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By Taran Adarsh, January 4, 2002 - 15:18 IST
Aryaman Films' PITAAH, directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, is loosely inspired by the Samuel L. Jackson – Sandra Bullock – Kevin Spacey starrer A TIME TO KILL (1996).
PITAAH tells the story of Rudra (Sanjay Dutt), whose family comprises of his wife Paro (Nandita Das), twin sons Luv and Kush (Sagar and Samrat Thawani) and a 9-year-old daughter Durga (Tanvi Hegde). They live in a small basti in a village named Shikarpur, situated in North India.
This basti and its inhabitants are a cursed lot, ordained to work under a despot named Thakur Avadh Narayan Singh (Om Puri). The Thakur's wife (Mita Vashisht) remains a mute witness to his despotic ways and tries to make him see reason whenever she can, but to no avail.
The Thakur, on the other hand, instils his feudal ways into his two sons, Bachchu and Bhola, in the process making them an arrogant duo. They follow in their father's footsteps, leading a lifestyle that obviously makes them blind to the after effects of the same.
The story takes a turn when Bachchu and Bhola go to a nearby village to spend the night with a mujra dancer (Mink). The next morning, while they are returning to their haveli in Shikarpur, an incident changes their fate. This one incident also changes Rudra's life and a docile father transforms into a revenge seeker!
Themes that depict Thakurs and their oppression in rural India have been witnessed umpteen times before on the Indian screen. But here, in the case of PITAAH, the plot differs in the sense that it tackles an explosive issue – child molestation.
Director Mahesh Manjrekar has, once again, selected a theme that tries to mirror a social evil. But watching a film on a subject like this can be far too disheartening and distressing.
There's no denying that PITAAH has several poignant moments and Manjrekar has handled them with utmost care. For instance, the autocratic attitude of Om Puri and his sons is attention grabbing. Even the acquiescent personality of Sanjay Dutt in the first half has been treated with concern.
The turning point, when the daughter is molested and the family rushes her to the hospital at midnight on a bicycle, is superbly executed. Ditto for the scene in the court when Sanjay Dutt shoots the two sons -- Bachchu and Bhola.
However, the film is not without flaws!
The director has tilted more towards realism, giving little scope to light moments and the relief factor. The music (Anand Raaj Anand) is another sore point, with almost all songs sounding routine and the placement of a few songs, mainly in the second half, looking forced.
The screenplay is one of convenience! Jackie Shroff's negative character, for instance, turns positive without any cause or justification. Moreover, there's an undercurrent of tension throughout the second half and the action scenes are too brutal to be digested by ladies/families.
K.K. Singh's dialogues go well with the mood of the film. Cinematography (Vijay Arora) is up to the mark. The background music (Rahul Ranade) is excellent. The sets (Nitin Desai) and production values are apt.
Manjrekar has once again extracted brilliant performances from the main cast. Sanjay Dutt excels in the second half. He's underplayed the character to perfection. Nandita Das delivers a first-rate performance. Her scenes, with the advocate first and the doctor later, and also in the climax, speak volumes of her abilities.
Om Puri succeeds in evoking terror. Jackie Shroff is alright. Siddharth is effective. Mita Vashisht makes her presence felt.
On the whole, PITAAH has its moments of glory, but they are not enough to leave much of an impression. Its rural theme will also restrict its viewership to an extent. Average.
 
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