Like our day-to-day life -- a thriller move even as a work of fiction is a 'raw material' and not necessarily the finished product.
Ask the protagonists in Vadh-2 -- a latest Bollywood product starring Neena Gupta and Sanjay Mishra --- each one of them could have different plans to end the woes of their lives.
In fact, each may have different definitions too.
There are several Hindi films exploring the intersection of love, repentance, karma, and violence. But it is also a crime thriller and therein lies its strength. Vadh-2 directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu perhaps also underlines the importance of fate and how in the ultimate all of us have to 'reconcile' to realities.
Neena Gupta playing Manju --- says almost philosophically-- “Kya pata, ab toh inke beech rehna accha lagta hai. Kam se kam apne hisaab se toh jee rahi hoon (Who knows, maybe I actually enjoy being around the jail inmates now. I do not know what will I do with freedom... At least within four walls of jail; I am living life on my own terms".
It's not a meek surrender. It is a strong determination.
Her this statement is also like -- tell you stories about journalists.
Often we also do not know what to do with freedom. Should we be freelancers ...bloggers --- not sure enough how will one manage child's college fees.
Should we join one political party or the other and end up becoming -- Rajya Sabha MPs ... or some glorified typists somewhere ?
In the end one can say - 'apne hisab se jee toh rahan hoon'.
Later in Vadh-2; the story comes out -- Manju was jailed on a false charge of twin murder. The original culprit - a cop - Prakash Singh (played by Kumud Mishra) - as life would turn it - comes to the same prison where innocent Manju (Neena Gupta) is cooling her heels - aging ...frail but determined.
The film has other elements. The ominous and hydra-headed caste system.
The jailor Kumund Mishra (playing Prakash Singh) is touchy about 'jaat' so much that he even asks his official driver -- "Chauhan sahab ... kaisey Chauhan ho .... and the response is
"unchi wali sir".
Apparently happy to know that -- Prakash Singh tells his driver "Toh jaldi chalayiye".
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| Special investigator Ateet Singh (Amitt K Singh) |
The interaction between two police officers at the climax scene is also scripted ear-on-ground. As probe officer shows evidence that Prakash Singh had murdered someone and kept the body in the backyards of his official quarter; the casteist Prakash loses cool -
"Do you think I am an idiot to murder and keep the body behind my own quarter. Did you come to the police through quota (reservation)," says an angry Prakash Singh.
The cop's die-hard hatred for 'other castes' is one of the causes of problems in the film. Prakash Singh is shown in a reflective scene murdering his niece and her husband (of different caste) in rage.
Shambhunath Mishra slowly forms an unexpected, platonic bond with Manju as the two find themselves sharing long conversations and mutual understanding in the oppressive environment.
Protagonists Shambhunath (a jail constable - 59 and counting days for retirement) and Manju (Neena Gupta) highlights the power of Platonic love. At the end of the time, Shambhunath (Sanjya Mishra) -- even says "we have lived our time of tgetherness". Here love is not measured by the wed-lock or numbers of years together.
They are 'United by Shackles' -- when in jail (one in service and Manju as inmate). They talk about loneliness and count stars -- both from two sides of the wall. But they have fear of Freedom as they would be divided.
And when it comes to celebrating his birthday; Shambhunath passes a bottle of alcohol to Manju. And when it comes to sharing her part of the tale - she smiles mysteriously as nother inmate teases her saying Shambhunath is "ashiq" of Manju.
Is life so difficult and love so simple, so easy ?
There are shortcomings certainly.
The local MLA' brother goes missing from the prison. But the matter doesnot appear serious or sensitive.
The cops, more or less, don't seem to feel pressure about the whole incident; or perhaps they all feel relieved. Something must be missing in the plot nevertheless in an intriguing thriller.
ends
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