Flawed, yet hard-hitting

This is serious work – not really a piece of art. Looks as if Nagesh Kukunoor was set out to document rape, flesh trade and response from the legal system. He sticks to his task and divests the film of any trappings of ‘entertainment’ as commonly perceived. Given his scribble on FB, it is clear that ‘Lakshmi’ is a subject near to his heart and he is unwilling to make any compromises. He is not celebrating the social evil. He is deriding it in no uncertain terms. He is bang on and is working hard to keep the voyeurist away, though one would wonder if the language employed was to create a ripple or repulsion.

The story is all too known. A young, poor girl, daughter of an alcoholic dad is first raped by the local feudal landlord (Satish Kaushik), with the help of the pimp (a laboured – Nagesh Kukunoor) and then lands up in a brothel – run by the feudal lord and managed by Madam (Shefali Shah). After futile attempts, the protagonist Lakshmi (Monali Thakur) gives in but is always making abortive attempts to run away. A sting operation leads to a criminal case where the lawyer (Ram Kapoor) with withdrawal symptoms decides to take on the paedophile and his abettors. Nothing new or fresh in the tale! It is the treatment. Frankly it is honest bordering on gory. Some scenes like the one after the rape and the detailing of her first experiences as a prostitute are perhaps not meant even for adults – and this includes the scene where the pimp beats up Lakshmi and the sores on her legs are unbearable.

One gets the distinct feeling that Nagesh has decisively chosen to be crude and eschew cinematic niceties in telling the tale of human suffering. As the pimp he invests in himself as an important character. As a skilful filmmaker he would have done good by trusting another actor - Ram Kapoor, Bade Achche Lagte Hai!! Monali Thakur in the central character as Lakshmi fails. To begin with her wig (a la – La Tagore) is an eye sore!! She fails to translate the suffering and trauma of the victim. Watch the film for the brilliance of Shefali Shah. Where is she? Why is Hindi cinema (and TV) audience deprived of such brilliant talent? Watch the film, if you are gutsy and willing to understand how wolves travel in the garb of men.

‘Lakshmi’ is not a film. It is a cause. Do see it, support it. Kudos Nagesh – great cause. May be not a great film – may be a very disturbing tale to tell at the movies – but none the less it was required to be told and told in a manner as chosen. - LRC