Introduction –
Kadvi Hawa got a special mention at the 64th National Film Awards ceremony.
Imagine a landscape that reflects dusty, meandering paths along small hills, barren plains and scorching heat. Imagine a habitat which has not experienced rain in a decade. And what does this all mean for the farmers? It means that death is lurking around the corner.
Synopsis –
Bundelkhand is one such region which is experiencing rising suicide cases by farmers. The film peels off that “Everything is okay with nature” mask with some cruel cinematic visuals. The fact is our planet is undergoing severe upheavals in terms of climate change and nothing is being done to either halt this catastrophe or reverse this shift.
Kadvi Hawa shows the two sides of climate change – drought and downpour. While Bundelkhand is reeling under severe water shortage, hundreds of kilometers away in Odisha villages are vanishing under heavy rainfall and rising sea water ( tidal waves ravaging the costal belt ).
While Gunu Babu (Ranvir Shorey), a loan recovery person, nicknamed “Agent of death” has his own reasons of being harsh on the villagers because of his personal setbacks which includes bringing his family to a drier place like Bundelkhand, and away from the torrential rains and ruthless sea, Hedu ( Sanjay Mishra ), a blind farmer fears that his son Mukund ( Bhupesh Singh ) might commit suicide because of the growing burden of debt. It is ironic because Gunu Babu & Hedu have reasons which are simply contradictory.
The film progresses to a point where Gunu Babu and Hedu in spite of their socio-economic disparity and conflicting individual beliefs arrive at an unusual pact, an unhealthy and inhuman alliance. Hedu agrees to provide information about the villagers’ financial status to Gunu Babu provided he adjusts his commission against his son’s loan / debt. Watch the film to know the fate of these characters.
Analysis –
Cinematography could’ve been a tad better, especially during volatile scenes while the director could have tweaked the pace to match the viewers’ taste. Maybe the idea was to let the viewers’ seep into the story and become a part of the film. But that only happens in books.
Except for the sluggish pace and ineffective, extended scenes such as the one the covers the entire journey of Hedu, right from the village to the bus ride which finally terminates in the bank seemed a bit stretched. Tillotama Shome as Parvati shines through her body language and remarkable, meaningful expressions.
2017 Nila Madhab Panda Nitin Dixit 95 Minutes Zee5