Mukkabaaz — The Brawler

Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz or The Brawler is an ingenious state-of-the-nation address, a passionate and vital boxing picture that is unlike anything else mainstream Hindi cinema currently has to offer.

The film begins with a brutal brawl: a mob of so-called cow vigilantes attacking passersby and being filmed while doing so. This footage will come in handy later on, in order to keep the local population in check. The RSS goons are urging their victims to say “Bharat mata ki jai” [Hail, Mother India] and given the current political climate in the country, it’s telling that Kashyap chooses to start Mukkabaaz like this. The statement does eventually find its way on to the screen, right at the end, when “Bharat mata ki jai” is seen in the credits. That’s how everything concludes — the placement of the sentence feels very much like a taunt. Or, given the subject matter, a knockout punch.

Vineet Kumar Singh plays Shravan, a talented boxer who falls in love with Zoya Hussain’s Sunaina. She is the mute niece of head coach Bhagwan Das (Jimmy Shergill), a bully who prides himself on being an upper caste person and derides anyone who isn’t. After Shravan challenges Bhagwan’s authority, calling him out for his nonsensical training methods, the latter throws him out of his roster, disqualifying Shravan from local tournaments and hindering his chances of becoming a champion.

Shravan is not one to give up easily though: after changing districts, he is taken under the wing of another teacher (Ravi Kishan), gradually fighting his way up against corruption and deranged nationalism, learning the difference between the grammatically correct mukkebaaz — boxer — and the more rambunctious mukkabaaz — brawler.

A roundup of three Indian films screened at the London Film Festival

There is a lot to admire in this movie, where at one point a character says: “A boxing film in India has more spectators than a boxing tournament.” Despite all the obvious political undertones, this is in no way a bitter work. Yes, it’s undeniably angry, but Kashyap finds a way to treat it in a wholly pleasant way. Even the first scuffle between Shravan and Bhagwan is staged over music, lending it an almost fantastical feel.

There’s also a lot of real humour. Rajesh Tailang in particular, as Shravan’s deadpan father, is a hoot. Also, all portions between Sunaina and Shravan are wonderfully acted — there’s nothing overly saccharine about their romance and Hussain steals every scene she’s in. It’s an accomplished debut, she portrays a disabled character and it could’ve fallen flat, but she does it with great sensitivity. Meanwhile, Singh looks and acts like a young Amitabh Bachchan, ably carrying the film through all of its thrilling moments.

The Hungry

Sharing many themes with Mukkabaaz, Bornila Chatterjee’s The Hungry is also a film interested in contemporary India and its politics of power. It’s a thrilling take on William Shakespeare’s lesser-known play Titus Andronicus — Shakespeare of course not being a foreign concept to Indian cinema, thanks in part to Vishal Bhardwaj’s many adaptations from the Bard’s oeuvre. Chatterjee announces herself as a major global talent with this UK-Indian co-production, keeping the main frame of the play intact and yet delivering a totally original version and bold vision.

During a business deal, young Ankur (Suraj Sharma) wants to expose the crooked business dealings of his mentor Tathagat Ahuja (Naseeruddin Shah). Ahuja is a corrupt man and does everything to keep his immoral dealings secret. When he learns of his protégé’s fraud, he has to take drastic measures. After some time passes, Ankur’s mother Tulsi (Tisca Chopra) is engaged to Tathagat’s son Sunny. The two will marry and Tathagat will have to play the happy patriarch. Although he is clearly involved with Ankur’s death, he’ll have to become father-in-law to the dead boy’s mother — who in turn does not seem to know of any wrongdoings. Luckily, Tathagat can rely on his culinary skills (those who know the play, know what that means) and loyal aide Arun (Neeraj Kabi).

The Hungry is a fascinating exploration of the differences between the old and the new. In the beginning of the movie, Ankur talks with someone thrice his age about how he envisions India as a country, how he wants to improve everything as a young businessman. The older man does not take him seriously and just laughs at Ankur. The character dynamics are also an allegory for a society that has gone completely off the rails. Whenever Arun gets a call, his patriotic ringtone sounds on his phone, acting as a contrast to whatever criminal activity he’ll carry out on his boss’s behalf. It’s a daring idea, executed in a brilliant way.

The Hungry clearly belongs to Tisca Chopra, whose performance is among the best of the year. In one scene, she’s the wounded, grieving mother and in another she’s the scheming and calculating avenger. Meanwhile, Naseeruddin Shah is a master of subtlety and it’s great fun to watch him in a role worthy of his talents after a long time. From the supporting cast, Sayani Gupta shines as a woman between two fronts — family loyalty and love for her murdered boyfriend. The character is basically the essence of what this story is really about.

The Song of Scorpions

No festival feels complete without a title starring crossover project pioneer Irrfan Khan. Anup Singh’s The Song of Scorpions takes care of that. The film is an unusual but very welcome meditation on what it means to be a human being, especially when one is faced with violence and injustice. The film is also a subtle criticism of patriarchy and the rape culture prevalent in its societies — something that isn’t new of course but which, in light of the #MeToo campaign, has come into the limelight.

All of this is done in a very poetic way — the wonderful Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani plays a singer who can heal scorpion bites — making this an emotionally rich and soulful experience with vibrant images that stay with you for a long time.

Published in Dawn, ICON, November 12th, 2017