‘Witness’ movie review: Shraddha Srinath, Rohini in a powerful anti-caste film that doesn’t pull any punches
Rohini and Shraddha Srinath in a nonetheless from ‘Witness’
| Picture Credit score: SonyLIV
It’s at all times been straightforward to show a blind eye to the social evils round us and to reside in an imagined actuality. If you find yourself not the sufferer, it’s straightforward to shrug your shoulders and blame this overpowering system that crushes those that don’t have the privilege to shruff it off. Debutant director Deepak’s Witness doesn’t offer you a false sense of victory in opposition to these evils; it isn’t meant to prick you and plead with you to look. Witness throws at you an enormous, thick e book with ‘LOOK’ in daring letters, and asks how ridiculous it’s that we at the moment are accustomed to a few of these social evils, like handbook scavenging, as simply one other information subject.
Witness tells the story of how a middle-aged single mom Indrani (Rohini), who loses her college-going son Parthiban (Thamizharasan) to pressured handbook scavenging, chooses to battle again and never be silenced by those answerable for his demise. Although she is up in opposition to a number of highly effective folks — from the homeowners of the condominium to the contractor, the sub-contractors, and a few corrupt cops — she finds hope and assist from a couple of guardian angels who discover their manner into her life. One amongst them is Petharaj (Selva C), a communist union chief, who first figures out the ploy behind Parthiban’s demise and helps Indrani in her authorized battle. Shraddha Srinath performs a free-spirited, sharp-tongued younger girl, Parvathy, who lives within the condominium by which Parthiban died. She defies her neighbours and helps the late Parthiban discover justice. A lawyer named Sivaprakasam (a incredible Shanmugarajan) takes Indrani’s case and spits fireplace on the courthouse.
Witness (Tamil)
Director: Deepak
Forged: Rohini, Shraddha Srinath, Shanmugarajan, Srinath
Runtime: 120 minutes
Storyline: A single mom takes on a system after her college-going son tragically dies throughout pressured handbook scavenging
From the construction of the screenplay, Witness looks like a whodunit within the type of a authorized drama, but it surely works extra as a social drama. The movie doesn’t wait wherever to ascertain the socio-political angles which can be basically at play in any case of handbook scavenging in India. Individuals, just like the pivotal landlord character (Srinath), have at all times been responsible of exploiting the state of the oppressed with out having to be accountable. By way of the casteist undertones in dialogues, the slang of Tamil spoken by every character, and the mentality exhibited in direction of folks from sure localities and social lessons, the movie maps out who’s the oppressor and who’s oppressed.
Minutes into the story, you start to note a couple of cinematic liberties, and the way there may be plenty of comfort within the development of occasions — for example, Parvathy not solely occurs to be dwelling on the identical condominium by which the tragedy occurred, she can also be Parthi’s swimming classmate and he or she is additionally the one who will get pivotal incriminating proof. Nevertheless, these liberties don’t dent the expertise of watching Witness even a bit.
It is because there’s a transparent sign that this isn’t a movie that’s meant to up the suspense or shock you with twists and turns. By way of an easy story, it reveals the sheer savagery that we, the collective society, are ‘witness’ to. Narratively, it has minimal battle and most coronary heart, and it by no means pulls its punches. The complete movie is a collection of fast, highly effective jabs that elevate many thought-provoking questions. Sure, it’s message-y, and sure, it isn’t refined. However that appears to be the entire level of the movie; to make it as actual as it may well get, and to boost questions which can be as actual as they are often. So as to add to its credit score, the movie additionally doesn’t milk feelings out of you with a sudden tragedy — as a result of every part that occurs within the movie is a tragedy by itself. There aren’t any melodramatic scenes of Parthiban that undermines the emotional intelligence of the viewers; discover how the movie makes use of a superbly penned and composed music (‘Paravayaai Naam Parakkirom’) to inform a lot about Parthiban, the love for his mom and the beliefs he fights for.
By way of a incredible subplot for Shraddha Srinath and Rohini — each of them are wonderful within the movie — we additionally see how this technique made by males tends to have an effect on ladies extra, and the way some choices of males, in a private {and professional} capability, create a long-lasting affect on the ladies.
Witness makes you level at your self quite a bit. For example, each time we come throughout a sloganeer/revolutionist/protester like Petharaj, it’s straightforward to dismiss our involvement of their trigger by blaming the hopelessness of such protests. However discover how the case of Parthiban would have been simply one of many fifteen deaths that 12 months had Petharaj not intervenedThe movie does inform you the repercussions that come out of the set constructions that this caste-obsessed and exploitative society has constructed for generations. It tells you that you’re not at all times combating to win, however you’re additionally combating to battle, to be allowed to boost your voice.
In the event you assume all this can by no means concern you, take into consideration this: Have you ever ever considered what you’ll do in case your landlord employs one other human to wash your septic tank? Would you danger your comfy keep at your property by antagonising your landlord? Or would you select to be like Indrani or Parvathy, and begin cleansing the rut? Witness will not be a movie made with finesse, but it surely manages to level fingers at everybody, particularly the witnesses.
Witness is at the moment streaming on Sony Liv
