Watched this film today and it is one of the best I have seen on the subject. It is not an easy subject matter but one that merits being re-told. I will never be tired of watching when it is done as well as this film, considering that the rule/law was changed in 2012. It is mind blowing that I myself remember the year clearly and lived in an environment that allowed women to do and go as they wished, yet somewhere in the world this injustice was being perpetrated as "tradition", on females with the complacency of everyone.
This film is not about religion nor feminism and patriarchy, it is a film of human behavior, social injustice and the evils humans commit on one another, albeit the theme of patriarchy and female abuse is highlighted and it is based on the practice of faith of one group of people, therefore some audiences may not see the forest because of one tree, however it is not about religion or feminism, in fact it shows that females are just as complicit and guilty of harming their counterparts as the males. If anything it does show female empowerment and gives a glimpse on the ability females have to get themselves out of a predicament by not accepting abuse or by helping other females to reach goals outside of imposed limitations.
The performances are impeccable and Ms. Neena Gupta as Noor is a perfect fit, not only physically but in mannerism and emotion, the lady IS a star and she does not let you forget it, every second she is on screen she performs accordingly. The children are amazingly human and innocent as only the very young can be, Miss Aqsa Siddiqui as Chhoti shows great promise and I hope she is allowed to develop without the trivialities of skin color or physical requirements, that is unjustly placed on Bollywood actors.
The filming, editing and scenery are done brilliantly and the camera captures and pauses on some impactful subjects long enough to allow the viewer time to process it's meaning and it does linger on some scenes beautifully. I do not mind admitting I re-play the scenes that impress me and there are many.
This film was released in January of 2019, without too much promotion nor acclaim within India, it did win some favor among international circles, but too little exposure does impact a film and this one did not have any push behind it. It is a shame when gems like this are not given the merit they deserve and when you watch it you know it was not because it was a poorly made film, nor an overused matter, you know it did not become acclaimed because it's target audience has deep fears of discussing the theme or sharing it with outsiders or even among each other because then they would be forced to look in a mirror and admit hard truths.
I have filed it under my very good films list.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
