Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Gabhricha Paus: Ode to the allusive rain that kills!

According to National Crime Record Bureau statistics, 2,70,940 farmers committed suicide in India between 1995 and 2011. In the state of Maharashtra alone this number was 53,818. One can imagine the plight of farmers who are driven to such extreme steps by the compounding issues of anti-farmer farm policies of the governments and the vagaries of nature. Several directors have touched upon this issue in their films in the Marathi film. Gabhricha Paus (The damned rain) is one such significant attempt by director Satish Manwar.









Director: Satish Manwar

Film clip

In the background of a series of farmers committing suicide due to varied circumstances, Alka (Sonali Kulkarni) takes upon herself to protect her husband Kisna (Girish Kulkarni) at any cost. She does not allow him to get into depression, nor does she allow him to be alone and aloof. She makes sure that her little son accompanies the father like a faithful dog everywhere to the great displeasure of Kisna.

The film does portray the angst of a farming family, which is in such a painful dilemma like never before: they cannot think anything other than farming; and yet it is this farming that has failed them finally. It is not that there are no solutions to this rural crisis. It is just that distressed farmers seem to be a non-entity to powers that be.

The versatile Sonali Kulkarni comes alive very natural as the anxious wife of a defeated farmer. Here is a film that helps you grasp the complexities a farming community has to address, even as it fights hard to stay alive!

- Melwyn Pinto SJ