Decoding Ardh Satya (1983)

July 3, 2018

Any discussion on ‘Parallel Cinema’ in India is incomplete without the reference of director, Govind Nihalani’s 1983 socio-drama, ‘Ardh Satya’. Co-produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ardh Satya became a landmark in Indian Cinema, for its gritty performances, sensitive handling of social issues and high-quality cinematic craft. When I began watching this movie, the only thing I knew was that it had Om Puri and Smita Patil in the lead. Not even the slightest inkling of the premise or the plot. And, to be honest, I had huge expectations from the movie, owing to the hype surrounding it. But, I must admit, I was left a bit disappointed.

The movie is set in Mumbai, on the backdrop of Police and their high handedness. Sub Inspector Anant Velankar (played by Om Puri) is an upright and honest cop. Due to his honesty, righteousness and not conforming to the ugly police-mafia nexus, Velankar is always reprimanded by his seniors and holds a mediocre position in their eyes. Unaffected by these, he decides to take on the local don, Rama Shetty (played by Sadashiv Amrapurkar), only to fall further lower in his career. Unable to control his angst and frustration, Velankar takes to excessive drinking, resulting in an extremely bad temper and ruining his personal and professional lives. Parallely, he falls for a college lecturer, Jyotsna Gokhale (played by Smita Patil), who steers clear of politics and mafia, hoping to lead a normal life as any other ‘Aam Aadmi’. But, the pressures of living up to his chauvinist father’s expectations and burdened by the restrictions put by his corrupt seniors, Velankar loses his way. He quotes a poem, ‘Ardh Satya’, and talks about the inconsequential life that he has, that neither lets him open nor allows him to form a cocoon around himself. The movie also reflects on the behavioral changes in a man, when he assumes power. Velankar respects women and there are various instances showing him fight for them – including for his mother against her abusive husband. But his behavioral change is beautifully shown, when he is a policeman – he lusts for the girls at dance bars and beats up a man in custody, to death! Perfect examples of human behavior also explained by Stanford Prison Experiment.

Govind Nihalani and his screenwriter, Vijay Tendulkar, create an uneasy movie that leaves an unsettling feeling in its viewers. Their narrative swings intuitively between the present and Velankar’s disturbing childhood, affected by an aggressive father. Their best creation is the layered character of SI Anant Velankar, who is written so well that the director keeps revealing various intricacies of his character throughout the movie. This was further enhanced by the award-winning performance by Om Puri. He is perfectly cast as the righteous, anguished and vexed-up cop, who looks for answers but only finds – Ardh Satya. He is a perfect gentleman initially, but the world around him push him into a world of vices and constant irritation. This is also reflected through a cop suspended from work, Mike Lobo (Naseeruddin Shah in a cameo), who acts as an alter ego to Velankar. As Jyotsna, Smita Patil gives an honest performance as the apolitical and risk-averse woman in Velankar’s life, who motivates him to get out of his troubled life. The supporting cast, especially Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Amrish Puri and Shafi Inamdar, add weight to their roles and support the narrative well. One of the best scenes is the confrontation between Velankar and his father, played by Amrish Puri, symbolizing the burst of frustration that was bottled up inside him over the years.

While it is a good piece of work, for some reason, it did not live up to my expectations. The hype and immense praise that this movie is always referred with, created colossal expectation in my head. Though the movie had a no-frill, simple narrative, there was something amiss that left me not completely content. Nonetheless, the movie remains relevant even in today’s times as it talks about hypocritical and manipulative nature of people. It also throws a light on the loathsome workplace politics that exists even today. If nothing else, watch it just for Om Puri’s brilliant performance!