Jai Bhim – a good solid movie, and excellent performances

I love the title: “Jai Bhim”. Though this essay is a movie review, I would like to spend a couple of paragraphs writing about the man whom this title eulogizes: Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian constitution, and one of the finest intellectuals of the Independence era. A top jurist, a brilliant economist, an astute political scientist, a passionate social reformer, an incisive philosopher, and a demanding logician, Ambedkar represented all that is best in the Indian freedom struggle movement. As the first law minister of free India, his draft of the Indian constitution was a work of such meticulous integrity, social vision, and impeccable scholarship, that scholars and jurists across the globe have hailed it as one of the finest constitutions ever written. Ambedkar’s singular agenda for an independent India was to wipe out social inequality and create a level playing field for all. On many matters, he was at loggerheads with Gandhi, whom he refused to consistently refused to address as the Mahatma. While Gandhi could convince anyone else of his views, he was openly uncomfortable talking and convincing Ambedkar on anything. Ambedkar studied intellect was quick to spot holes in Gandhi’s historical and social narratives and his idea of a modern India. In many recorded conversations and letters, the tension between the two is palpable. The sharp knife of Ambedkar’s intellect would often cut through the moral platitudes Gandhi offered on social reforms and India’s economic growth. Gandhi couldn’t sway Ambedkar like he did everyone else.

In Ambedkar’s mind, Gandhi’s vision was flawed because he refused to openly speak out against caste, and only attempted to subtly legitimize the caste system in the garb of sainthood. By naming a group of people as Harijan, doesn’t solve anything. The question is: how are we going to bring about equality, what protections and rights should the constitution provide to ensure equality, what measures need be taken to remove barriers of caste and creed. Gandhi had no answers but asked the people to go back to the villages and continue the work on the land and labor and look upon landowners as trustees. Gandhi was converting a social discourse into a religious one. By advocating that India is better off living in its villages, and actively evangelizing against industrialization, Gandhi was also subtly promoting the existing status quo of Varna ( caste) and the inevitable physical labor that such a system would cause, leaving large sections of people without a chance of getting over poverty, or having enough leisure, or the financial stability necessary to grow, culturally and intellectually. Such an approach to a newly minted India was absolute anathema to Ambedkar, who knew first-hand the pains of living at the margins of society, as an outcast. Ambedkar elegantly phrased Gandhi’s blinkered vision of India as ‘conservatism in Excelsis that ‘helps those who have, to keep what they have and to prevent those who have not from getting what they have a right to get. The message still rings true today, as it did more than seventy-five years ago.

It is sad, that in modern India, the name and character of Ambedkar have been usurped by political parties who have no clear idea of what he stood for, and merely use his chubby face and monocles as graffiti ( badly drawn at that) on the walls and sidewalks to win caste-based votes. Dr. Ambedkar is much, much more than a man who represented the Dalits. The rightful legacy of Dr. Ambedkar, the breadth of his intellectual genius, and vision of social reforms need to be more well known. Fortunately, that is happening in the last decade or so. There is a revival of Ambedkar scholarship, his thoughts and ideas are now more openly discussed and acknowledged than before, and the country is beginning to realize the value in the kind of India Ambedkar sought to build within the larger context of the international community. The title and the story of “Jai Bhim” indicate the power of such an awakening. It was L.N Hardas, popularly known as Babu Hardas, a Dalit leader, a freedom fighter, social reformer, and a follower Dr. Ambedkar, who started the practice of exchanging “Jai Bhim” as a greeting between the Dalits. It created a sense of camaraderie among people who were systematically discriminated against.

The movie ‘Jai Bhim’ is based on a real incident that happened in the early 1990s, when a young man Rajakannu from a backward Irular tribe, was arrested for theft and went missing under police custody. A socially active lawyer Chandru represented Sengeni – the wife of the Rajkannu – and chose to file a writ of Habeus corpus in court, which literally means: “produce the body”. Habeus corpus is a basic civil right, first legitimized by Henry VII in the 16th century, which guarantees the right to a fair trial before imprisonment. Chandru’s writ led to an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Rajakannu and the eventual discovery that he was dead. The court found several inconsistencies in the manner the police had dealt with the case, and the proceedings brought to light the plight of the socially ostracized.

