187. Bheed; movie review

 

BHEED

Cert 15

114 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

How sad that one of the most incisive movies to hit Indian cinemas this year has been a big flop.

Bheed is beautifully made, its acting is compelling and it turns a knife deep into the caste system and the country's handling of the Covid epidemic.

So, one can only hope that audiences who turned their back on it during its cinema run, give it a chance on Netflix.

Anubhav Sinha's movie highlights the migration of poor workers back to their villages from the cities during the early days of the pandemic.

It sets the tone from its beginning when a large group go to sleep on the railway line believing that public transport is no longer running.

Fourteen of them were killed.

That was a true story to amplify the points made during Bheed which alights upon the temporary border put up on a state line as workers from Delhi try to go back to family homes.

Made in black and white, it shows the pressure on all strands of society from the very poor to the rich and supposedly those with influence.

These range from the daughter caring for her sick, alcoholic father to the chauffeur-driven mother (Dia Mirza) who is desperate to reach her daughter.

They are all stuck at a barrier being patrolled under the leadership of a newly promoted police officer (Rajkummar Rao).

In his job, he has defied the caste system that has prevented him from marrying his doctor girlfriend (Bhumi Pednekar) but it still weighs heavy as he faces up to his new responsibilities.

Indeed, the man who has fought up from the lower end of society finds himself having to give orders to those from the higher echelons.

Meanwhile, there is confusion about the spread of coronavirus and its dangers.

It is a toxic mix and an already fragile environment soon becomes frayed to breaking point.

Bheed is a tough watch but it feels as real as any movie I have seen in 2023. 

Perhaps cinema audiences prefer escapism but it is utterly compelling and they should give it a go.

Reasons to watch: Hard but compelling

Reasons to avoid: The suffering is tough to watch

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 9/10

Did you know? According to a National Campaign Against Torture report, The National Human Rights Commission of India recorded 1,680 cases of custodial deaths in 2020. Out of these, 1,569 deaths took place in judicial custody and 111 deaths took place in police custody.

The final word. Dia Mirza: "It is purely based on what happened immediately after the lockdown and how it impacted migrants. I think when I read the script, I felt it made me think about a lot of things that I hadn’t thought about before." Eastern Eye

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