WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Inequity. Unjustness. The committing of a crime by all standards deserves its subsequent penalty under the provision of the laws that seek to protect those innocents who’ve been harmed by such acts, giving them, ideally, the sense of closure, of peace, of what is so often sought the most–impartial virtue being restored. However, what happens when the scales of the law and those sworn to uphold it become the criminals we’ve so deeply entrusted our well-being to? It is 2005, and a pair of best friends, Nitin and Suresh are taken arrested by two policemen, Sable and Gaikwad, under false accusations. But, when Nitin’s fate is sealed while in their custody, Nitin’s anguished mother Prabha (Usha Jadhav) begins a dogged fight for justice that lasts thirteen years and will lead to a historic decision.
Next, my Mind:
It is a film that enjoyed multiple monumental moments at the inaugural 2019 New York City South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota, taking home Best Actress for director/screenplay writer/editor Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (Best Director winner as well!), screenplay writer C.P. Surendran, producer Nikita Ramchandra Gupta, and executive producer Ravi Singh’s efforts as well as having its overall North American Premier at the event. Based on a true story that culminated in a first for the Indian judiciary system during July of 2018, this 100-minute feature drama is nothing short of a pure gut-punch but on a slow-burn, tension-infused level of execution that assuredly keeps your attention as the narrative depicts the arduous, painfully emotional, yet purposefully resolved and tenaciously relentless pursuit of justice taken on by one scorned mother whose son was not only wrongfully taken by police for a crime he didn’t even commit, but was then tortured and killed by the officers under their watch, a crime then buried under corrupt politics and unscrupulous accomplices.
However, what makes the film stand out more is the fact it chooses to not show the violent act itself, rather only the aftermath, but then also follow the unfolding tale from not just the mother’s perspective, but from that of the two policemen involved as well as their families and relations, all of whom end up facing the guilt of the act in some form, which prompts a multitude of reactions and ensuing actions that all lead to one inexorable path. From intimidation tactics to bribery, this paints an ugly picture of the absence of ethics, morals, integrity, decency and everything else we wish to equate those sworn to uphold the law, instead illustrating a complete and utter exposure of a highly impaired security system, the alienating barriers of the caste system, the total disintegration of human worth, and the heaviness of a guilty conscious. We see all of these elements come together to cause utmost disharmony among everyone involved with the case, all the while with Prabha so seemingly calm and in routine life while actually battling the inner tempest of hurt, anger, and need for resolution that would end up involving thirteen years of her life. Yet, who says perseverance and standing strong for what’s right doesn’t pay off?
Having had the chance to meet lead actress Usha Jadhav, see her accept the Best Actress award, and then spend time talking with her during NYC SAFF’s closing night afterparty, I made sure to comment on the amazing depth of controlled, beautifully affecting, rawly effective, understated intensity she brought to the role of Prabha, a mother and local laundress to the community in which her and her son Nitin inhabit who then gets confronted with one of the most devastating circumstances a parent could–the death of her child. Crushed under the weight of despair she already feels, the situation is made worse when those responsible for her son’s death are allowed to get away with it, thanks to the horribly dishonorable decisions made by the two officers, a primary accomplice, a scared constable, and their higher-ups. Unwilling to allow the injustice to stand, no matter what odds she’s advised of, Prabha enters a thirteen year quest that ends up bringing the perpetrators to justice in a landmark ruling while finally being able to find some semblance of peace knowing her son is fully at rest. Throughout, Jadhav delivers such a quietly emotive but arrestingly powerful performance that demands attention and deserves award.
The primary supporting players here all turn in excellent performances as well, very much providing the needed gravity to the story’s already profoundly gripping premise. The actors playing the two primary officers who carried out the crime are so well enacted by them that you honestly hate the characters from the very start, instantly feeling that nagging sensation of anger at their self-important swagger and complete lack of conscious. Again, this is a testament to the actor’s abilities to be so believable in eliciting such response, at least for this critic. The pair playing Nitin and Suresh both bring their own levels of acute, well-acted poise to their characters, who serve as the main catalysts that kick off the story’s main focus, one of whom must face the music in a different way both while events are still developing and once they’ve reached their conclusion. Turns by those playing Prabha’s local and CBI lawyers, as well as the actress portraying the browbeaten constable all present solid, capable performances that accompany the action well.
In total, “Mai Ghat: Crime No. 103/2005” is one more illustration of the passion, dedication, respect for the art of filmmaking, and the fortitude to not hold back when presenting edgy but real, grounded, honest thematic elements for audiences to ingest and think about found in the independent film realms. More so in this case, may the film act as a further wake-up call to the world that there is much that needs to be altered for the better, but let it also be known that we should never back down in the face of adversity, because if we do, we let corruption thrive. Rather, in viewing Prabha’s story, and while we don’t wish any situation like this to occur to anyone, if it would happen, may we face it with that level of unrelenting tenacity in order to see truth prevail.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
