Gulabi Gang

At the end of Gulabi Gang, I was embarrassed.  Embarassed lesser because I had, in my review of Gulaab Gang, called it out to be a fictionalized account.  I should have used fictionalized and severely over dramatized and supremely over the top as adjectives.  Even then, I would have barely managed to scratch the surface of how Soumik Sen has trivialized the true story of Sampat Pal Devi (even though he claimed otherwise).

I am more embarrassed because the first person to have made a documentary on this extremely strong topic was a Brit documentary maker - Kim Longinotto (Pink Saris).  When an Indian – Nishita Jain – decided to make a documentary on the same subject, she had to look at funding from Norway and Denmark to support a budget of E550,000!!! How pathetic are we?

Gulabi Gang begins with a brief background on how the organization has grown into over 150000 members with 11 district commanders.  It quickly moves into the first story of a dowry related (one can only assume) burning.  Nishita Jain (the director) is courageous enough and extremely lucky to have found herself in the right place at the right time.  Because the scenes that follow are not for the faint hearted.

Nishita exposes the spineless world that we call India.  A girl child is married off @ age 11.  She not only has to suffer physical abuse that her body is not ready for but, at the end of the day she gets burnt to a char and stuffed through a window.  Her parents accept the in-laws statement that she got burnt because of a clay oven burst (choola). WOW!!!

Nishita proceeds to narrate the story through several odds that Sampat Pal has to face beginning with the abuse of women in society to even ridicule for being a woman trying to make a difference.  The essence of the Gulabi Gang being involved in anything that is unjust – whether releated to man, woman or child has been captured quite well.

In fact, here is a documentary that is very clearly trying to show both sides of the coin.  It finishes with a perspective of how the Gang begins losing their ground because of in-fighting and differences of opinion.  A fact that has come to light in recent times with the eviction of Sampat Lal Devi from the very organization she formed – ironically on 7^th March 2014 (the day Gulaab Gang released).

Gulabi Gang is a must watch because it gives you a view to the harsh truth that still exists in the country.  In terms of film making, it is actually quite average.  There is a lot that is left to be desired in terms of technicalities.  But it is a story that makes you think hard and embarrasses you to no end – at times makes you feel ashamed of being in the same legal circle in which the stories occurred.  6 on 10.

Watch the trailer on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av39YJTnMM8