Parallel Cinema's Wakeup Call

Child abuse is highly rampant in our society today and in all honesty, not much has been said or done to address this humongous issue that looms over our heads. One such film that talks about child abuse, and teenage angst is Udaan (2010). Udaan was helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Sanjay Singh, Anurag Kashyap and Ronnie Screwvala, and is said to be slightly based on Anurag Kashyap's life. The story starts off with Rohan (Rajat Barmecha) being expelled from his boarding school and being sent home to his father (Ronit Roy) and half-brother Arjun (Aayan Boradia), that he never knew about. Rohan's dad is the stereotypical dictator father who wants to control all aspects of Rohan's life and has been doing so to his younger son, Arjun. When Rohan attempts to assert his independence, he faces his father's wrath in the form of verbal and physical abuse. However, things escalate when the abuse turns to Arjun and he's rushed to the hospital. The story takes a major turn and we see Rohan maturing to a whole new level. The curtains fall with Rohan and Arjun walking away together, far away from the humiliations and the melancholy. The film was extremely well accepted and won numerous accolades, including being screened at 2010 Cannes Film Festival. Udaan also picked up seven awards at the 56^th Filmfare Awards in 2011.

Terrorism is a threat that is present around the globe and a reality for many. Written and directed by Anurag Kashyap, Black Friday (2004) is an Indian crime film based on the 1993 Mumbai bombings. Unfortunately, the film released three years later, but opened to fantastic reviews from critics all across the globe. The film kicks off with a thug confessing to planting bombs in major locations in Mumbai and the police brush aside his confession, but three days later Mumbai wakes up to a series of explosions that rock the city. The film traces the motive for the Mumbai blasts and connects it to the war between the Hindu and Muslim communities which left over 1500 people dead. Tiger Memon (Pavan Malhotra), a don decides to take it on himself to avenge those who died during the blast. He and his associates plan an attack on Mumbai, which leads to Black Friday, on 12 March 1993. The film ends with Tiger's brother, Yaqub (Imtiaz Ali) turning himself in to the police and ending the reign of terror. Not only did the film touch on the destruction of terrorism, but also showcased the detachment that some have adopted to such acts in an attempt for normality. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 3^rd Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles in April 2004.

Even in today's progressive times certain parts of society are still extremely misogynistic and carry the belief that a female child is a burden. Written by Manish Jha, Matrubhoomi (2003) is a film that talks about the extremely sensitive issues of female infanticide and female feticide, which are still unfortunate realities in certain parts of the country. The movie is set in a small village in Bihar, where a couple is blessed with a baby girl. However, the father is unhappy and drowns the newborn. The story further progresses with the village being populated only with males due to the killing of female babies. The men are deprived and are willing to go to any length to procure a spouse for themselves. Ramcharan (Sudhir Pandey), a wealthy father to five sons, hears about a single woman and buys her from her father. The woman, Kalki (Tulip Joshi) is then married to all five sons, and is forced to spend her nights with each one of them throughout the week and spend the weekends with Ramcharan. Kalki tries to escape, but is unsuccessful and instead faces the wrath of other men in the society and is gang-raped every night. The movie ends on a bright note, with Kalki giving birth to a baby girl. The film won numerous awards at various film festivals across the globe.

The word 'poverty' isn't new to us. Did you know that around 30% of India's population is under the poverty line? Slumdog Millionaire (2009) starts off with Jamal Malik (Dev Patel), a former slum child, shown as a contestant on India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and is one answer away from winning the grand prize. However, before the question is asked he is detained and taken away by the cops, who suspect him to be cheating as they wonder how a slum dweller is able to answer all the questions correctly. Jamal then recollects his childhood through flashbacks, which takes the audience on an intriguing journey and makes us realize that his life experiences gave him all the education he ever needed. The film has received worldwide appreciation and also was nominated for ten Academy Awards, out of which the film won eight. It also picked up seven BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globes.

Writer: Nisha M.

Editor(s): Nabila S. & Gunia K.

Graphics: Marsh P.

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