After Guilty, I was a little tired of monotonous rape stories. Somewhere, I started believing that filmmakers are using this grave issue as a trending topic and know nothing about this heinous crime, or are simply not bothered about it. They seem to have been taking it lightly. But Gargi changed my perspective. That is what good storytelling is all about.
Initially, the story progresses at a slow pace. One of the reasons why it feels like that is because you sit to watch the film with different expectations. You want to see the courtroom drama, you want to see intense emotions, you want to know what has happened and what is going to happen as soon as possible. The plot makes you that restless even before you have started to watch the film. But…
Gargi is not what you expect it to be. It is not like other rape stories (films made for entertainment) where the storytellers are either preaching or begging for sympathy, for the victim or the convict. You know what the problem is, I just cannot give away a single hint about what makes this film so special and so heartbreaking because just one word about it and you will guess the plot. I don’t want that.
Sometimes, telling the story becomes important for a review. Other times, spoilers are nothing but injustice to the entire team and their efforts. All I would say is – watch the film! It will make you sit back and question a lot of things in life. About the battles you pick, about the people you defend, about the people you don’t want to defend, and also, your own way of looking at things.
Before wrapping it up, I would try to tell you the story in brief. Gargi’s 60-year-old father is held for gangrape of a 10-year old girl. Since he was the first person to see the child after rape and drop her back home and also being the first person the child sees after regaining consciousness, she is convinced that he is one of the culprits. There is no way of proving that he is not guilty. No lawyer is ready to fight the case due to the media attention and also because a minor is involved. Fortunately, Gargi finds an amateur lawyer who willingly defends her father. What happens next is interesting to watch.
The most heartbreaking scenes are of the child’s father. The way he breaks down again and again as his daughter doesn’t see a father in him anymore but just a man, a man who can also be a predator who thrives on flesh.
What I also liked about the movie is that no rape scenes have been blown out of proportion. The child actor’s face has not, for once, shown in the movie. The team has truly set an example by not showing even the actor’s face who has played the victim in the film. You know what the media does to a rape victim. This, hence, is a tight slap on everyone’s face who torture the victim for TRPs.
A big round of applause to the entire team of Gargi for making a thought-provoking and perspective changing film on such a sensitive topic and for handling it so sensibly.
Streaming On: SonyLIV