- Release Date: 09/02/2024
- Platform: Netflix
- Cast: Bhumi Pednekar, Aditya Srivastav, Sanjay Mishra, Sai Tamhankar, Chittaranjan Tripathy
- Director: Pulkit
“Bhakshak” chronicles the journey of Vaishali Singh (Bhumi Pednekar) as she tries to find her path to becoming a successful reporter and set up her own news outlet. Vaishali is part of a world where the primary task of women is to get married, have children, and take care of their household. Even though her husband is caring and supportive, she finds it hard to put to rest the many questions and criticisms that come her way for not having kids and spending most of her time hunting for news. Her news outlet is also not doing too well and has become a target of ridicule on more than one occasion for their comedic reporting.
Vaishali’s life takes a drastic turn when she gets tipped off about a girl’s shelter home where large-scale child abuse has been going on for years. The home is run by Bansi Sahu (Aditya Srivastav), a politically connected powerful entity who would go to any lengths to save his empire. As Vaishali tries to uncover the truth, she realizes that everyone related to the crimes in the city is either in Bansi’s pockets or is too afraid to go up against him. It is now left up to Vaishali to somehow find a way to gather evidence against Bansi and bring him to justice for all that he has done to children for years.
The Film Soars Every Time the Proceedings Concentrate on The Primary Plot Elements That Are Based on True Events:
This is the kind of story that goes beyond how well it is cinematically rendered or not. The plot itself is so shocking and harrowing that as I sat through the film, there were scenes and moments where I was forced to look away. The feeling and realization that something like this has happened before and might still be happening somewhere in the world are not only scary but also gut-wrenching. The film has its share of inadequacies, but where it doesn’t fail are the moments that aim at establishing the tragedy of the poor children who are stuck in the inner circle of hell and the amount of sickness that the men and women who are controlling them have in them and unleash on the children. These portions are extremely well-realized, designed, and performed with absolute power and impact. The film begins with a scene that knocked me off my seat completely. We see a heinous crime being committed, and the man doing it takes it all as a joke. How this scene finally ends is even more shocking. The portions of the film where we get to learn what was going on in the children’s home through a prolonged flashback were the next most unsettling scenes of the film. The climax where law enforcement finally takes out the children from the hell had a semblance of a feeling of victory and peace to it, but it was laced with a feeling of having achieved it all a little too late. Every time the film dwells on the plight of the children and the men who are perpetrating the heinous crime, the direction, performances, the writing, and the handling of the scenes immediately soar.
Aditya Srivastav As Bansi Sahu, The Primary Antagonist Is Brilliant:
Aditya Srivastav as the primary antagonist will make you feel sick to the bones. The way he interacts with every girl of the girls’ home and also how he just looks at them is enough to outrage the modesty of any woman. As the film progresses, we see how sick he actually is, and this gives us a lot more insight into his thought process that proves to be even more shocking and sickening. The way he interacts and behaves with others around him, especially in the government machinery, tells us a lot about him and any character who might be of a similar nature. He is not just a simple huffing, puffing antagonist. Srivastav feels every dialogue and act that he is shown doing in the film, and it shows. This enhances the impact of his character and makes him the personification of the evil that the film needed him to be.
Bhumi Pednekar turns in a fine performance as the protagonist:
Bhumi Pednekar has become one of the most dependable leading ladies of recent times. It is a different story that her choice of films has never been the best, and this has led to some criticism of her worldview. If truth be told, some of her performances that have not been as bad as many in their hate for her may have led you to believe. In this film, however, she is a complete powerhouse and delivers a restrained, nuanced, and impactful performance. Her character is built gradually, and it is never rendered into a superwoman. The different elements of the story and the path that her character takes show us the struggles that she has to go through before arriving at the facts. She has to fight a two-pronged war against Bansi Sahu.
First, she has to find means of collecting evidence against the man who has the entire government machinery under his control, and secondly, she has to deal with the pressure mounting on the family front who feel threatened by her taking on such a powerful enemy. Even her relatives come in harm’s way, and this makes it increasingly difficult for her to pursue the case. Bhumi perfectly documents these struggles of her character through her mannerisms and subtle expressions. She does the best when she is shown coming face to face with the evil that is unfolding in the girl’s home. Her restrained and yet exasperated reactions to what she learns about the evil were nothing short of great. Her rendition of the climax of the film was highly satisfying. This is also the kind of film and character that suits her exterior perfectly, and it becomes easier to suspend disbelief about her character.
Fantastic Supporting Cast Who Enhances the Realism and The Appeal of The Film:
The supporting cast of the film features stalwarts like Sanjay Mishra, Chittaranjan Tripathy, Satyakam Anand, and Sai Tamhankar. Each of these actors does their part so well that there remains nothing to be desired. Chittaranjan Tripathy was particularly brilliant as the government official who boasts often of being a father to a daughter himself and then does some of the most heinous crimes against girls. He was not only the most hateable but also the proof of the fact that no matter how close we get to the criminals, some of them still escape. Sanjay Mishra gets a much easier role this time in comparison to his body of work, and he does exceedingly well. Satyakam Anand could have been given a little more to do but is still effective enough in his short essay. He instills fear with his imposing presence, and this is what was expected of his character. Sai Tamhankar comes into the picture in the latter half, and the film lights up with her electric presence. In spite of that, the director makes it a point to keep her presence restrained and never venture into a territory that was reminiscent of her turning into a lady Singham and taking the film away from its rooted approach to storytelling.
What Could Have Been Better in the film:
The film forcefully emphasizes and dedicates copious amounts of time to how patriarchy was posing a major challenge to Vaishali’s character spreading her wings and achieving success in her life. Strangely, the character is never shown to be truly challenged or restricted by the things that her relatives say or the initial challenges that her husband poses in her work life. If that was the case and she was so empowered, what was the point of showing all the cacophony from her personal life that ultimately resulted in nothing pertaining to the storytelling? These are the portions that somehow bog down the pace of the narrative and make the audience want to get back to the Bansi Sahu Story arch every time the focus shifts to this portion.
In trying to keep the film as realistic as possible, it does fail to deliver some effective punches that we generally associate with films of this nature. That may not be a particularly bad thing for a hyper-realistic film of this nature, but one does miss a powerful climax. At least one of the perpetrators escapes, and a major one at that. I would have loved for him to be punished too. If not in real life, we can at least have our way in reel-life, right?
The approach of the director to the storytelling feels fairly generic. Apart from the portions where we see the violent abuses being committed by Bansi Sahu and his men, the rest of the story goes pretty much as expected with the audience being able to predict every twist and turn. Within the realms of originality and realism, the makers could have definitely tried and infused some surprises and twists that would have made the narrative feel fresh and more impactful.
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Final Words:
“Bhakshak” is a gripping narrative that delves into the harrowing reality of child abuse and the struggle for justice in a society rife with corruption and patriarchy. While it may have its shortcomings in pacing and predictability, the film’s powerful performances, particularly from Bhumi Pednekar and Aditya Srivastav, and its stark portrayal of the atrocities inflicted upon innocent children, elevate it to a compelling watch. Despite its flaws, “Bhakshak” leaves a lasting impact, shedding light on a dark aspect of society and the resilience of those who dare to confront it.
Rating: 3/5 (3 out of 5 Stars)
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