Anhey gorhey da daan

I saw this film as part of the Rotterdam Film Festival 2012. The film director was present and started his introduction by telling us that India produces many films per year, mostly for the masses, of which at most 10% can be deemed of the "art house" category. He attended film school not long ago, and always wanted to develop his own style. And I can say upfront that he did with great success.

He spent five years in the Punjab region, while himself coming from an other province. He preferred not to shoot with "actors" (=people with this title on their business card), but employed local people instead. He had to specifically instruct them to behave normally (=do not act).

These amateur actors were beautifully portrayed (in more than one meaning of the word) by virtue of long close ups and also long silences. This perfectly blends in with the way of living in this region. The same can be said about the overall slow pacing of this film. Even a still scene can create its own sound and tell what's going on, if I may quote the director. It leaves the concept of time open for interpretation by the viewer (the story can cover days, weeks, whatever).

Plenty of local color was thrown in as a bonus. We witnessed some colorful, creative cursing by one of the women in two different instances. Also, a quote from one of the men is worth recalling: "When God gave wisdom, we were overlooked". The general attitude of the locals is to accept their fate, having the feeling that they can't (won't) do much about it.

As a matter of fact, as told by the director, life is becoming very difficult for the common man in that region. We saw a few men with money and power, very few I assume, and the rest tries to make ends meet but is bound to fail eventually. By the way: I could not help myself wondering what all these people do for a living.

All in all, a perfect inside view in a part of the world we never see. The average Bollywood movie provides us with a very different view on the country, and this film is a welcome exception. I gave he maximum score for the audience award when leaving the theater.

Alms for a Blind Horse is a powerful, meditative cinematic experience that defies conventional storytelling. It offers a raw, unfiltered lens into the disenfranchised lives of Dalit villagers in Punjab. Its deliberate pace, visuals, and narrative silence speak louder than words-imbuing every frame with meaning.

This isn't a film for casual viewing-it's a thoughtful, emotionally resonant work that stays with you. If you're drawn to socially conscious, artful cinema and appreciate films that unfold through mood and subtlety, this one is a must-watch.

The film is set in a village in the outskirts of Bathinda city where villagers work in the fields of the local landlord. It is a village where people are trying hard to make peace with their existence.

On a foggy winter morning, a family wakes up to the news of the demolition of a house on the outskirts of the village. Father, a silent sympathizer, joins the community in demand for justice whilst his son Melu, a rickshaw puller in the city, participates in a strike by his union. Injured and alienated, Melu spends the day quietly resting and drinking with friends in the night they debate the meaning of their existence. Both father and son are equally clueless about their futures.

The film is a powerful exploration of the daily struggles of the urban and rural workers in a Punjab; where the gap between the rich and poor is getting wider and people's hopes and aspirations for a better life are shattered.

As the director says, it is difficult to say what the film is about as it can mean different things to different people, which it should. At the surface, the film speaks about the margins where the socially repressed and exploited have been conveniently cast away. It's about a day in the lives of a family who are witnesses to the play of power equation unfolding around them. It's about silent witnesses devoid of power to change or influence the course of destiny. It's about invisible violence and desires, simmering discontent and angst that are reflected on people's faces.

The village portrayed is not the picture-perfect Bollywood village with verdant mustard fields and huge private mansions. It showcases the underbelly of caste'ism and marginalized farmers. The helplessness and angst of Dalit's in a village in Punjab is beautifully captured.

Amazing part is that most of the actors in the movie are not real actors, but real villagers of the same village where the film is shot.

The creative producer of the movie, Mani Kaul, known for critically acclaimed movies like Uski Roti (1970) & Duvidha (1974) was also mentor of the director, which is clearly reflected in his style. Mani's parting words before the director left for the shoot were: "Go beyond what you know!" and the director says, "I would start feeling dissatisfied if things were going too much according to the plan. I kept struggling with Mani's thought. Having finished the film, now I know what he meant!" Gurvinder's style doesn't share much of functional details, although the way he handles the sounds, the empty frames & the silence, is incredible. This is what would probably alienate him from taking the film to a wider audience. He seems happier experimenting with the notions of time and space within a filmic narrative.

Anhey Ghorey Da Daan is nevertheless a rewarding watch for those who are open to not treading the beaten path!

Both the novel and the movie derive their title from an ancient myth associated with the churning of the ocean, in which Vishnu had been less than fair in his dispensation to the Asuras, supposedly the progenitors of latter-day Dalits.

The film is set in a village on the outskirts Bathinda city, where the Dalit villagers work in the fields of the local landlord. It is a village where Dalit people are trying hard to make peace with their existence. Daily rituals betray their simmering anger and their helplessness. The landlord has sold his plots to an industry that has demolished the house of one of the villagers who refuses to vacate it. The elderly farmer's son is a rickshaw puller in the nearby town. The rickshaw pullers have gone on a strike that has turned violent. Both father and son are equally clueless about their futures.

A rare offering of intelligent and humane cinema. Gurvinder Singh's gentle observational style encompasses an approach in which the poetic simplicity of the visual compositions situate the characters clearly in their surroundings, while imparting an inestimable amount of dignity to their faces, their bodies, their meager words and plight. His aesthetic is simultaneously clear-eyed and mysteriously poignant, while elevating our ethical awareness effortlessly without resort to myth or moralizing. As this is Singh's first feature, the promise of a great artist whose formal excellence is fully nourished by an equally great heart is formidable, and I look forward to his achievements.

For thoughtful and reflective viewers, it is not to be missed. (Seen at MoMA/NY, August 2012)