Worker versus Worker. Review on Aghaat

The 18th century gave rise to the Industrial revolution and life was never the same again. The process of mechanization of industries created opportunities, employment and brought to life a new world – one built on pragmatism and rationality. The old system was not only challenged but was also banished to its nadir. But like all revolutions before and hence, the revolution also brought with it a new tribe of villains. The divine right of the king was replaced by the divine right of the merchant. Life for the worker was more miserable than that of a street dog and money was the new god of the world. Looking at the plight of the workers in the early 19th century and moved by their inhuman exploitation by those who had access to wealth and power, Karl Marx proclaimed, “Workers of the world unite and fight for the rights of your wife and children”.

Like all other great philosophers before and after him, he too had a dream. His were the dreams of a world wherein there would be no class differences, where the word exploitation would be unheard of, where justice and fair play would be the leitmotif of the world.

That was not to be and today the ideal lies in the dustbin of history, forsaken by its greatest proponents and defiled by its adherents. Rightly so, for unfortunately though the Communist world was equal, there were a few in that world who were more equal than the others and in that respect it mimicked the system it planned to overthrow.

What would have been Marx’ reactions had he known the reasons behind his sound defeat? Would he have been as forgiving had he known that his dream was destroyed not by the forces of imperialism and colonialism but his own pet dream – communism? Would he have forgiven those, among his ranks who bartered his dreams of equality for unfettered authority? What would he have done had he witnessed the division in his own ranks? He would have never thought that one day, those workers who were themselves victim of an exploitative system would one day become a stooge of that very system and exploit their own brethren in the name of unionism and socialism.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely. This was the main point behind the brilliant ‘Aghaat’. Also, the power politics of domination, the barter of ideals on the alter of realpolitik, the slow murder of the founding principles of socialism and the silent prostitution of the union was never depicted in a more powerful and stark manner then in this movie, which remains to date deservedly one of the best movies on labour politics.

Om Puri as the idealistic union leader who has left a cosy existence to fight a war for social awakening and who unwillingly becomes a major pawn in the games of power and authority is brilliant. Through his eyes, the slow rape of ideals in the modern world can be observed in stark detail. Whenever he bows to the dictate of his power-at-any-cost comrades, somewhere within him, an ideal is killed and we, as the audience, are witness to this cold-blooded murder. The scene, where he’s forced to move against the principles of justice and fair play, only to enhance the standing of his union and maintain the balance of power in his hands is a scene worth watching for the sheer portrayal of a man forced to carry out an action against his will. The greatness of the character lies in the fact that the director proves him to be a man with chauvinistic prejudices also, which is well portrayed in a scene wherein he defends two convicted thieves just because they happen to be workers and sends an innocent, unfortunate woman to the gallows only because she happens to be a part of the management. Only an actor of the calibre of Om could have done this role and Om redeems proves himself yet again.

Gopi as the gangster-turned-union leader, Krishnan – the representative of a class of people who use the emotions of the workers for their own benefits and create an artificial third party on the strength of money and muscle power is outstanding. Right from the beginning to the end, Gopi dominates in every scene and you can feel the fear and terror he exudes by simply being there. The funeral scene of Chhotelal is one, which no student of philosophy or cinema should miss, as this one scene by itself lifts this movie to the status of a classic. The actor uses effectively his eyes and the expressions on his face to convey a power more menacing, a terror more felt than seen and a fury waiting to claim a victim and therein lies the success of the characterization.

Caught between the two stalwarts, Pankaj Kapoor impresses in the role of a worker who loses his limbs and then his life and becomes a tool for show of power between the two unions and the management. See his performance as the paraplegic and you will feel the pain of one who has lost his life forever. One of his scenes that deserve special mention is the scene where he tries to get sexual with his wife and then is suddenly reminded of his inability and handicap. His eyes speak volumes in that one scene and you cannot but feel empathy for the person who has lost everything – including his self-esteem and self- respect.

Deepa Sahi as the long-suffering silent wife of Pankaj gives a tour-de-force performance – one that is reminiscent of a common man who can do nothing but watch as his life is torn apart and his parts hacked and sold apiece. In a story, where every player is trying to win over power and authority, Deepa impresses with a low-key restrained performance that is formidable.

K K Raina as the conscientious management guy also impresses with a performance that is genuinely from the heart. In his own way, the actor portrays the helplessness of a man caught between his feelings and his job. A low-key performance, the scene where he tries to save Rohini from union politics is a highpoint in the film.

Among others, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Rohini Hattangadi, Harish Patel all impress with a performance that is perfectly in sync with the storyline. Amrish Puri, as an ideologue of worker suzerainty, impresses in his performance as the voice of idealism in a degenerating scenario.

Naseeruddin Shah is brilliant in a cameo performance as the formidable Rustom Patel, although I personally feel he should have been given more footage in the movie. As it is, although he impresses, the general feeling remains that he has been underutilized.

Govind Nihalani comes up trumps with yet another brilliant movie on the going-on of the unions. As a director, Aghaat marks another feather in the director’s career. A director’s greatness lies in making a cinematic statement out of a stark reality and Govind does it with panache. The strength of the director lies in his casting – each and every actor suits his role to a tee. Not only performance wise, but also in the execution of the storyline, the director shows a gutsy faithfulness to the actual novel by the great Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar. Equally breathtaking is the director’s subtle use of metaphors to convey the paucity of righteousness in the world of unions – look at the way he has used the funeral procession as the venue for showing off political might and the hospital as the venue for mindgames and you now you are in the company of a director who knows his job well and is not dependant on second assistants to carry out his job for him.

Watch the movie, if you interested in watching movies that speak the truth but then watch out for the truth most of the times is unpalatable.