Review of Satyagraha (2013) by Reini U — 11 Sep 2013

Mahatma Gandhi pioneered the satyagraha movement, a nonviolent form of civil resistance that uses truth as the ultimate force against all types of unjust. And filmmaker Prakash Jha has adopted this sheer idea to narrate a social commentary on corruption, in his latest political drama Satyagraha. The design is well intended, has all the heart and tries to delve into the weighty issue of corruption, but Jha's execution is so childishly preachy that it derails from the truth which it thinks it is actually advocating.

The film is about a retired government school principal, Dwarka Anand 'Dadu' (Amitabh Bachchan), and his revolt on the corrupt system and its officials. Dwarka Anand has a Gandhi-like persona and spends his retired life teaching underprivileged children. He crosses path with his son's friend Manav (Ajay Devgn), a money minded entrepreneur, who tips influential people and keeps them on his side. Both of them have conflicting views but a tragic accident brings them close and they bond together to raise their voices on behalf of the mistreated and the unfortunate victims of the system.

Now Dwarka Anand and Manav, assisted by local leader Arjun (Arjun Rampal) and journalist Yashmin (Kareena Kapoor) spark a civil movement against the authority of a sly politician named Balram Singh (Manoj Bajpayee).

Prakash Jha packs his story with India's ongoing struggle with corruption and rural development. The character of Amitabh Bachchan is heavily inspired by Anna Hazare, who started an indefinite hunger strike to pressure the government to pass the anti-corruption law, The Lokpal Bill. However, in the world of this movie, Jha fails to induce anything that closely represents Anna's motives.

It is hard to root and care for the one dimensional characters of Satyagraha and moreover, the story carries them through such improbable situations and silly conclusions that isolate the film far away from reality. No doubt the film has a good looking cast but with weak characterization and a half baked plot, they make the film overcrowded, and even good actors like Manoj Bajpayee are completely wasted.

The vision of Satyagraha is honest but with a tighter storyline and mature direction, it could have been less melodramatic and more thought provoking.