Aarakshan: Much ado about nothing

viewers who went to watch the film with a lot of expectations were disappointed that it did not take a stand on the reservation issue

Prakash Jha's film on the sensitive subject of reservations, Aarakshan, which released this Friday, was banned in three states by governments fearful of violence provoked by hurt sentiments. But audiences are wondering what the big fuss was all about. In fact, a common complaint among viewers was that the film didn't take a stand on the issue. Thane resident Priya Jadhav thought the entire controversy was much ado about nothing. "I went to see the film expecting something controversial or at least meaty on a subject that affects and moves me personally, as I am a Dalit. But I was terribly disappointed. The movie does not even skim the surface of the issue. After all that build-up over the last few days, I found that the movie shies away from making any comment on the reservation issue." Soumil Gadkar, 21, felt that after touching on the reservation issue in the first half, the film went off on tangent post-interval. "The first half at least explored the reservation issue, even if it didn't give any new insights. But the second half totally forgot about it altogether," says Gadkar. A theatre owner who did not want to be named says that he had arranged for police bandobast outside his theatre in Bandra, in case there was an untoward incident, but there have been no problems. "The occupancy itself has been strictly okay so far. The entire controversy has worked against the film. People come to watch it with certain expectations, and go away feeling disappointed," he says. In Nagpur, a crowd of around 20 boys protested outside Cinemax multiplex on Friday, so police protection was arranged. "There's been no real problem otherwise, says Geerish Wankhede of Cinemax chain of theatres. "The opening was lukewarm on Friday, with no big jump on Saturday either." said Wankhede.