Arohan (1983) User Reviews

Justice does prevail - on the travail of farmers

[rtoac1 · 8/10 · 9 April 2023]

This is a Hindi language film by noted director Shyam Benegal. This is one of the films of the art or parallel cinema genre which focused on real life issues rather than mere entertainment.

The film name literally means "ascent" or "rise". The film is about how poor land owners in Bengal were exploited by landlords despite having the law on their side. They were uneducated and unaware of their rights and many a time under the whims or muscle power of the landlords.

The film showcases the case of one family - that of Hari Mondol (superbly played by Om Puri who won a National Award for this). Unable to support a large family, he is led to right off his rights to the landlord when in the need of money for a marriage in the family. And ends up being exploited for that. In the midst of which, his extended family also has to go through various hardships. They migrate to Kolkata only to fall into the wrong hands and face further hardship after living off the initial lustre of the city life.

The film has a positive ending after this otherwise completely bleak view of Bengal's farmers. This made it worth the watch.

It doesn't escape one's notice that despite playing to the gallery in many commercial films, and being in high demand for them, Amrish Puri always made time to play roles in Shyam Benegal films. Hats off to the late veteran.

The Ascending Scale

[Chrysanthepop · 25 March 2011]

'Arohan' focuses on the issue of the Zameendars (property holders who won massive areas of farmlands) taking over the land of the poor farmers while making them work on it likes slaves and in exchange offering them a price next to nothing. Though Zameendary was 'abolished' after India gained independence, it was still heavily illegally practiced in the rural area. Benegal addresses this issue through the story of a young farmer Hari Mondal and his family. Even though Mondal struggles for justice to win back his land, it comes at a high price where his family falls apart.

Benegal's portrayal is very raw and the the Bengali essence is captured with authenticity through art direction, interaction of actors, setting and the score. All the actors deliver a natural performances. Om Puri is outstanding and he is commendably supported by Victor Banerjee, Noni Ganguly, Pankaj Kapur, Sreela Majumdar and others. The cinematography also deserves special mention as it has a very documentary-like hold that reflects the harsh reality of the issues.

Benegal tackles other issues that arise from poverty. Hari Mondal and his family are of good heart but they are very naive...to the point that they permit Pakhi to go to Calcutta with a stranger who promised her employment.

'Arohan' is among Benegal's lesser known and underrated works. To me, Hari Mondal is among the most memorable characters. He's a good hard- working man trying to provide for his family but he's too naive and gullible for his own good.

A Flawed But a Compelling Film

[Bongatticus · 14 October 2012]

Arohan is not the best work of Shyam Benegal. The movie has many flaws - the narrative is very flat in places and many characters with promise - Balai Mandal, Pachi and Master Da - have been left dangling without proper development.

Yet, Om Puri's Hari Mandal and his struggle for his land present a morally and aesthetically compelling account of the travails of small peasantry in Bengal. Hari's journey through various courts, culminating in the unforgettable scene in Calcutta High Court poignantly, describes the parallel paths of the judiciary and the poor in India.

The film is also intriguing for it was produced by the Government of West Bengal. Clearly, the ascent (Arohan) in this movie refers not just to the rise of Hari Mandal to a position of political power but also that of the Left Front. One cannot help but wonder whether directorial freedom was placed under any constraint due to the political imperatives of the producer.