Directed by the renowned theater veteran Feroz Abbas Khan as his second film post GANDHI, MY FATHER (2007), this is indeed a courageous attempt by the makers, since there is not much possibility of such a dark, sarcastic film becoming a big box office success in the current scenario. Hence DEKH TAMASHA DEKH has been certainly made with a specific purpose of spreading awareness about the silly religious fanaticism used as a dangerous tool by the political leaders of this country (& in the neighboring countries too) to promote hatred, suspicion and division. The authorities have been doing this from ages by deliberately planting hatred among the youth for the other religions and have thus mastered the art of gaining more control and power over the innocent public through such dreadful acts.
Reportedly based on some real life events happening in a small town, the film truly reminds you of the recent Muzzafar Nagar incidents leading to a huge loss of life, faith & trust among we all Indians. Made as an intelligent black comedy with many worth praising insertions, DTD surely could have become a daring, path breaking film of the recent times, if only the director had delivered it with a better pace & a more disturbing tension in its conflicting scenes moving away from the slow, theater like execution, avoiding few unimpressive sequences.
But keeping the weaker points aside, I would still like to recommend watching it mainly for the following well written and worth-praising scenes, taken straight out of our real lives fast heading towards a scary future.
1. The most valuable sequence in DTD is related to an old experienced historian, who is opposed for writing a controversial book on religious history and is then forced to peacefully withdraw or face some drastic consequences. Ignoring the threat, the calm historian willfully pulls out his hearing machine in between the heated conversation and the act indeed is a treat to watch, executed beautifully. Next all published copies of his book are burned (reminding you of many latest similar references) and that is exactly how history is now being forcefully re-written with a specific motive in almost all the religions proving them better than the rest.
2. A wonderful courtroom scene wherein there is no proof of a dead person’s birth, marriage, original religion or his so called religious conversion at all. But still the judge is supposed to give the judgment about the real owner of the dead body without any valid arguments put forward.
3. A hilarious symbolic sequence in which Satish Kaushik (the owner of a local newspaper) is disgracefully talking to his imported puppy and the employed Indian editor together.
4. In a mourning scene, the few women instantly stop wailing & start leaving as soon as someone says the water is back in the taps for a limited period.
5. As a newly appointed police officer comes to join his police station, he is stunned to see ‘A Religious Pooja’ going on in the station itself and all the policemen attending it instead of going to their assigned duties.
6. A Muslim leader openly addresses a meeting provoking the youth to attack is aggressively opposed by a Muslim journalist only who is thrown out of the meeting. And on the other hand a Hindu leader clearly warns the police officer in charge, not to interfere in their planned procession at all and do nothing.
7. And lastly the undisclosed biased attitude of policemen when they personally know the convict and his particular religion.
Following a quite honest and ironical treatment, the film simply reveals the truth that how riots are willfully triggered through an intentional planning by the two opponent leaders openly, whereas they also maintain constant contact with each other simultaneously behind the curtains. Intelligently written by Shafaat Khan (mostly as a play), the project has been made at a smaller scale with a clever cinematography which shows you the riots just through the window of a moving car without going out in the wide showcasing any big mob. Also the sound department beautifully uses only the natural sounds in the backdrop, creating a very realistic feel throughout in a worth noticing manner.
With a short duration of less than 2 hours, DTD no doubt remains a comic yet alarming take on a burning issue edited thoughtfully. And with appreciable performances by Satish Kaushik (Leader/Newspaper Owner), Satish Alekar (Historian), Sharad Ponkshe (Hindu Leader) and Vinay Jain (the new IPS officer) along with a fairly impressive supporting cast, it can easily be rated as a praiseworthy attempt for sure, representing the meaningful cinema.
Having said that, the film still isn’t any great masterpiece or hugely engrossing watch too, mainly due to its few theatrical scenes (coming at regular intervals) and the multiple sub-plots resulting in a clumsy feel. Moreover few gags also do not work at all like the one about the police dog or the dead body’s guard taking his clothes off. Plus the film was wrongly promoted with Satish Kaushik as the lead actor (all over the posters too) who actually has only few scenes in the movie unexpectedly.
Summing up, DEKH TAMASHA DEKH made me think about the last moments of Bhagat Kabir in the past, which also generated a verbal debate among the followers upon the final rituals to be followed. Interestingly in the film too the whole fight is for the body of a converted Muslim only, whom Hindus wish to cremate and Muslims wish to bury, leading to the big bloody clash. And the storyline honestly made me imagine that if there happened to be a death of any similar saint in the present times too then that surely would have resulted in some cruel riots between communities, timely engineered by the opportunist politicians, unarguably.
Anyway with a hope that we all become capable enough of realizing the ugly tricks played by our greedy leaders well in time before hurting the other. Do try to watch this thoughtful attempt as a must ignoring its theatrical feel and all the weaker points mentioned in the review.
Rating : 2+1 / 5 (With the additional 1 for the courageous effort by the entire team.)
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