Bhakshak: A Hard-Hitting Saga That Makes Pertinent Points On The Power Of Real Journalism

‘Bhakshak’ is not everyone’s cup of tea but it is a must-watch for those who like gritty dramas based on real-life incidents.
  • Main Cast: Bhumi Pednekar, Sanjay Mishra, Sai Tamhankar, Aditya Srivastava, and Surya Sharma
  • Director: Pulkit
  • Producer: Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma
  • Music Director: Anurag Saikia and Anuj Garg
  • Cinematography: Kumar Sourabh
  • Rating: 3.5
  • Published in: Southfirst

Directed by Pulkit and written by Jyotsana Nath Pulkit, Bhakshak is based on the horrific incidents reported in a shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

Several girls were sexually abused in the shelter home run by a politician.

Real-life incidents always make for a gripping cinema, provided they are well-directed. Thankfully, the director along with the writer, has done a brilliant job of keeping the viewers engaged.

The film does meander at places, and there was no real need for the songs. But still, all said and done, Bhakshak is a must-watch.

Synopsis

Bhumi Pednekar in a still from ‘Bhakshak’. (X)

Vaishali Singh (Bhumi Pednekar ) is a small-time independent journalist who runs a news channel called “Koshish“. In simple terms, the movie is about her attempts to bring forth the reality of Munnawarpur shelter home.

The man running this shelter home is also a journalist named Bansi Sahu (Aditya Srivastava). Bansi Sahu has strong political connections and has zero remorse about his activities.

So, it becomes an uphill task for Vaishali and her colleague Baskar Sinha (Sanjay Mishra) to expose the truth.

Authentic sans melodrama

‘Bhakshak’ is a thriller that revolves around child sexual abuse. (X)

Director Pulkit does not waste any time in setting up the plot.

Bhakshak starts on a disturbing note that sets the base for the drama to follow.

A strong aspect of the film is how the director shows the struggle of Vaishali in digging for the truth. She faces challenges in both her professional and personal life.

We see Vaishali constantly going out for long hours and this results in problems with her husband (Surya Sharma), who is shown to be frustrated with the erratic timings of his wife.

Additionally, the in-laws feel that Vaishali should soon become a mother.

There are showdowns between the husband and wife. Many working women would relate to Vaishali’s struggles.

The sexual exploitation done in the shelter home has also been portrayed with the required sensitivity. A section of viewers are sure to feel highly emotional.

The director also deserves credit for not taking the melodramatic route and exaggerating scenes for the cause of the effect because the nature of crime is disturbing in itself.

Director Pulkit also deserves credit for how he has portrayed journalism and Journalists.

There is not a single scene of journalists screaming in front of the cinema in a filmy manner. He keeps it authentic.

Pulkit also takes digs at the section of people who unquestioningly believe in WhatsApp forwards.

However, at certain places, the film loses grip with some repetitive writing. The songs are not needed. For example, the song towards the climax.

Mesmerising performances

Aditya Srivastava in ‘Bhakshak’. (X)

Apart from the strong writing. Bhakshak also scores big on the performance front.

Bhumi Pednekar aces her part of a fearless journalist. She does a perfect job of showcasing the mannerisms, and her dialect is also praiseworthy.

Sanjay Mishra is wonderful. He brings in the much-required humour in certain situations. His rapport with Bhumi’s Vaishali is a delight to watch.

Aditya Srivastava makes for a truly despicable villain. The actor makes the viewers hate Bansi Sahu with just his facial expressions. Sai Tamhankar, as SSP Jasmeet Kaut, plays an important role. She brings in a certain gravitas.

Verdict

Bhakshak is the perfect example of how to make a hard-hitting drama. Do take time for it. The film is streaming on Netflix.

(Views expressed here personal.)

Darlings: Watch This Domestic Noir For The Acting Performances And The Message

Jasmeet K Rheen’s Darlings is a domestic noir filled with elements of a dark comedy and thriller. It is a difficult genre to crack for any director let alone a debutant. The rough edges are very much visible but there is no denying that Jasmeet makes some important points on domestic abuse, most importantly it doesn’t paint all men as monsters. It is also a delight to watch the ensemble cast of Alia Bhatt, Shefali Shah, Vijay Varma and Roshan Mathew. Alia has co produced this film under the banner of Eternal Sunshine productions.

The story of Darlings is set in a lower middle-class Muslim dominated neighbourhood. Badrunisaa (aka Badru) played by Alia Bhatt is a  woman who is married to an abusive man Hamza (Vijay Varma). Badru represents those housewives that put up with abuse in hope that the husband will change one day. Shefali Shah plays Badru’s mother Shamshunisaa. Shamshunisaa is a more practical woman who knows that Hamza is never going to change, the reason being she has had her own share of domestic abuse in the hands of her deceased husband. She constantly advises Badru to leave Hamza but Badru is admant that her husband will change. The fourth key character is Zulfi (Roshan Mathew). He is the antithesis to the violent Hamza. He is an aspiring screenplay writer who also sells household appliances for a living. Zulfi also serves a solo delivery boy for the dabba service of Shamshu. Coming back to the marriage of Badru and Hamza, a certain incident happens, which leaves Badru with no option, other than to make Hamza pay for his sins with the help of her mother. These plans lead to several risky situations. The dark humour is generated out of the outlandish situations that arise out of these plans.

Jasmeet K Rheen does a wonderful job in setting up the world of Badru and Shamshu. Both these women are as different as chalk and cheese, this makes the dynamics between the two more interesting.

The bustling chawl where the film takes place plays out as a character in itself. The scenes leading up to the domestic violence is filled with a sense of dread that makes you uncomfortable.

Jasmeet also does a good job in addressing the unequal power structure of marriage. This comes out brilliantly in a scene  of police station where Shefali Shah says that world may have changed for those on twitter and facebook but not for them.

The biggest pleasure of watching Darlings lies in watching the scenes between Shefali Shah and Alia. There is a constant tussle happening throughout between the mother and daughter. This leads to many entertaining moments.

Out of the two Shefali Shah has the more fleshed role and not surprisingly the actress does a stellar job. She pulls off her quirky character with ease, and is the source of comic relief in many scenes. Alia as Badru starts off this as this submissive wife and it takes some time for Badru to transform. The transition could have better etched out but it is to the credit of the actress that she sells it. Alia plays the character with complete conviction and wholeheartedly embraces all the contradictions of Badru. Alia is particularly impressive in the climax scene. Vijay Varma makes for a terrific psychopath. He effortlessly switches from a loving husband to a violent demon within a matter of second. Lastly Roshan Mathew is also charming as the loving Zulfi. His scenes with the mother and daughter do bring a smile on your face.

Darlings falters when the director starts mixing elements of dark comedy with thriller. The situations in the second half lack plausibility factor even within the outlandish situation. Badru tying Hamza with dupatta and constantly giving him sleeping pills is too farfetched. The policemen led by Vijay Maurya come across as bumbling fools.

Another major problem is that director Jasmeet takes way too much time for Badru to finally come to a decision. This indecisiveness of Badru till the last moment makes it hard for the audiences to root for her character in entirety.

All said and done, Jasmeet addresses the different dynamics in an abusive marriage, but mixing of elements needed to better. A more matured director was the need of the hour.