Karkash

It took me years to get my hands on this film's original 80-minute director's cut. As far as I'm aware, the director's cut was always available on YT until it was eventually removed. The one officially available on YT now is a watered-down PG-13 cut (or U/A by India's standards).

However, the heavily (and sometimes awkwardly) censored version does not hide the fact that the film tends to break its own rules. From what I've gathered from the available sources from India at that time - the director boastfully asserted the film to be a "film about female empowerment". While it is definitely commendable, from halfway into the film you'll begin to realize that that was never the case. I'd like to call the film a wolf in sheep's clothing, as it is, in reality, nothing but a feast for the male eyes and a constant mockery (or exploitation) of the very concept of female empowerment - all done in poor taste.

If you somehow come across the director's cut, you'll understand what I'm saying. The one officially uploaded to YouTube, well, tries its best to convince you otherwise.

There are unnecessary scenes of prostitutes cutting sex jokes, unnecessary intimate scenes with unnecessary loud percussion music (a definite attempt to titillate those male eyes) - not to mention a completely unexpected scene of the lead female character checking herself out on the mirror as the camera pans around her body voyeuristically that lasts for over a minute - a scene that serves no purpose in the film afterward.

Oh and did I even mention that infamous two-minute-long sex scene that too came out of nowhere, and made rounds on every single Indian po**sites back in the day?

Yeah, this film is about anything but female empowerment. There's not even a hint about any of that. Some random scenes of the husband being a complete douche toward the wife don't always equate to a message against toxic masculinity, because the film itself behind the scenes glorifies that same masculinity by having you get aroused by those gratuitous scenes and having you think that "sex" is the only cure to toxic masculinity.

Can't you guys see how frickin' wrong is this? I'm surprised this film didn't turn any heads back in the day - maybe because the Bollywood market was already full to the brim with other contemporary blockbusters that shoved this "gem" of a film to total obscurity. And for good reason, mind you.

Karkash review :

In a small village somewhere in North India, Suchitra Pillai plays a devoted homemaker to hubby Anoop Soni who treats her like a slave. One rainy night, the shehri engineer Kamal Sadanah building a bridge in that village seeks shelter in their house when Anoop is away. Next day, rumour spreads that Suchitra has spent the night with the engineer which angers her husband Anoop so much that at one point, he decides to parade her naked in public. Finally, left with no option to defend herself, Suchi decides to prove her fidelity by using the most powerful tool a woman can use. SEX!!!

Karkash is a complete Suchitra Pillai film and the lady just digs in to it with a splendid performance as a village belle who bears with a chauvinist husband. Her silent suffering is heartfelt indeed. Anoop Soni is convincing as the vile hubby who doesnt mind splurging on a mistress but cannot take care of his family.

Karkash explores multiples themes together - it questions the age old patriarchy, challenges the atrocities faced by rural womenfolk for no fault of theirs and most importantly, highlights the need to bring in a change at mind set level.

Suchitra Pillai is outstanding in the main role and the film is watchable just for her bold and beautiful act. Kudos Suchi!!

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.