Bhakshak: One too many messages
In a fourth-wall-breaking scene in Bhakshak (2024, Netflix), local journalist Vaishali Singh (Bhumi Pednekar) asks viewers a pertinent question about morality: “Have we forgotten to be sad in other people’s pain?” This is a powerful statement, but in the context of this film, the monologue feels half-baked; the movie tries to say and do too many things that don’t quite feel like a lead-up to this call to action.
True Story
An informer, Gupta (Durgesh Kumar), hands an audit report to journalist Vaishali Singh, which reveals horrific abuse of underage girls at a shelter home owned by Bansi Sahu (Aditya Srivastava). With the help of her cameraman, Bhaskar Sinha (Sanjay Mishra), a former worker in the shelter home, Sudha (Tanisha Mehta), and SSP Jasmeet Kaur (Sai Tamhankar), Singh exposes the truth about the shelter home.
The film is based on the Muzaffarpur shelter case in Bihar, where an audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences brought to light the repeated sexual abuse of inmates of the short-stay home. The victims ranged from ages seven to 17. Ten of the 11 accused were arrested, including Brajesh Thakur, the chief of the state-funded NGO, who ran several other NGOs and a newspaper named Pratah Kamal. Under the directions of the Supreme Court, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) court at Saket convicted Brajesh Thakur and 18 others in January 2020.
Strong performances
Bhumi Pednekar is a proven performer. Here she plays Vaishali Singh, a journalist who unwillingly starts to follow a lead. But as the enormity of the issue dawns on her, she gets desperate and angry. As her character duels multiple bureaucratic and personal challenges in her quest to uncover the truth, Bhumi deftly portrays the rising panic, the simmering rage, and the determination of Vaishali. In the film’s final moments, where she addresses the camera with a faint smile, she is stunning. She compels the audience to listen to her as she enunciates every word, making the listener uncomfortable for choosing the easy route.
Sanjay Mishra as Bhaskar Sinha, Bhumi’s cameraman, is a warm presence in this otherwise bleak film. His unrelenting support for Vaishali, as she takes on the Herculean task of exposing Bansi Sahu, is critical to her success. Vaishali and Bhaskar are not just professional partners; they are like father and daughter. In the one scene where Bhaskar has to put up a performance, Sanjay Mishra is in his element. It is an absolute joy to watch him.
The show stopper, however, is Aditya Srivastava as Bansi Sahu. So convincing is his portrayal of the abuser that every time he came on screen smiling, leering, or staring, I could feel my skin crawl. As the famous quote by Luke Taylor goes, “A story is only as good as its villain,” Aditya is a great villain with a menacing presence.
Also commendable are the performances of Sai Tamhankar, Surya Sharma, and Durgesh Kumar. Sai is convincing as the cop who plays within the system to get justice. Surya Sharma as Arvind Singh is Vaishali’s husband, who is torn between supporting his wife and succumbing to family pressure. Even with limited screen time and dialogue, he delivers a memorable performance. Durgesh Kumar as the informer Gupta, brings some levity to the scenes.
Feels real
Bhakshak is set in the fictional town of Munnawarpur. The costumes by Veera Kapur Ee are realistic. The dark, dimly lit view of the shelter home adds to the oppressive atmosphere, thanks to production design by Prashant Bidkar. Especially memorable was the track “Ganga”, composed by Anurag Saikia and penned by Raj Shekhar.
This is a feminist film which is also a commentary on responsible journalism. The movie does not get preachy but seeks to question what compels a person to turn the other way when faced with a moral dilemma. It is a study of power structures and a system that allows abuse of the most vulnerable section of our society. It seeks to understand what makes news viral and explores the short attention span of viewers in today’s world. Director Pulkit and Red Chillies Entertainment have woven a powerful narrative.
The problem
The biggest problem is the scenes that show the abuse. I understand that the scenes are meant to make the viewers uncomfortable, but the presentation and the dialogues felt almost voyeuristic. The subtlety with which the rest of the film is dealt with is missing in these scenes. This dilutes the point of the final monologue by Bhumi. “Have we forgotten to be sad in other people’s pain?” she asks. But then, must we make a spectacle of the pain to gain the empathy of others?
Bhakshak is not an easy watch. But it is an important movie as it is a stark reminder that monsters lurk among us.