The impact of globalisation
and liberalisation on small scale industries and businessmen has been a known
factor. Series of researches and studies have analysed these developments. However,
not many films have dealt with this subject. The national-award winning Kannada
film Bharat Stores seems a very
realistic depiction in the recent past, dealing with this theme.
Director P. Sheshadri
Film clip
The film is basically about a shopkeeper Govinda
Shetty who is honest and dedicated to his family trade. However, with the rise
of market and free trade economy post liberalisation process, he suffers a huge
loss steadily, till he is completely outplayed by the growing mall culture. His
inability to move with the changing trends, or refusal to compromise with the
system, does him great harm, till one day he bites the dust unable to recover.
The film, with some fine performances (especially the protagonist Dattatreya)
and exquisite camera work by Mahendra
Simha raises several crucial questions. Is it wrong for people to
frequent malls when they know that they can shop all that they need under one
roof? Should malls be restricted to allow small traders
to also do some business? Is it a fault of Mr Shetty that he could not upgrade
himself like many others with the current trends in business? Was he so old-fashioned
to not see that he could be decimated?
There are no easy answers. However, Bharat
Stores, the shop, with its fading light and near empty space towards the end of
the film stands as a powerful symbol of the gale of globalisation and liberalisation
that is driving farmers to suicides, killing small scale trades and businesses
and driving scores of families that were dependent on the street corner shops
into penury.
Hats off to director P. Sheshadri.
- Melwyn Pinto SJ
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