Tarpan (The Absolution)

Of course, a film like this, released in 1995, has no reviewers. Such intelligent films do not deserve to be reviewed. Only pot-boilers and films with star casts deserve the VIP treatment. Purely my thoughts, of course, but also a stark reality.

This wonderful film, stunningly depicts the horrifying reality of caste-ridden India, zeroing in on the state of Rajasthan, where humans are discriminated against, on the basis of their birth and sex. The film is about the curse on a village, which accumulates and finally spills over, so that the village children are doomed to die before they attain puberty. A sinister well is the focus of the film; a well which had been the site of numerous depravities and cruel actions of the villagers, and which was now apparently haunted by the restless spirits of the unavenged dead.

Without giving away the plot and its nuances, I would say that this film, devoid of song-and-dance routines, devoid of stars and their mannerisms, and devoid of the numerous frills of Bollywood cinema deserved an award when it was released. I do not know if it did get any recognition or not. But the man behind the marvel, K. Bikram Singh, quietly faded into oblivion. And that speaks volumes for itself.

Please do see this wonderful film, if you prefer excellence and cherish social transformations through the medium of excellent cinematography. The message in the film is relevant even more so today, and is likely to remain relevant for all times to come.