Joy as sin

Abhishek Shahs debut feature Hellaro The Outburst has won the 66th National Award for Best Feature Film and Special Jury Mention for Best Actressmdashall the 12 key actresses It is believed to be the first Gujarati film to win the National Award for Best Film Ketan Mehtas debut feature Bhavni Bhavai apparently won the National Award for National Integration in 1981 and while his Mirch Masala won Best Feature Film in 1987 it was in Hindi In recent decades Gujarati cinema has scarcely been on the national radar until Gyan Correas The Good Road which won the National Award for Best Film in Gujarati in 2013mdashbut it was made by a GoanHellaro is a powerful and convincing debut feature despite its low budget Based on folklore it is set in an oppressively patriarchal village in the Rann of Kutch where the men enjoy themselves while their women are forbidden from leaving their homes unless it is to fetch water from a distant pond and they are frequently thrashed In 1975 Manjhri a lovely partly educated city girl moves to the village after marrying an Army man During a drought when men dance the garba to appease the goddess the women must fast at home and Manjhri questions traditionsOne day they save the life of Mulji a dholi drummer who had fallen unconscious in the desert by giving him water When he plays the drum the women cannot resist dancing the garba So new is this sensation of joy that the women are terrified they have sinned and will be punished Later when a villagers baby girl is born dead they feel guilty they caused its death but the mother clarifies it was because the father kicked her when she was pregnant Again they feel the goddess is punishing them with drought but Manjhri reasons A goddess need not come suddenly through a man to punish us she is always with us anyway and like our mother happy when we women are happyThe trek to fetch water is a precious me time for the women to bond in a space without men be themselves and enjoy dancing The dholi is a Harijan whose wife and daughter died when uppercaste men set fire to his hut His eyes are always modestly lowered and the women feel safe with him When the womens dance routine with the outsider is caught out each woman is thrashed by her husband and the films climax has a furious yet exhilarating outburst from the womenShahs direction though roughhewn is heartfelt convincing and powerfully feminist The acting by the ensemble cast led by Shraddha Dangar as Manjhri and Jayesh More as Mulji has a raw authenticity The screenplay and especially dialogues by Shah Prateek Gupta and Saumya Joshi astutely comment on the status of women in the context of patriarchy caste mythology and climate change Tribhuvan Babu Sadinenis cinematography is evocative and Prateek Guptas editing is competent Mehul Surtis wonderful folk music including singers such as Mooralala Marwada elevates the film and the choreography is lovely too It tells you something when the most joyous face in the village is that of the embroidererwidow Mudi who escapes to the city with a traderThe film tributes both Bhavni Bhavai and Mirch Masala and its oppressive setting maroons and blacks put me in mind of Govind Nihalanis Rukmavati ki Haveli a magnificent adaptation of Federico Garciacutea Lorcas The House of Bernarda Alba Finally Mulji also reminds me of BV Karanths National Awardwinning Chomana Dudi Chomas Drum Kannada also about an exploited Dalit drummerWhile Hellaro is unquestionably a good film far more sophisticated films in other languages were overlooked or deserved better at the National Awards for 2018 The film aims to do the festival circuit and get theatrical release in Gujarat in OctoberMeenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival National Awardwinning critic curator to festivals worldwide and journalist She can be reached on meenakshisheddegmailcomCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates