Go get bitten. Review on Dansh

We saw the trailer of Dansh when we went to watch some other movie and decided it was a must watch. Not only have we been huge fans of Sonali Kulkarni and more recently Kay Kay, it seemed like an interesting theme. The trailer screamed “art-house cinema” and we were floored when we didn’t get the tickets one evening. It was a holiday and the multiplex crowd didn’t want to go back without watching SOMETHING!

So, No Entry and Iqbal getting full, Dansh had its share of full house! But, diligent movie lovers that we are, we found ourselves back at the theatre the very next day. This time as expected there were a total of 15 people in the hall. Now for the movie itself…

It starts with the struggle in the ignored state of Mizoram, where disillusioned by the step sisterly treatment, the people of the state, in form of Mizo National Front (MNF) fight for a separate Mizo nation. It’s a time of strife, of mistrust, of despair and the desperation coming from it. The MNF for a short period manages to overthrow the Indian government, but is no match in front of the Indian forces in full strength.

After this, the attacks and retaliation never seems to stop… Till the time when MNF decides to sign a Peace Treaty with the Indian Government and will form its own state government with the ruling party.

In come our main protagonists, Maria, (Sonali Kulkarni) and her husband Mathew, (Kay Kay), both active soldiers of the MNF. Mathew is the spokesperson and the second-in-command of MNF, who believes in peace and better future through the Peace Treaty. Maria, though agrees with the peace treaty, doesn’t believe in it completely and feels that it is an insult to the sacrifices made by the MNF soldiers. There is a constant ideological struggle between the two of them, an alternate of joy and a sense of lost cause, of hope and despair. In this situation a very senior comrade of MNF kills himself as a protest against the treaty, clouding the positive feeling all over again.

Maria, apart from her VERY strong belief in the social cause, has been through a lot of personal trauma. During the Indian Army attack on MNF, she has been a Prisoner of War and to save Mathew, she has undergone tremendous amount of torture. She has been repeatedly beaten, tied and raped, over and over again. And as much as she tries, she cannot forget the hurt, the insults, and the mental and bodily harm she has suffered.

In a chance meeting, a doctor, originally a native of Mizoram, now settled in Mumbai, tries to save a child’s life on his trip back home. Mathew thankful to him, invites him home for a drink. They talk about the old times, of whether the doctor will come back to his hometown considering changed circumstances etc.

Maria, till this time is sleeping and going through her nightmares that time still hasn’t been to heal for her and suddenly she hears the Doctor’s voice. It violently brings back the ugly memories that she has tried to push away. The Doctor’s voice is exactly like the doctor in the Indian Army camp who had raped her mercilessly under the garb of treating her. She has never seen this man because she would always be blindfolded before he came for his regular visit. The rage and nausea that take over her at the realization that he is the same man is one of the strongest scenes in the movie.

While Mathew is sleeping, she knocks the Doctor unconscious and ties him up to the chair wanting to go for her kill. Just in time, Mathew wakes up, and tries to reason with Maria. He asks her “How can you be sure he is the same man, when you haven’t EVER seen him?”. The doctor vehemently denies every accusation that Maria throws at him.

Is he the same man? Does he survive? Does Maria come to a stage where she is ready to be healed? What happens to Mathew and his tug-of-war between his social and personal responsibility? For all these questions, you HAVE to watch the movie… Performances by the all 3 lead characters (Sonali, Kay Kay and Aditya Srivastava) are very finally etched and perfectly executed.

Their angst, anger, helplessness… every feeling has found an expression with each of these actors. If you want to watch a gripping movie that makes sense… go get bitten… experience Dansh…