Aghaat

This is a hard-hitting film by Govind Nihalani exploring the struggles and politics involved in workers unions.

The stark message of the film is the need for workers unions to stay alert of dangers to their unity from external forces. As also the need to get the bigger picture in events and stay true to the spirit of morals and the law.

The film has a stellar starcast. Govind's regular team from his equally thought provoking films in the earlier eighties. Led by Om Puri and ably supported by Amrish Puri, Deepa Sahi, Rohini Hattangadi, Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Naseeruddin Shah (candy l cameo but excellent), most of them National award winners. This film also has further National award winners in KK Raina, Salim Ghouse, Pankaj Kapur and Bharat Gopi from the Malayalam film industry, who does an excellent role as the villain. Truly, a lot of credit for Om Puri's career are such intense characters created by Govind - including his National award for Ardh Satya.

The film delves into how unions pit against each other for control, using a worker's accident on the factory floor. I liked how they show the various shades of the management than simply paint them black. KK Raina's character and role acts as the conscience keeper. His notes are a reflection of our thoughts itself.

Where the brilliant film fails to deliver in the end. Instead of hitting the message home, it confuses the audience both in the climax scene as to what really happens after. The message conveyed by Amrish Puri's character and what Om Puri's character derives from it is implicit support of violence. As if the entire point of the film - to hold on to principles in the wake of violence and unethical behaviour - is not sustainable.

Wish it clearly conveyed that, on the contrary, it's such eye-for-eye itself that causes lack of unity among workers. I wish the film had conveyed that point clearly.