Film Review: Daman

ONE COULDN'T agree more with Kalpana Lajmi about creating an awareness with regard to domestic violence and the plight of women both in our country and the world over. But if films with such motivation are being made they could at least be gripping.

``Daman'', presented by the Department of Family Welfare, Government of India, and directed by Kalpana Lajmi, seems a bit difficult to digest. This is despite her reputation as a good film-maker and her understanding of the medium. One wonders what happened to her when it came to constructing the sequences. The cliches and the predictability of the situations took the joy out of a tragic, courageous tale that is so common in many parts of this country. Wife beating, abuse and complete lack of understanding of the role of women are all relevant to be vocalised and stressed - but somewhere the film-maker gets caught in the routine and has put forth a product that leaves one feeling incomplete. The catharsis is there, the vindication is there, the rising from the ashes into a brave new world is there - all in ideas and the story, but the way it goes along one only feels impatient for the predictability to end. Take for instance the characterisation - of the woman in question played by Raveena Tandon. She is Durga - again quite predictably named just so she can become the fierce goddess towards the end. She starts as a coy bride happy to serve a husband whom she knows nothing about. She goes into her new home with hopes and dreams only to find them shattered by a demonic and coarse man Sanjay Saikia who appears horrible without any substantial reason. Why he is so violent, that too at the drop of a hat, is something that does not come across clearly. Played by Sayaji Shinde, the character is sometimes contrived.

One wonders why Kalpana would have put up with such average performances and this includes Raima Sen who plays the daughter Deepa and the bone of contention between Durga and Sanjay. Sanjay Suri as the brother and the person who is good to Durga in the family is lost despite his key role. His death seems most unconvincing towards the end as he is pushed into the waters on a stormy night by the brother. The popular pop singer Shaan as Deepa's boy friend is just about tolerable.

Set in the verdant surroundings of villages in Assam and in the heart of Guwahati the camera (Bejoice Verghese, Jatinder Sharma) does justice in places - the constant movements, though part of the director's visualisation and perhaps intended style, sometimes distracts instead of acting like a cohesive force in the construction of events. Using flashbacks and cuts the film goes back and forth from past to present.

The musical score by Bhupen Hazarika, who is also the production designer of the film is largely folk with the background score sometimes competing with the scenes in sound and presence.

CHITRA MAHESH

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