Aarakshan - Movie Review
Published: December 11, 2011
Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpai, Deepika Padukone, Prateik
A dramatized intellectual debate about a hot-button social/political issue—caste-based reservations in education and employment (affirmative action, as it's called in the U.S.)—not an easy project to attempt, but director Prakash Jha turns out a powerful, personalized narrative.
In his best role in years, maybe decades, film legend Amitabh Bachchan plays Prabhakar Anand, a principled college principal caught in the middle of this issue. No one gives thundering speeches better than Bachchan, and he has the floor throughout the film—lecturing the student body, dressing down colleagues, and arguing with his wife and daughter—all about right and wrong.
The film is extremely balanced in its presentation of all viewpoints. There is no question that the reservation system is unfair to some, and in the film, a high-caste student with decent grades fails to get into college because of it. Prabhakar's daughter, Poorbi (Deepika Padukone), a student at the college, and her friend, Sushant, (Prateik), are outraged by it, and they clash with Poorbi's boyfriend, Deepak (Saif Ali Khan), a low-caste student who defends the system, as he himself is an example of how a person with no advantages can excel academically if given the chance.
The film comes to one clear conclusion, however—the reservation system, and its accompanying unfairnesses, would not be necessary if academia were really merit-based. Rich, well-connected students pull strings and even bribe college administrators to get into whatever school they want. At the very least, the wealthy can afford expensive private education coaching—which is very common in India—to give them an advantage. The film's villain, Mithilesh (played by the outstanding Manoj Bajpai), is the vice principal under Prabhakar, and he doesn't regard teaching as a sacred vocation, but as an opportunity to get rich through his private coaching centers.
Prabhakar's only concern is providing all students, regardless of caste, with the best instruction and equal access to academic opportunities, but he believes it's up to high-minded people like him to make the system fair. Unfortunately, his idealism doesn't jibe with reality, and his charitableness is challenged. Charity is a tricky, complicated issue, and the film has some fascinating, difficult things to say about it.
Prabhakar eventually becomes the victim of gross unfairness himself, at the hands of Mithilesh. It's meant to incense the audience about injustice and it does so with galling effect. But more importantly, Prabhakar's downfall is crucial to his evolution. Even as noble as he is, he is not perfect and he has some important lessons to learn—and he's severely tested. The way he reacts—by relinquishing the condescension in his beneficence—makes him truly heroic.
The development of the other characters is also superb. All of them engagingly grow, especially Deepak, the film's other hero. The character is a man coming into his own, his emerging sense of self brushing aside a remnant of tentativeness, portrayed by an actor simultaneously doing the same. Khan impressively holds his own with a giant like Bachchan, but he wisely doesn't try to upstage someone who cannot be upstaged.
The casting of Khan in the role of a low-caste man is brilliant. In real-life, Khan is a nawab, an Indian prince, and seeing a person of royalty suffering the injustices inflicted on someone with no stature is meant to be disorienting to the audience, and it drives home the point that social standing is an accident of birth, not a birthright.
Deepak's romance with Poorbi is a very minor subplot that nonetheless provides the main story with some important connective tissue. As they did in Love Aaj Kal (2009), Khan and Padukone click.
Aarakshan is rated Must See.
Community - News - Reviews - Commentary - About
