Gulaab... not laajawaab

Take the entry of Rajoo (Madhuri Dixit) at the Collectorate to make a demand on behalf of the locals for electricity- this after a prologue of our social short comings and you know that the film is pretentiously serious about the issue on hand and is thus very unlikely to offer any viable solution -assuming it is part of the script writers task. At the entertainment level it loses out on multiple factors even within the defined parameters of mainstream cinema. It makes a visible aborted attempt at duplicating the space created and occupied by Prakash Jha. The film advocates anarchy - justified at one end though obviously it is unjustifiable in a system governed (?) by the Rule of Law.

The story line is simple. In fact the story is a simple line. Rajjo deprived of education by step mother (cliché) has a thirst for education. Fast forward, she runs an ashram educating the girl child and empowering women. The place is obviously the platform for victims of social problems like rape, gender exploitation. Thus we have the murals of corruption: the brawn filled unruly local politician, the scheming suave urban politician, the erring son, the village belle who is a victim of rape, another of domestic violence, the corrupt policeman (oh! with what consummate ease they are repeatedly portrayed in our cinema!!) The battle lines are drawn: on the side of good is Rajoo and on the side of evil is the crafty politician Sumitra Devi (Juhi Chawla – in a very poorly etched character). Your guess is that surely good would win over evil- that is why cinema is more enduring than life!!

Here violence is not just everybody’s language, it is a creed. Every form of violence gets its screen space: economic, bureaucratic, political, social – all salutations to violence perceived as the universal language of communication. While sickles and sticks are at their busiest we have the pulpit justification on various grounds: violence being the midwife of a social order waiting to be born!!

What is irksome is that there is over simplification of the solution and a dulling of the evil by exaggeration. When a script gets pretentious like this, it does the cause singular harm. May be it is a call to suggest that when all the Khans, Kapoors and Kumars are flexing their muscle and toned bodies through the smoke of guns bombs , filth and dust, when they can be Gunday without an apology, why not the gals. Why should boys have all the fun!! The result is a non starter of a conflict between Madhuri and Juhi. In their prime they could have been a great clash. Even now. Sadly it goes awry. Why we have Juhi even state: ek hi zameen mein rehte hain par milna nahi hua. Unfortunately when they meet it is an anti climax.

Madhuri Dixit is surely more prim and propah than in her Dhak dhak karne laga days. But time, and oh! those lines it leaves on the face! Cinematographer Alphonse Roy who pictures the fictional Madhurpur so well, somewhere falters with the diva. Her acting, however, is top class and she gives the film its great chance and moments. In the emotive moments she shows that age has not tampered with her class. Juhi Chawla on the other hand looks gorgeous and with a style that many contemporary stars would do well to replicate but try as she does, she is no face of a scheming crafty politician. She looks too goody goody to translate evil - the mannerisms, the effort, notwithstanding.

The film is but yet another opportunity to whip up the politicians. It is getting too repetitive, predictable and insensitive.