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MUMBAI: Naxalism as a theme has rarely been tackled in Hindi cinema, and even when it has, the movies that stand out can literally be counted on your fingers of one hand. Aakrosh, Tango Charlie, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, and Chakravyuh are probably the only ones that can be fondly reminisced. Well, it's safe to say that another title has joined them, with Director Sudipto Sen's Bastar the Naxal Story taking a hard, uncompromising, unflinching, undiluted look at maoist activities in the Indian heartland, pitting a raging Adah Sharma against the deep, dark, disturbing underbelly of that world, which we all like to comment on, but none of us want to stick our finger in.
As the title suggests, the plot revolves around maoism in the Bastar district of Chattisgarh, where I.P.S Neerja Mathur (Adah Sharma) is stationed as the chief officer responsible for wiping the region clean of naxalism and ridding the surrounding villages of its menace.
This aspect of the film is set up pretty well by Director Sen and his co-writers, Amarnath Jha and Vipul Amrutlal Shah (also the producer). It pays rich dividends that the entire cast both major and minor players are up to the task, led with gravitas and intensity by Adah Sharma while the usually dependable Indira Tiwari once again stands out among the supporting players. Technically, Ragul Dharuman's camerawork, too, adds heft to the narrative while Bishakh Jyoti's background score is sufficiently serviceable to the theme.
Where Bastar the Naxal Story falters is in Sudipto Sen's over-ambition of non-linear narratives and too many characters, making the screenplay convoluted and crowded. Additionally, the pace slows down to a crawl for around a good 40-50 minutes during the first half, which does the audience no favors, especially the kind who isn't used to non-flashy art films. Both Sen and editor Dev Rao Jadhav need to equally cop blame for this. Also, some of those over-crowded characters are burdened with incomplete arcs or weak backstories, which further hold back a film that was moving along quite well on the merit of its main plot alone.
All that being said, Bastar is still a worthy trip to the theaters for those interested in a brooding, hard-hitting, deeply insightful look at one of the darkest chapters in recent Indian history.
3/5 stars
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