I liked the movie adaptation. It is three hours long, but not a moment wasted. It tells the tale with a rare sensitivity and honesty that is refreshing to see. There are no prancing duets, unnecessary fight sequences, or slap-stick comedy tracks. There is, of course, the necessary dramatization of the events, to keep the movie commercially viable; but the overall effect of the film is intensely moving, and what stays behind after one has watched the movie is the stirring image of Senganni, brilliantly played by the young and supremely talent actress Lijimol Jose, who, in a stirring portrayal of an aching mom and wife in search of her husband, epitomizes the loneliness, the resilience, the honor, the laughter, the love, the intelligence, the fortitude, the simplicity and deep empathy of tribes who live close to nature untouched by the corruptions of modern civilization. Surya has taken gracefully a second seat and rightfully allowed the character of Senganni to take center stage. It is essentially her story. The movie is harsh on the civil and political system. Police brutality and extreme apathy are vividly shown, perhaps, a trifle too much, I felt. But that degree of violence and systemic indifference has to be shown to highlight the plight of the downtrodden and the helpless. It is difficult for us, living under the protection of the law and civil rights, to imagine the inner experience of those who are deliberately excluded from the fold. Jai Bhim attempts to give us a feel for that kind of isolation and helplessness.

The court scenes are well-staged. For a change, court proceedings look plausible. Indian cinema has so completely vulgarized the legal system, that the common man, exposed mostly to the court dramas on screen, often believes that is how courts functions in the real world with lawyers gesticulating for no reason, heroes making long speeches, and judges banging their desks thrice to bring about order. In “Jai Bhim”, the creators have taken special care to recreate high court proceedings realistically, and in some detail. The lawyers speak sensibly, the judges intervene meaningfully, and the arguments are presented with a certain degree of legal rigor. It is clear that the filmmakers have done good research, talked to the right people, and assembled a screenplay that doesn’t dilute the complexity of the court proceedings. Prakash raj essays the role of a police officer (Perumalsamy) who investigates the disappearance of Rajakannu. A matured performance that comes easily to Prakash raj these days. The character Perumalsamy slaps a merchant who speaks to him in Hindi, instead of Tamil, and that has raised a few concerns in the Hindi lobbies of the country. Language is a sensitive issue in India, and I don’t think there is a common linguistic solution available that is acceptable to all.

The Husband and wife duo of Surya and Jyothika are doing good work. Having reached a stage where they don’t have to worry about money, or commercial success anymore, they are now investing in movies with bold themes, and not exactly commercial material. While I couldn’t stand the recent Jyothika’s recent movie “Udanpirappu” for more than twenty minutes, it was so bad!!; but I still admire the path these two have chosen. The only way to change the tastes and preferences of the regular cinema goers is to give them doses of something different and hope for the best.

Coming back to Lijimol Jose, I cannot think of a better performance by an actress in recent times. It is a healthy sign when young actors take on such meaningful and bold roles early in their careers. As a pregnant Sengeni, fighting for her honor, her husband, and for her community’s rights, Lijimol brings great maturity to the role. She made us feel, experience, and in some scenes live the physical and mental agony of Sengeni, as she runs from pillar to post seeking justice. Lijimol’s interpretation of Sengenni’s character is exemplary. Through Lijimol, Sengeni is seen as a woman of self-respect and confidence; at the same time, exudes helpless vulnerability when she seeks justice from those who have no regard for her or her tribe. Lijimol’s performance is an award-winning one. I will be very surprised if she is not considered. In her interviews, Lijimol claims she shed real tears on the sets. I believe her. In a couple of scenes, she lived the role; one could see and feel that synchronicity between her and the role, resulting in expressions and emotions that cannot be produced by merely following directorial tips. Such performance can only come from the very depths of one’s being.

The overall casting is fantastic, and so is the direction. Well-paced and finely nuanced. For Surya, this film may prove to be a turning point in his role as a producer and actor. His earlier film about Captain Gopinath and the origins of Air Deccan was still a little shaky in its execution; but in Jai Bhim, he looks more confident of his craft.

Jai Bhim is worth watching. The questions it raises are far from resolved even in the present day. The movie currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

God bless…

yours in mortality,

Bala