Jha dared to touch with a barge pole. But Jha went inside the skin of the politics of reservation to give the viewer a tight multi-layered drama.
It helps that the film, right after Jha’s superhit Rajneeti last year, has some of the most bankable B-town stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone.
But in India, the film’s subject matter is controversial enough to grab eyeballs. Many remember 21 years ago, when Delhi University student Rajiv Goswami had set himself on fire in front of AIIMS in the national capital to protest against the reservation-based Mandal Commission, becoming one of the most blazing symbols of a divided India, which led to widespread riots.
Jharkhand, after its formation, also has had its fair share of violence related to caste, tribe and domicile issues, which impacted people’s education and jobs.
Fearing a backlash, the film released in Ranchi’s Eylex and Glitz multiplexes and single-screen Plaza Cinema and Jamshedpur’s GT Cinema and Payel Cinema amid tight security.
“We directed a posse of six jawans at each hall,” said Ranchi SSP Kaket Sumar Singh. “Things were peaceful, but we will be cautious. We will keep the security cover till the extended weekend, Independence Day falling on Monday this year.”
But public verdict across both cities — with box-office collections of 70 per cent-plus — seemed to be in favour of Jha’s magnum opus.
“The filmmaker explores the deep-rooted reality of India (read caste), which is manipulated for political gains,” said MBA student S.K. Das at Plaza Cinema.
“The film doesn’t hurt sentiments. It simply throws a question to society, asking if we are on the right track. Movies that stir genuine debate should be encouraged,” said school student Anil Ekka.
“Jharkhand has caste-based reservations everywhere. If there is need for it, then why not on the basis of haves and have-nots. A Dalit multi-millionaire will enjoy privileges of reservation. A poor Brahmin won’t,” said Sunil Paswan, who watched the film at Glitz.
While the capital and Jamshedpur hope for a bumper weekend at the box-office, hall owners at Dhanbad and Bokaro — where the film has had a slow start, thanks to inclement weather — are optimistic that business will pick up.
“Phones are ringing for advance bookings till Monday. Controversy gets good business,” smiled Deepak Kumar, Plaza Cinema manager.
His Jamshedpur counterpart at Payel Cinema, Shourish Gupta, said: “Response is good, as the subject is hard-hitting.”
