MANJHI - THE MOUNTAIN MAN

What would you call a man who tells you he, alone will cut a road through the mountain with just a hammer and chisel ?  Is the word psychotic ? Or Lunatic, insane , freak ! Yes the man was officially called all that and much more for 22 years, but in the end he proved that never ignore the power of ONE. 

Ketan Mehta has turned the life story of  Dashrath Manjhi, an 'uncommon' man from Bihar into the movie 'Manjhi- The mountain man'. 

Sometimes people do extraordinary deeds that need mention to motivate the next generation. Dashrath Manjhi was that unsung hero whose story has all the ingredients of greatness. Low caste boy, runs away at a young age, works in coal mines, comes back to his village after years only to find the similar pathetic situation of caste system, people treated even worse than animals by zamindars, how women were raped and killed just for fun with no law and order reaction. Amidst all this a love story between Manjhi and his wife Phaguniya and after his wife's death how the man keeps everything aside and promises himself to break the mountain to cast way through it.

Feeling inspired? 
In the first episode of  Season 2 of  Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan talked about this inspirational tale of  Manjhi. Coming back to the main story:  Dashrath Manjhi's wife died due to lack of medical treatment because the nearest town from their home in Gehlore village, with a doctor was nearly 75 kms away travelling around the hills, or along a treacherous pass through the hills. Struck with grief , Manjhi swore to make a more direct route through Gehlore Hills to medical care, so that no one else would suffer the same fate. 

Over the course of 22 years, Manjhi single handedly carved a 360 ft long , 25 ft deep and 30 ft wide road out of a hill with nothing but a hammer and chisel. This reduced the distance tenfold.  

Why am i talking about Dashrath Manjhi when i should be talking about the movie and write its review ? You must be thinking this. Right ? 
I had to introduce this man to you as its not a script written by any writer but a real story of a man that one should know and remember irrespective of going to the movie or not.

Lets talk about the cast, Nawazuddin Siddiqui proves that he is also a one man army. That lean frame has nothing to do with his mountainous stature when he plays a character. He made Manjhi look real, although the make up did not help him much, yet Nawazuddin Siddiqui the actor never lets you down, through the movie. Its a treat to watch him. When he sees his wife for the first time, when she dies specially the scene where a snake bites him and he uses the chisel and hammer to cut off his own toe in order to stay alive. It looks so real the expression on Nawaaz's face! What would you have done? I don't know if i could have done it. 
But even being a bit slow at a few places, the movie is entertaining.For the parts of the film that involve mountain and Nawaaz as characters. Nawaaz sure shuns down the mountain.   

Radika Apte as Falguni Devi or Phaguniya as called by Manjhi, is the apt casting and no one else could have been able to pull it off the way she does. The chemistry between Nawaaz and Radhika is amazing and they seemed to compliment the characters. But i did not like those dream flashes and white saree stuff, in order to make it more filmy they add bollywood masala which kills the flavor the real spice in this one is the story, but alas!

Pankaj Tripathi and Tigmanshu Dhulia as the sleazy zamindar son and father are perfect. The role reminds of  Ramadheer of Gangs Of Wasseypur, Maybe cos both characters involved a lot of 'Kameenapan' and that shows while both these actors performed their roles. They make you hate them, feel disgusted and angry about all they do. A compliment for any villian i say. 

Gaurav Dwivedi portrays the role of Alok Jha a reporter who breaks the news of Dashrath Manjhi's efforts to the outside world. He also plays a constant supporter of Manjhi's struggle and gets him out jail when arrested. The dialogues exchanged between Manjhi and Alok are highlights of the movie. Both Nawaazuddin and Gaurav play the strengths of their characters. He also acts as the narrator of Manjhi in the beginning.

Films like Manjhi take their own sweet time to establish the plot. They prey on our inner emotions of pain and hurt to make us understand what a grieving person can do. This proves such a person can even break down a mountain. It takes a hell of a man to do what Dashrath Manjhi did, the film is not trying to make him a hero as he already is ! What he has done for the generations of that village is something he will be always remembered.

NO PIRACY or small screen will be able to do justice to this movie. For nothing else but films like MASAAN and MANJHI should be watched in theatres so that more such film makers dare to create real stories.

The movie is a must watch for Dashrath Manjhi's conviction and Nawaazuddun Siddiqui'd resilience.