Anek Review: Questions India’s dubious claim of diversity

Hyderabad: Anubhav Sinha walks the least tread path of our cinema and in the midst of poor footfalls, talks of mainland India’s indifference to the Northeast except as a territorial owner. How many can point to the Seven Sisters in the Indian map, a character pointedly asks.

Kanika Varma’s Dansh apart a film dealing with the problems in the NE is not on the inclusive agenda of mainstream Bollywood. Decades ago, Dev Anand tried Yeh Gulistan Hamara.

Anek, as the title suggests, questions our dubious claim of diversity. In a stunning exposure on politics in the Northeast and an increased alienation based on sheer indifference to local needs and an Orwelian Big Brother approach, Anubhav Sinha (Mulk, Tadap, Article 15) dares to throw up many questions.

Aman (Ayushmann Khurrana) is out there as a part of an operation. He reports to a senior officer Abrar Bhatt (Manoj Pahwa), paradoxically an officer from Kashmir who reports directly to the political head (Kumud Mishra). Talks with Tiger Sangha (Loitongban Dorendra) takes place – never honestly. He is seen as a tool for political mileage. The inherited strategy of Divide and Rule sees brazen politics get the better of regional acceptance.

JD Chakravarthy joins the operation as Anjaiah Belamkonda from Telangana – perhaps even the film maker is saluting tokenism. But, seriously speaking, he has a fine, important, impactful performance.

The paradox of the Indian polity celebrating a NE women’s sporting achievements of Aido (Andrea Kevichüsa) parallelly with military action against the local militants is captured with cinematic finesse. The film maker leaves the discerning with disturbing thoughts and questions.

In Kashmir Files, we saw the rehab camps. Now see the NE citizens caged and tied up in wooden cages!! Smoke symbolically goes up as Delhi fine tunes its strategy to combat growing unrest. The serendipitous metamorphosis of a schoolboy into a fatal extremist and the law-enforcing agency doing a Salwa Judum is poignant, sharp, disturbing, and unsettling.

Performance from the entire cast is brilliant – Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, JD and Mr Reliable Ayushmann Khurrana.

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