REVIEW: SAANCHA

Producers- Vivek H Dixit and Reena S Passi

Director- Aloknath Dixit

Star Cast- Raghubir Yadav, Vaishnavi, Archanna Gupta, Anupam Kher, Mukesh Tiwari, Vijay Raaz

Genre- Social

OTT Platform- MX Player

Tacky and as old as the hills!

Rating- **

Jyothi Venkatesh

Though this dated film was made way back thirteen years ago, to be precise in 2008, the situation does not seem to have improved over the years in any way, as far as exploitation of women (read sexploitation) is concerned today.

"Saancha" is a conscious effort to present the naked truth of human emotions in today's progressive, cultured and civilized society.

Every parent prays to God that they be blessed with an intelligent and physically powerful male child and if it is a female child, the parents prefer to have a child with divine beauty, though in hindsight, this very benevolence of God becomes an inconceivable curse for some parent.

The hackneyed plot revolves around a haggard woman, Chanda (Vaishnavi), who works at a rustic brick kiln with her sick husband Hariya (Raghubir Yadav) to meet the daily needs of her household consisting of her herself, her husband and their only daughter Chakori (Archanna Gupta).

Worried that her daughter should not fall a prey to the lustful eyes of her boss the brick contractor Shambhu (Mukesh Tiwari), Chanda religiously rubs the kiln-ash every day over her daughter's ever-glowing skin for past sixteen years in order to protect her honor.

Unfortunately due to sickness of her husband she had borrowed money from the brick-contractor, and unwillingly enrolls herself amongst those underprivileged & helpless women who undergo sexploitation in return of his monitory favor whenever he wishes so.

Unfortunately for Chanda, one day when it pours heavily, Shambhu's eyes glimmer when he sees the attractive Chakori whose beauty was remaining hidden under the layers of murky ash for years and sensing his wicked intent, Chanda decides to safeguard her daughter's honor by ageing to marry her off to an aged 55 yrs old, pervert old Ramkhilavan (Anupam Kher) who perceives his wife as nothing but a mere commodity to fulfill his sexual desires but is dismayed on his first night, to discover that his young wife knows nothing about sexual act.

The old man realizes his cardinal sin and surrenders before her sacred innocence and sets her free by marrying her off to his teenage son-like assistant in his cycle shop and walking away.

While the entire film is borne by Vaishnavi who renders a sterling performance as the suffering Chanda, Raghubir Yadav also gives her solid support as her husband Hariya.

Mukesh Tiwari is good as usual while Anupam Kher scores as the good hearted old pervert.

Archanna Gupta looks quite innocent and fits the part like T as Chakori. While Sudha Chandran in a brief special appearance disappears even before you blink for a second, Vijay Raaz has been wasted with a half baked character which lacks logic.

On the whole, though ‘Saancha The Mould’ has been made with honest intentions, the film is at times tacky and dated and lacks production values and what’s more is as old as the hills with predictable unfolding of the plot