Aghaat

This is another film which deviates from the regular Indian movies.

The movie raises the issue of exploitation of factory-workers by their employer. A worker named Chotelal, played by Pankaj Kapoor, gets injured while working in the factory, and his family is poverty-ridden. There is a powerful performance by Om Puri as Madhav Verma, a truthful Labor-Union leader with high morals and strong leftist ideas, fighting for a workers' rights.

The opposition Labor Union tries to use this incident as a means of wooing workers to join them by getting higher severance package from the employer. Madhav Verma is also sucked into the game to save his Union. Hence, what started off as a fight for Chotelal's rights becomes a fight for the existence of the 2 Unions.

The political games played by the trio of the 2 Labor Unions and the employer come into the forefront. But Chotelal and his wife are always in the background reminding Madhav how he had gone back on the promise to truthfully server the workers.

Great portrayal of the dilemma of Madhav, and Chotelal's wife as a constant reminder to Madhav of their pain. Interestingly, she has only one dialog in the end, and plays the rest of the role through her expressive eyes.

This is a hard-hitting film by Govind Nihalani exploring the struggles and politics involved in workers unions.

The stark message of the film is the need for workers unions to stay alert of dangers to their unity from external forces. As also the need to get the bigger picture in events and stay true to the spirit of morals and the law.

The film has a stellar starcast. Govind's regular team from his equally thought provoking films in the earlier eighties. Led by Om Puri and ably supported by Amrish Puri, Deepa Sahi, Rohini Hattangadi, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Naseeruddin Shah (candy l cameo but excellent), most of them National award winners. This film also has further National award winners in KK Raina, Salim Ghouse, Pankaj Kapur and Bharat Gopi from the Malayalam film industry, who does an excellent role as the villain. Truly, a lot of credit for Om Puri's career are such intense characters created by Govind - including his National award for Ardh Satya.

The film delves into how unions pit against each other for control, using a worker's accident on the factory floor. I liked how they show the various shades of the management than simply paint them black. KK Raina's character and role acts as the conscience keeper. His notes are a reflection of our thoughts itself.

Where the brilliant film fails to deliver in the end. Instead of hitting the message home, it confuses the audience both in the climax scene as to what really happens after. The message conveyed by Amrish Puri's character and what Om Puri's character derives from it is implicit support of violence. As if the entire point of the film - to hold on to principles in the wake of violence and unethical behaviour - is not sustainable.

Wish it clearly conveyed that, on the contrary, it's such eye-for-eye itself that causes lack of unity among workers. I wish the film had conveyed that point clearly.

gopi, the south Indian actor, delivers one of the most brilliant performances i have ever seen on screen. om puri to has done a great job. the film-making is fabulous. it is one of nihalani's better films if not the best. content-wise, it stands out from the rest of Hindi films for its focused take on trade unions. i like to speak of this film more as an actors' film than the director's. gopi, especially, is stunning. he is as sharp as a knife. the general tone of the film is brown, and that helps in giving it a realistic face. the film was released in 1984. it was the third of the nihalani trilogy. the first two were aakrosh and ardhsatya. om puri is the actor of choice in both, but in aghaat, gopi takes the cake. this is one performance which is perfect in all ways. see it to know it.

After 'Ardh Satya', Nihalani reunites with Om Puri again in 'Aghaat'. This time the film tackles the issue of the exploitation of workers (in this case, factory workers) and how labour union groups battle each other in the name of supporting the labour force and how the employer takes advantage of it. This further leads to a web of corruption, bribery and even bloodshed. 'Aghaat' may not be among Nihalani's best, as the pacing is very slow especially in the beginning and certain sequences it feel repetitive, but Nihalani makes his point clear, highlighting the conflicts that is still existent. Yet again, Om Puri delivers a phenomenal performance. His character is similar to Anant Velankar (of 'Ardh Satya') who is also brought to face a dilemma that tests his principles. He is fairly well supported by his fellow castmates of which Rohini Hattangadi stands out as the factory's social worker.

Nihalani has presented an issue that has often been overlooked or used as a mere plot device in Bollywood films. The film wonderfully ends with a dialogue between Amrish Puri and Om Puri followed by a monologue delivered by the latter Puri. This is something the viewer will have to see himself/herself.

Aghaat review :

After Aakrosh (1980) and Ardh Satya (1983), this film completed Govind Nihalani's trilogy with his regular ensemble cast of Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah and Sadashiv Amrapurkar. Aghaat was an interesting take on then mill workers agitation and went a step further depicting the conflict between two competing trade unions who wish to gain an uphold in the mill politics. Vijay Tendulkar's script was unique and hard hitting as usual. Unlike most plots which dealt with mill owners versus workers, Aghaat dealt with internal politics between two mill unions while the management is shown taking a diplomatic stand.

Govind Nihalani regular Om Puri played Madhav Verma, the principled union leader who has to tackle the management of Shivalik Engineering Indistries while simultaneously fighting the insurgence of a non registered trade union helmed by a political major known as Rustom Patel (Naseeruddin Shah). Interestingly, the character of Patel is only spoken about till the climax when we actually see him in person for the first time. It is quite reminiscent of Govind Nihalani's Party (1984) where Naseer bhai had a similar surprise appearance only at the end.

Concentrating more on the inner politics of workers union, Aghaat uses the accident of Chotelal (Pankaj Kapur) as a catalyst to unleash its devious outcome. The sympathetic personnel officer (KK Raina, effective) is unable to withstand the pressure inflicted on him to steer clear of any controversy arising from the death of this small time worker.

The cast is apt and delivers to the expectations. Om Puri, the main lead here, is superlative and he actually elevates the film to another level through his sterling performance. Gopi playing the rival union leader called Krishnan, is impressive as well. I was particularly mesmerized by Deepa Sahi as Chotelal's wife who speaks volumes through her hapless eyes most of the time. In the penultimate scene when she finally converses with Om Puri, Deepa leaves a mighty impression; a role which deserved awards. But alas!!

Naseeruddin Shah has a cameo but still nails it. KK Raina deserves a mention for lending dignity to his character who jots down the ongoings in a diary.

Aghaat didn't get the due recognition it deserved for whatever reasons. Never mind!! I will strongly recommend a watch for all the art movie buffs who havent seen it so far.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.