Review of Bastar The Naxal Story: Sudipto Sen’s film serves as a sobering reminder of the pernicious effects of ideological conflict and its far-reaching nature.
Bastar delves into the controversial domain of Naxalism, crafting a story that endeavors to analyze its origins and aftermath, albeit predominantly via a monochromatic perspective. The vivid portrayal of the Naxalite rebellion and the resulting clash with security forces serves as a pertinent reminder of the intricate sociopolitical circumstances confronting the country. However, the picture falls short of its potential, leaving viewers with unanswered concerns and a sense of unrealized narrative depth, by eschewing deep character exploration and occasionally oversimplifying.
The Plot
The film, directed by Sudipto Sen, follows the different paths that a mother and son (played by Indira Tiwari and Naman Jain) take after experiencing a shared personal tragedy. It also follows a Supreme Court case that sheds light on the connection between communism and Naxalism, as well as the determined efforts of a police officer (played by Adah Sharma) named Neerja Madhavan to rid the Indian heartland of the Naxal insurgency.
Fundamentally, Bastar exposes the ideological conflict between patriotism, naxalism, and the quest of a higher ideal. Her steadfast patriotism is apparent, even though her motivations are not made clear. She doesn’t think twice about using force in her pursuit, even after facing accusations of taking part in arranged meetings. Though the director tries to show her activities as for the greater good, these accusations are rejected, which makes the character uninspired, unrelatable, and unsettlingly one-dimensional.
Watch The Bastar Trailer Here
Refusal to delve deeper into complexities
Bastar would have had a moving subplot about a mother and kid dealing with the fallout from Naxal violence in a parallel story. They saw the father and husband, respectively, shot and executed by Naxalites for flying the flag and playing the national anthem. The son, uninterested in schooling, joins the Naxalites, while the mother enlists in the police. Viewers are left wondering whether this plot would have made the film more sympathetic and accessible than it is now, as the interactions between them and the motivations behind their decisions are mainly left unseen.
The Naxalites are shown in the movie as vicious and brutal, while the Indian security forces—especially the police and CRPF—are shown to be relentlessly battling these anti-Indian forces. The Naxalites, who are portrayed in the film as a militant group with headquarters in Bastar, are against infrastructure growth and want the local kids to stay out of school because they don’t think India can advance as a country.
Although this portrayal might be accurate, the film’s refusal to explore the underlying causes and instead attributes everything to communism through the lens of Yashpal Sharma’s character, a well-meaning lawyer who speaks Hindi fluently.
This allows the audience to get a glimpse into the ideological foundations of Naxalism, but it also runs the risk of oversimplifying the story, which may account for the criticisms posted on social media that the film is pushing agendas or propaganda.
Performances in The Movie
Not because Adah Sharma plays a weak character in the movie, but rather because it seems like she wasn’t well-trained for the part, her performance feels a little out of place. She runs and shoots without the dexterity one would expect from a seasoned cop.
However, as the mother and son, who stand in for the enduring victims, Indira Tiwari and Naman Jain give powerful performances. But because of how brief their appearances are, viewers are left wanting more in-depth character development. This mistake strips the movie of a more sympathetic and relatable element, reducing these characters to being more like props for a theme than fully formed people.
Concluding Thoughts
In the end, “Bastar” does a good job of highlighting the difficulties in fighting Naxalism, but it does not go far enough in delving into the subtleties of the problem. Although the film’s dedication to showcasing the sacrifices made by individuals caught in the crossfire and its patriotic enthusiasm are praiseworthy, it feels a little lacking because it is reluctant to address the gray areas in its story.
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