'Guthli Laddu' movie Review: An incredible film on the essential equal right to education...”

Rating: Two and a half stars

In the Indian Constitution, every citizen has been given equal right to education. The right to education is for every religion, caste, and class. But unfortunately, these days education is completely under the control of the market. However, filmmaker Ishrat Khan has brought the film 'Guthali Laddu' on the right to education. But watching this film, one feels as if this film is from the forties and fifties. Due to this, this film completely loses its importance. Apart from this, the way the resolution of the story of this film is shown also seems unbelievable. So in defiance of the same law, the caste word 'Bhangi' has been used several times in this film, which is a non-bailable offense. The word ‘Harijan’ should have been used instead of ‘Bhangi’. But this has also been passed by the Censor Board. So does the Central Board of Film Certification i.e. Censor Board consider the caste word 'Bhangi' as legitimate? Sadly, this film has been appreciated in all the international film festivals of the world.

Story:

The story is of a village, where Chaube ji's private school is 'Saraswati Vidyamandir, whose principal is Harishankar Bajpayee. If Harishankar's mother is to be believed, Chaube ji has made Harishankar the principal of the school because of his being a Bajpayee rather than because of his ability. All the children in this school belong to the upper caste. Whereas children of lower caste schools cannot even step inside the school. But Harijan Mangroo's son Guthli (Dhanay Seth) along with his friend Laddu (Heet Sharma) secretly enters the school and stands at the window reading whatever the teachers teach. Forget education, society does not even want to touch them. That's why many times school teachers beat them and drive them away. These children belong to a family that cleans the filth of the society. Laddu has a desire to eat laddu, while Guthli has a strong desire to study and write. School principal Harishankar (Sanjay Mishra) sees and understands Guthli's penchant for reading and writing from the Harijan caste, but he too finds himself helpless amid caste-based social shackles and prejudices. He has to work in a Chaube’s school. The complaint about Guthli's actions reaches his father Mangroo (Subrata Dutta) and mother Rania (Kalyani Mulay). At first, he is cursed a lot at home, but one day when Laddu dies tragically while cleaning the drain, Guthli's parents decide to educate their son and make him a big successful man instead of cleaning the filth. After the death of Harishankar's mother, a desire to educate Guthli arises in Harishankar's mind. Then he proves to be instrumental for Guthli in this mission. And this is where not only a new twist comes in the story. So at the center of the story of the entire film is the education of Harijan children.

Review:

Director Ishrat Khan has raised the legitimate question of equal education. However, he has failed to accurately depict the way the villagers treat the Harijan who do sanitation work. In reality, they do not have a true sense of the conditions of their country, society, city, and village; they are living in a world of imagination. In the present times, the way education has been commercialized, be it city or village, it is not the caste of the child but the money that is coming in the way of education. The situation that the director has shown regarding caste is similar to that seen in the forties and fifties. Not today. It is possible that such a rare specimen may be found in some remote villages. Because of this, the film loses its meaning. In the past, some filmmakers used to sell the poverty of the country through their films in foreign countries, similarly, Ishrat Khan and Prateek Rangwani have done the work of spreading the biggest lie by selling the decades-old caste equation of India, which is not approved in the censor certificate. By giving this, the Censor Board has only done the work of promotion. Believe that everyone has the right to education. If a child wants to study, then it is the responsibility of the government to make arrangements for his education. However, the filmmakers have not been able to put the government in the dock anywhere in this matter of commercialization of education. The climax of the film is also poor. Film directors have also struggled to portray caste discrimination in a meaningful manner. Most of the scenes in the film are melodramatic.

Many scenes of the film touch the heart, like the upper caste woman strictly avoids touching the bicycle touched by Mangroo (Subrata Dutta), but has no qualms about taking the money given by him.

Acting:

Child actor Dhanay Seth's performance in the role of Guthli is brilliant. He wins everyone's heart. His childlike curiosity about studies is clearly visible on his face. Heet Sharma is also not weak in the role of Laddu. The scenes of friendship between Guthli and Laddoo make one emotional. Sanjay Mishra disappoints in the role of Principal Harishankar Bajpayee. Subrata Dutta and Kalyani Mulay Guthli's parents leave an impact with their strong performances. The acting of Kanchan Pagre as Laddu's father, Arif Shahdoli as the school owner and a leader who bakes bread in the name of the upper caste, and Sunita Shirole as Harishankar's mother is fine.

-Shantiswarup Tripathi

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