Part 3

(continued from part 2)
Satirical movies about politics are dime a dozen. Politically tinged, politically motivated and politically charged dialogues are just as many. Since the days of K.V.Reddy's "pedda manushulu", political villains have found steady stream of work in Telugu movie land. There were satires, sarcasms, caricatures, exaggerations, sly pokes, slight jabs at the system for long. The evil 'sarpanch', the corrupt 'party president', the crooked minister, the wily MLA - the political landscape in telugu movies has been populated with a variety of inept candidates. "chali cheemalu", "MLA aeDukonDalu", "lanchAvatAram", "pratidhwani", "prajAswAmyam", "vandaemAtaram", "kartavyam", "ASayam" ...and the list goes on. One thread runs common in the depiction of the system in all the above - mockery. There is never a closer introspection of the causes that created such a failed state, just a light-hearted (or in some cases, a heavy-handed) observation of the proceedings on display. ("rAskO double statement", "rAshtrAnainA raasistAnu kaanee", "paedalaki virALAlu kAvanDee, pArTeeki chandaalu"...) There was never any attempt at naming names and calling the game as what it is or neither any seriousness at depicting the fallout of the failed political process on the everyday life of the common man....until "pratighaTana". The movie does not hide behind subtleties and niceties. The references to the political and anti-social elements cannot be more direct. And the day in the life of the common man living under the constant threat to his safety and security at the hands of the unruly elements, is as miserable as it gets. "pratighaTana" doesn't waste its time satirizing the system, making thin veiled references and deal with the grave issues in a 'hit and run' manner. It takes the bull by the horns and confronts the system head on. It takes a sledgehammer and hits the nail right on the head and doesn't care about the ramifications. "nuvvaa bAbu, simenTu kumbhakONamlO kOTlu tinnaav. ninnO ganTa saepu aapaesinaa, daeSam O paDaeLLu munduku pOtundi" (an obvious reference to a famous industrialist who faced allegations of impropriety in Nagarjuna Sagar construction contracts) "aa guDiSelu aakraminchukunTae mimmalni maamoolu kaaSayya anaru, guDisela kaaSayya anTaaru" (a direct reference to the politician with a similar surname, caught in the land-grabbing controversy during that time). "Impotent intelligensia! asamardha maedhaavulu, ivaaLa mana jaateeya janDaa oka aaDadaani sigguni kaapaaDindi, bOlO swantratra bhaaratkee jai" (on the lackadaisical nature of the apathetic, yet highly opinionated and judgmental, middle class of the society).

"pratighaTana" wasn't about resistance, it was more of wakeup call, warning the society how worse it would get if there was no active participation or proper representation in the political process of the society. The year was 1986, and apparently nothing has changed much. Producing a movie of this caliber that does not hold back on all the implicit and explicit references call for a certain courage, and the ability to deflect any controversy that the movie was bound to court. That the movie was clearly aimed at a certain anti-social element (who later became an MLA) that held the city of Vijayawada in the grip of terror during the 80s, goes without saying. The movie, which was just a natural extension to the everyday news, exposes the unholy nexus between the anti-social elements and the political system ("tonDa mudiritae oosaravelli avutundi, rowDee mudiritae raajakeeya nayakuDu avutaaDu"), an alliance that had till then been transpiring behind the scenes, but during that period, burst out into the open and started operating like any legitimate business enterprise, without fear of any repercussions from the legal system. Since it became an open secret that both the administration and the opposition sides needed the help of the muscle to stake their grounds in the political arena, the responsibility of caring for and protecting the society fell on the feeble shoulders of the voiceless and powerless common man. Take out the dependencies in any man's life - family, security and status - take out the reason to live or care for, and every man can become formidable force to reckon with, ultimately remains the message of "pratighaTana". (along the lines of, 'The only thing to fear is fear itself' - FDR) The society can only be pushed and pushed so far into the corner, before it retaliates by taking matters into its own hands. Never before and never after has a movie as stark, real and hard-hitting, been produced, and coming from the stables of a newspaper man, Ramoji put his money where his angst was.

Social responsibility is a tough proposition to commit to, when it comes to investing money, in a predominantly entertainment media. People don't come to the movies to be preached, taught, educated or enlightened remains the standard escapist reply. The unprecedented success of "pratighaTana" clearly showed that it is the makers who are averse to risk, and not the audience who are very much willing to do their part for a well made movie. "pratighaTana" showed given enough gravity, enough honesty and enough sincerity in tackling a rampant issue (like rowdyism) that is plaguing the society, the audience would do their part by trading their daily dose of entertainment for a little eye-opening education. Buoyed by the response to "pratighaTana", Ushakiron unit steadfastly marched forward on the path of social awareness, as it wrestled to understand the motivation behind the creation and the propagation of another law and order social issue, the naxalite movement, in "People's Encounter". The stories for such movies "pratighaTana", "People's Encounter", straight from the headlines of news stories, would practically write themselves without the aid of any phony dramatization in the process. There are human stories. These are human experiences. This is everyday life in the battleground of the country. While some are fought in the street corners and the town squares, some occur in the deep forests far from the conveniences of the civilization. In a way, "People's Encounter" is just a logical extension (a sequel) to "pratighaTana". While "pratighaTana" portrays the desperate actions of the weaklings when confronted with lawless nature of the society, "People's Encounter" voices the concerns of the downtrodden, who are suppressed and trampled under the collective greed of the same society. In the end, both movies are about taking matters in one's own hands, both movies are about rebelling against existing social order. It is a struggle for existence against the survival of the fittest.

"People's Encounter" tries to find a workable solution for the armed struggle movement, by trying to understand the root cause of the issue, than just skim the surface and propose a superficial solution at the end. If the institution that was created for the purpose of the security and protection of the society, doesn't come to the aid of a segment of population that is being exploited socially and economically by groups motivated by self-interest and self-preservation, what options are the suppressed left with, other than picking up the arms and protecting themselves? On the other hand, what of the foot soldiers of the police force who walk into the cross-hairs of the explosive frustrations of the exploited, and lose their lives discharging their duties entrusted to them by the same society? And finally, what of the society, that is caught in the crossfire between two sections of its own being, one, standing for law, and the other, fighting for justice? Ultimately, there are no victors here, only victims. Every side has its own two sides of the story to share, but the sad fact remains that no one is listening. Problems like these are systemic and dialogue is the only way out, however slow, partial and unsatisfying the results are, most of the times. The fact that bullets may deliver instant justice, but can never leave a long-lasting impact (and that goes for both the sides), remains the appeal of the aptly titled "People's Encounter" (as, caught in the middle, the society stands to lose more than the really desperate, on one side, and the really resolute, on the other). Movies need not provide satisfying solutions to complex social issues. But they should never shy away from reflecting the human condition and commenting on the state of the society. In siding with the contemporary causes and producing movies that are socially relevant, aesthetically poignant and culturally important, Ushakiron managed to aspire to the ultimate aim of any art form - to raise awareness and cause public dialogue.

continued in the next part

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