All shor, no substance

Nonika Singh

A sensitive and volatile issue of communal riots and expectedly even before the film gets a release it gets into trouble. Shorgul has been making noise for its political content and supposed similarity of its characters to some real life rabble-rousers.

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Undeniably, we are living in hypersensitive times and communal cauldron awaits us at every step. What could be more topical or relevant than a political drama unveiling divisive communal forces at play? Alas, cinema is not merely a thought and thought alone isn’t that counts. It has to be propelled by vision, execution, and actors who can steer the idea into an emphatic statement.

Sadly, too much time is spent in building the heroine Zaianb (Suha Gezen), a pretty face no doubt, but nothing about the Turkish actress calls for the whole film to hover around her. As her friendship with her Hindu neighbour triggers the communal bomb, among the many farcical dialogues comes Saare fassad ki jad yeh hai. Whether you agree or disagree with this one liner, there is no doubt that the film is undone by making her the fulcrum of the story that isn't about love jihad really. 

So what is it really about? Well, it's about the games politicians play to divide voters on communal lines. Shorgul, set in UP, is supposedly about Muzaffarnagar riots. In the film, however, the place is rechristened as are the names of politicians. Jimmy Sheirgill plays the Hindutava-driven leader and a little late into the picture comes his Muslim counterpart. Fair enough. But none of the villainous characters are venomous enough to be truly spiteful. Sheirgill is competent but nothing that would get your goat. Rather, dialogues are more or less rewind of what you have already heard and keep listening to still on umpteen television channels. Any wonder in the film none of them make you shudder or grieve.

Actually, the narrative can't just connect emotionally. Except for packing in a few provocative speeches of politicians of both religious hues, the film makes no effort to bite into the serious issue. Net result--no flesh, no bite. At no point does it go beyond homilies, rather goes from nowhere to nowhere. Riots are treated with slapdash insensitivity and there is no depth or deft here. 

Just piling up bodies and upping the body count is no way to expose or probe into the hydra-headed monster of communalism. In the second half, you almost lose count of how many have died and that also includes key characters (essayed by actors like Jiten Tejwani.)

Of course, credit goes to Ashutosh Rana. He stands tall amidst this mayhem. As a devout Hindu, who believes in secular values, he is a bulwark not just against communal forces but also somewhat blocks the weak storyline from going completely downhill. Things finally do flounder and add up to little. 

Strangely the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (played by Sanjay Suri) is given a clean chit. But even stranger is his final dialogue summarising democracy. Of course, the most unusual thing about the film is why should a man of such great eminence, Kapil Sibal, yes the legal luminary and political bigwig, pen songs for this film. He has written Tere bina and Mast hawa. That the same go unnoticed in the film is another matter. Should you pay attention and mark this film on your weekend calendar? Our advice---better watch news shows. They may not be more incisive but are certainly more entertaining.