Tag Archives: Durgesh Kumar

Movie Review: Bhakshak (2024)

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3 Stars (out of 4)

Watch Bhakshak on Netflix

A reporter gets a lead on a scandal involving child abuse at a state-funded orphanage, only to be met with government officials unwilling to take action. Fans of movies about investigative journalism will enjoy Bhakshak.

Bhumi Pednekar plays Vaishali, a reporter who runs an independent news channel in Bihar with her cameraman sidekick Bhaskar (Sanjay Mishra). The channel has struggled for a couple of years to find an audience, and Vaishali’s husband Arvind (Surya Sharma) wonders if it’s time for her to try a new job or start a family.

Vaishali gets a break when her informer Guptaji (Durgesh Kumar) hands her a government-commissioned report on abuse at state-run orphanages for girls. An institution in Munawwarpur is flagged for further investigation, with girls reporting physical and sexual abuse and forced prostitution.

What’s perplexing is that the report is already two-months old, yet the government has made no public comment about it, nor has it started an investigation.

Vaishali and Bhaskar can’t get inside the Munawwarpur home for girls, which is run by newspaper magnate and aspiring politician Bansi Sahu (Aditya Srivastava). The bureaucrat who runs the state’s department for child welfare assures Vaishali that the system is working properly.

Bhakshak does a good job laying out how easily protocols and procedures meant to safeguard institutions and taxpayer funds can be exploited by nefarious actors. Since Vaishali doesn’t have the platform of a major news channel to exert public pressure, she must learn how to use those same rules and procedures against those who are stonewalling her.

This may sound dry, but Vaishali’s frustrations are relatable. The stakes are high, so the story is never boring even when the subject matter is mostly bureaucratic. However, the film is probably fifteen minutes longer than it needs to be.

Bhakshak opens with an on-screen warning that the film contains depictions of violence against women, and that warning should be taken seriously. The first scene shows the results of a disturbing act of violence against one of the girls at the Munawwarpur home. Later scenes elaborate on what goes on within the walls of the orphanage, and they are also tough to watch.

All of the actors treat the material with the gravity it deserves. Tanisha Mehta deserves particular praise for the way she plays Sudha, a young woman who briefly worked at the Munawwarpur home and was emotionally scarred by the experience. Pednekar and Mishra have a nice rapport.

The biggest complaint about Bhakshak is that it ends with Vaishali giving a speech that belabors the thematic point the movie is built around. I just spent two hours having that message reinforced. I don’t need the CliffsNotes version after the fact.

Nevertheless, Bhakshak has its heart in the right place. It does all the things a movie about investigative journalism is supposed to do. As long as the violent content isn’t a deterrent, it’s a worthwhile watch.

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Movie Review: Highway (2014)

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Highway4 Stars (out of 4)

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Writer-director Imtiaz Ali’s great strength is his ability to relate emotional truth. His characters act the way that regular people do, not the way that movie characters are supposed to.

Highway is the fullest realization of Ali’s gift for conveying truth. It often feels more like a documentary than a work of fiction. It’s an astounding accomplishment.

Smart directorial choices heighten the sense of immersion in the main plot. Past events and scenes not featuring the movie’s main character, Veera (Alia Bhatt), are primarily shown within a frame, while current events take up the whole screen.

The film begins with un-subtitled footage of preparations for Veera’s wedding, shown within a black frame. Veera doesn’t look particularly happy in any of the footage.

The image fills up the whole screen in order to show Veera sneaking out of her house to meet her betrothed, Vinay (Arjun Malhotra), who’s not pleased to act as Veera’s chauffeur on a nighttime jaunt. She says she feels stifled in the bustling house and wants to run away. He would rather get home as soon as possible.

The couple stumbles into a robbery at a gas station, and Veera is taken hostage by a gang of petty thieves led by Mahabir (Randeep Hooda). Only once they’ve made their escape do the thieves realize they’ve captured a rich man’s daughter, and they’re not happy about it. They know that Veera’s father will use all of his substantial resources to find her, so they hit the road with Veera in tow.

Veera’s initial fear gives way to fascination as she sees parts of India that she never knew existed. It occurs to her that, even though she’s vacationed all over the world, she’s never seen anything outside of her hotel.

It cannot be overstated how brilliant Alia Bhatt is as Veera. So much is demanded from her — from expressing childlike wonder to terror to heartbreak — and she excels at every turn. A simple scene in which Veera laughs with delight at the sight of a roaring mountain river is impeccable.

Hooda is perfectly cast as Mahabir, who winds up growing nearly as much as his young captive does. Gruff and taciturn by nature, Mahabir slowly allows Veera to coax vague information about his troubled past out him, forming a bond with her that he wishes didn’t exist.

Mahabir’s gang is freer than their leader is in expressing their amusement with their charge. One of the goons — Aadoo (Durgesh Kumar) — is particularly charming, staring at Veera with the same wide-eyed fascination with which she regards nearly everything she sees.

So much about Highway is beautiful: the performances, the mountain scenery, A.R. Rahman’s gorgeous score. There are a number of times when not much seems to happen, but those are some of the best moments. Ali allows the audience time to breathe and soak in the atmosphere he’s created. It’s a wonderful experience.

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