STARRING: Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkumar Rao
DIRECTOR: Hansal Mehta
RATING: 4 stars
Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh comes at an important time when the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of reopening the debate on gay rights in India. Aligarh is a sensitive human drama on the life of noted Indian author and professor Siras who was suspended in 2010 from his post of Reader and Chair of Modern Indian Languages at the Aligarh Muslim University on charges of homosexuality. A sting operation conducted on 8th February 2010 by an unscrupulous TV channel had telecasted footage of Srias in an embrace with a rickshaw puller within the confines of his own home. Based on a true story, Hansal Mehta touches upon several issues and topics apart from gay rights in this two hour long biopic.Films based on real life occurrences are making their way and mark, films like Aligarh tells a story that needed to be told and sends across a message.
Manoj Bajpayee plays Siras who teaches Marathi in Aligarh University. An incident changes his life overnight when members of his staff intrude his house and catch him having sex with another man. He’s immediately labeled an outcast and suspended from his position. The film then traces how Siras fought a stigmatizing and strenuous court case, with the help of a sympathizing journalist, played by Deepu (Rajkumar Rao), to finally win back his position at the university, only to later be found dead in his apartment under mysterious circumstances, which was declared as a death by suicide by the negligent police personnel (who, too, seemed to harbor a prejudice against Srias’ sexuality) under that age-old legal farce of prima facie. All through the film, there are long drawn moments of silence and pauses that like poetry have meaning if you let them seep into your consciousness.
Aligarh is a story of hope and innocence in a time when prejudice and judgment substitutes compassion and kindness. Film is more than just a film about gay rights. It documents the human spirit, and the freedom it struggles to sustain despite its oppressive surroundings. Hansal Mehta has used Siras as a metaphor to highlight optimism in a time of a pessimistic environment. The stutter, pauses, anger, sorrow, an amalgamation of emotions fills up the screen. Director Hansal Mehta is a storyteller and he stands by his signature style of taking time to build the story in Aligarh.There are moments in the film where you feel more than just empathy and compassion for Siras. And this nobody will disagree, that movies are a great source for awakening.
The dramatic feature starring Manoj Bajpayee and Rajkumar Rao had premiered at the 20th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea on 4th October 2015 to thunderous applause and a standing ovation by all who were present. Reaffirming its status as a work of high caliber, the film was treated with the same sort of adulation at the 59th BFI London Film Festival and 17th JioMAMI Mumbai Film Festival. It was also the first Indian film to open the MAMI film festival since the time of its inception.
What works for the film are the Outstanding performances. Rajkummar Rao’s scenes with Manoj are terrific and a lot of his communication happens through his eyes and body language. Manoj Bajpayee gives the performance of a lifetime. Not letting Siras become a caricature or an object of empathy he breathes in life and color even in the weakest scenes. The end might seem abrupt to those who haven’t read any material on the case. Also Deepu’s track with his editor seemed like an effort to throw in a few light moments in an otherwise serious setting. Aligarh is a must watch film. Hansal Mehta’s storytelling and character Siras will charm you with his innocence then Aligarh will become an instant favourite.
