Chakravyuh Review

Chakravuyh:

Prakas Jha has in the past revealed the panache to deal with the underbelly of society. Sooner than later he was bound to deal with the Marxist movement in India. What better way to describe the state of the movement than the battle formation with a challenged exit point. Our mainstream cinema and to a large extent even the midstream has stayed away from the movement. Tapan Da’s Sagina Nihlani’s Drohkaal being some rare exceptions.
To that extent Jha takes a road less travelled. Not since Nihlani’s Drohkaal has the police – Naxal conflict been canned with so much punch and conviction. PJ has renewed ties with his cinema after a while. The subject isn’t strictly populist or popular. So isn’t the treatment. Buoyed by a philosophy that is bloody, convincing, compelling and romantic if errant, it is countenanced by a systemic force, that may be characterised by dare devilry but has surely lost a tad of its credibility. This conflict is wonderfully narrated assisted by some top class Editing (Santosh Mandal) and Screenplay (Anjum Rajabali, Prakash Jha, Sagar Pandya) and engrossing Cinematography.
There are moments when the narration is a riveting docu-drama that mocks the fragile façade of India shining. It is a shooter that should wake up the Montek Singhs and the other M Singhs.
Adil Khan (Arjun Rampal), Rhea (Esha Gupta) and Kabir (Abhay Deol) are colleagues at the Police Academy. While the two graduate and are senior officers, the rebel without cause Kabir is thrown out of the academy. Years later they meet at a reunion. The old chemistry is rekindled. Adil has a huge career challenge ahead of him and is called for an operation to deal with the Naxalite problem. Govind Suryavansi (Om Puri) is arrested and charged of multiple killings. The next targets include the enigmatic Rajan (Manoj Bajpayee) and the daring Juhi (Anjali Patil). Kabir hits about a plan of paying the undercover. He decides to join the Naxal movement and become the informer – obviously inspired by Becket and Namak Haram. The experience follows the same fate. The Naxals are immediately fighting the establishment of an industry in the tribal area of Nandighat by the business tycoon Mahanta (Kabir Bedi). On the one hand the police are fighting to contain the growing influence of the Naxalites – euphemistically referred to as the Naxal menace and parallel is the growth of the movement against a system that swings between excess and indifference. Kabir who comes to spy stays back to lead. The transformation (metamorphosis) is complete, compelling and sucks straight into the dilemma so magnificently shot hitherto by Hrishida (Namak Haram). In a way Chakravyuh is a Jha take on Namak Haram – only more contemporary, more punch filled, more committed to the cause than the emotional aspect, raw and short of mind boggling. This modern day Becket depicts Naxal violence as the optionless response of an India engulfed in poverty and exploitation. This is not the Marx-Mahatma perspective. In fact it is a reflection of that dream gone sour, it is a paradoxical Gandhi with the Gun tale as stated by a character in the film.
On the one hand the film makes for compulsive viewing thanks largely to the honest script and the daring take by the film maker. On the other the cast gives the film a pedestal credibility. You are left with the feel that Jha should have used his fav Devgn in the lead, but to the credit of Arjun Rampal he has done his job. He has done his best. He is adequate. Manoj delivers sans the customary mannerisms thanks largely to the fact that the characters are etched in reality. Om Puri is his usual self. Esha Gupta too delivers without much ado. Anjali Patil has a rawness that reminds you of the likes of Nandita Das and Smita Patil. Abhay Deol yet again reiterates that he is actor with not just a sense of script and story but with a matching sense to translate a narration with just the poise and drama required. He seeps into the role with customary ease and makes the film worth viewing.
Dissidence is a plaque constantly polished to shine in a democracy. Systemic violence is a myopia. Constitutionalism is the guaranteed anti dote. Those living in the margin are bound to trek the rough terrain. It is redeeming that mainstream entertainment has time and space for the voice that is in the wilderness and heard only in the midst of the echoes of guns and other missiles. Hats off Prakash Jha for a wonderful cinematic experience turned important social document.
L. Ravichander.