Review: 'Antardwand' will open your eyes to another reality

Antardwand (U/A)
Cast: Raj Singh Chaudhary, Swati Sen, Vinay Pathak, Akhilendra Mishra, Himanshi, Jaya Bhattacharya, Neelima
Director: Sushil Rajpal
Rating: ***1/2

 

If you have ever watched the teleserial Bhagyavidhata on the Colorschannel, you would have an idea what to expect from Antardwand. The film looks at the deep rot in the Indian patriarchal system, the obsession of some sections of society with the civil services, and the bigoted treatment of women.

You may not have heard of the term ‘Pakrauah Shaadi’, but this phenomenon of abducting eligible young men and forcing them into marriage is said to be rampant in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Antardwand explores this facet of life in the Hindi heartland and deserves applause for the way it treats the complex subject.

So, we have aspiring IAS candidate Raghuveer (Chaudhary), living in Delhi with girlfriend Sia (Himanshi). An accidental pregnancy has the couple worried about the future, and they decide to get married. Raghuveer leaves for home, which is in the interiors of Bihar, where his parents entertain many fathers wanting to get their daughters married to him. Raghuveer's father Madhukar Shahi (Pathak) takes great pleasure in turning down all comers, a pride defined by the promise of a career in the civil services for his son.

A showdown with his father compels Raghuveer to cut short his trip home and return to Delhi to his pregnant girlfriend. On the way, however, he is abducted, locked up, and beaten. Raghuveer goes through torture, disgrace, and pain, all because Mahendra Babu (Mishra) wants revenge for Sahi turning down a hefty dowry and his daughter’s proposal.

Deceitfully, in an unconscious state, Raghuveer and Janaki (Sen) are married, much against her wishes, too. Nobody seems to raise a voice against the act and the wedding takes place, complete with a nautchgirl in attendance. The couple is then locked up in a room to force them consummate the marriage, which act is accomplished after a few days by getting Raghuveer drunk and questioning his 'manliness'. What the urban, educated woman would call marital rape is seen as a gift by a naïve, rural girl longing for acceptance.

 

The filmmaker's storytelling technique is simple yet poignant. The end may look abrupt, but it serves the purpose of leaving the viewer disturbed and awakening her to another reality. Director Sushil Rajpal has done a commendable job.

 

Filmed on actual location, Antardwand is a real tale told realistically. A bit more attention to detail could have helped, but that seems like so much quibbling when juxtaposed against the seriousness of the events. The film is unintentionally funny in places, like when the men call for tea just as the women are about to settle down for a chat session.

 

Chaudhary as Raghuveer displays a range of emotions, while Sen as Janaki is top class. You sympathise with both characters as they become victims in a tragedy they have no control over. Pathak as Shahi and Mishra as Babu are fitting models of what ambitious fathers are to their terror-struck kids. The women here are at the mercy of the men, always expected to serve them and behave appropriately. Jaya Bhattacharya and Neelima serve well.

 

To miss a film like Antardwand would be foolish. Though it is not meant to entertain, Antardwand stays with you for a long, long time.