The lightning of conscience. Review on Damini

In my review of Insaaf Ka Taraazu, I had asserted that rape is that heinous crime in which the culprit escapes punishment due to the social structure as well as the law being heavily tilted in his favour and the victim, i.e., the raped woman has no option but to swallow her tears and live her life with the unhealable wounds on her heart and soul. Mostly, such cases are either not registered or aborted before reaching the court. And even when any such case reaches the court of justice, the defendant's lawyer takes the advantage of the legal loopholes and saves his client for whom the acquittal proves to be a moral booster to repeat the crime with someone else. I am immensely thankful to esteemed MS member, Deepa Swaminathan (@deepa.s) for inspiring me to pen a review on this movie which deals with this issue with utmost gravity and sincerity.

There is one apex court above all the worldly courts, the court of conscience which no criminal or anybody aiding and abetting him, can escape. Where all the worldly courts fail in their job, the court of conscience takes the charge. Though in today's world, hardcore criminals have buried their conscience also deep down the earth, never allowing it to surface again; nevertheless conscience plays its role at least for those who are not tainted themselves but don't raise their voice due to the fear of social obloquy or blood relations with the culprits. This fact is emphatchandru021y brought to fore in the climax of Damini (lightning).

Damini (1993) starts with the love of Rishi Kapoor as Shekhar and Meenakshi Sheshadri being in the title role. Shekhar is the eldest son of a rich business family whereas Damini is from an ordinary family. Damini who is trying to adjust herself to the hostile environment in the family is stunned to see the maid being raped by her brother-in-law and his friends. She could not save her honour but then she makes up her mind to make her get justice. Quite naturally, she finds herself all alone in this compaign with all her in-laws going against her and her loving husband preferring to be the silent spectator to their activities in the name of the family's honour.

Situation turns from bad to worse for Damini when the maid is killed in the hospital, the crooked lawyer (Amrish Puri) hired by her in-laws proves her as insane in the court so that her testimony is not taken into cognizance by the court and even the sympathetic police inspector (Vijayendra Ghaatge) also proves himself to be greedy of tangible beneifts instead of doing his duty diligently to ensure justice to the victim. Imprisoned in an asylum, everything seems to be bleak for Damini. But when she is able to escape from it, fortune makes her cross path with another dRajeev_Vermarate person - Govind (Sunny Deol) who, despite being a laywer, could not get justice when his wife was killed in a hit and run accident and is now trying to find solace in alchohol. In Damini's relentless quest for justice, Govind also gets a purpose for living. However since the criminals are too strong to allow any evidence against them to survive, finally justice is ensured when the slept conscience of Shekhar awakens and the failure of worldly court is overshadowed by the victory of the court of Shekhar's conscience.

A hard-hitting movie, Damini is thoroughly impressive and keeps the viewer hooked throughout. It's an intense movie with only the songs providing some relief in between. The biggest credit for making this movie a success goes to its director - Rajkumar Santoshi who has rendered utmost reality to the narrative sans the court-room scenes (Rajeev_Vermacially those involving Sunny Deol). The theatricals in the court-room are the only unreal thing shown in the movie because nowhere in India (and the world too), such kind of rhetoric and shouting is allowed by the judges. Otherwise, the A class direction of Santoshi has kept the narrative not only engrossing but also hitting the conscience of the viewers at the appropriate places with the appropriate force. Santoshi has crafted each and every scene with the finesse of a devoted artist. A very well made movie indeed.

Rajkumar Santoshi is said to have been in love with the Niharika24, Meenakshi Sheshadri (who is said to have turned down his proposal). May be due to this personal reason or otherwise, Santoshi gave her the role of a lifetime and she excelled in that like anything. Putting it straight, it's her movie only. Obese Rishi Kapoor alongwith Amrish Puri and the supporting cast has done well. But it's Sunny Deol who remains with the audience after the movie is over. His over-the-top but very very effective performance made him win the national award for the best supporting actor and his dialogues are still remembered by the people. He is brilliant not only in action and dialogue-delivery but also in expressing his anguish and frustration through his gestures.

Technchandru021y the movie is A class. The length is quite ok and the production value is high. Dialogues (despite the rhetoric and the over-dramatic tone) are just like hitting the nail right on its head. Nadeem-Shravan's music is good with the beautiful lyrics having been penned by Sameer.

The movie conveys a message to the married women through the character of Damini. In Indian social system, the married woman is expected to echo her husband's voice only and keep the prestige of the house of her in-laws, i.e., her Sasuraal above everything (even when that prestige is false and hollow). Should educated women follow this suit only without paying any attention to their wisdom and conscience ? The movie answers in the negative through Damini. If women do not support the cause of justice for the women, then who else will do ? Supporting the criminal relatives is itself a crime against the society and the humanity.

I recommend this socially relevant and eye-opening movie to all those who like meaningful cinema and who believe that the voice of one's conscience cannot be suppressed or ignored forever.