Newton’s law of success

Nonika Singh

If brevity is the soul of wit, subtlety and nuanced portrayals can be the heartbeat of quality cinema! Hence proven by Newton, a movie set in the Maoist-infested region of Chattisgarh. And guess what, though the opening shot is an emphatic reminder of the violence that pervades in the mineral-rich tribal belt, the film is surprisingly non-violent, bereft of bloodshed. Red is just a colour that is referred to in jest. But be it the plight of tribals or the ominous shadow of naxalvaad…everything is meant to be taken seriously, very seriously. Dismiss it all, at your own peril. 

In a country of a billion plus, the election juggernaut that moves every five years is often hailed as the biggest strength of Indian democracy. But are elections for real…moreover what hope or significance they hold in tribal areas where elections are conducted in the most farcical manner?

These are only some of the questions that unfold as our protagonist Newton (Rajkummar Rao) goes about the simple, yet onerous task of conducting elections in a booth comprising mere 76 votes.  How he stands his ground, how he spars with the police officer in charge (Pankaj Tripathi is equally brilliant) to conduct the elections in as fair a manner as possible are not its only core strengths. 

Much more provides food for thought, as also some very amiable moments. In fact, very little or perhaps nothing here is just by the way. Be it the DIG’s upscale conversation with foreign journalist out to cover the great Indian elections or parrot-like sound-bite of his subordinate or even a slight gesture of his…all are pointers.

Amusing yet at the same time sharp and pertinent, the narrative lays bare the stark reality of our fractured democracy. Perhaps, for a host of voters, parties are no more than token symbols. But this is no dark or dismal cinema.

In its own way, it also is about the triumph of Indian democracy. Never mind that those who uphold it are in effect foot-soldiers, simple ordinary men like Newton, a humble government servant for whom duty is well, duty. 

Of course, the film isn’t named so just like that either. The interpretation of famous scientist‘s laws by Sanjay Mishra might seem an oversimplification, but Rao isn’t named Newton for nothing. Every action has a reaction… and here everything has context and an underlying meaning.

The incisive dialogues uttered by local tribal officer Manko (Anjali Patil) point at our ignorance. We the civilized world know nothing about this sizeable chunk of our tribal population. Is our ignorance worse than theirs, who don’t know how to use a voting machine, don’t speak our language and have their own customs?

The card game that Loknath (Raghubir Yadav) plays just all too briefly or the story of zombies he tells, allusions abound in the otherwise simply told story.

In writing, all this might sound pedantic, but here the drama is sans both dramatics and sermons. Just as we put finishing touches to the review, news about the film being India’s official entry for Oscars surface. Oscar material or not, clocking less than two hours, just all of 106 minutes, Newton most certainly is yet another value addition to content-driven Indian cinema. Watch it… to see how Rao transforms ordinary into extraordinary and how other actors, including Yadav, chip in with sterling acts and how the director Amit Masurkar makes his material rich with symbolism and realism work persuasively and at many levels.