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Laloo gets an art attack: The Indian Express
Sept 16: Political culture finds literal meaning in Mandalised Bihar. From Prakash Jha`s Gangaajal to music albums by decidedly lesser known Bhojpuri singers, the Yadav power factory is inspiring the entertainment industry. Gangaajal is rather dispassionate about the Yadavs; but the Bhojpuri albums reflect a certain impatience with the social regime since Laloo Prasad Yadav became chief minister in 1990.
Sept 16: Political culture finds literal meaning in Mandalised Bihar. From Prakash Jha’s Gangaajal to music albums by decidedly lesser known Bhojpuri singers, the Yadav power factory is inspiring the entertainment industry. Gangaajal is rather dispassionate about the Yadavs; but the Bhojpuri albums reflect a certain impatience with the social regime since Laloo Prasad Yadav became chief minister in 1990.
In Gangaajal, Ajay Devgan is an IPS officer who takes on villain Sadhu Yadav and his son Sunder Yadav, promoters of the ‘‘Yadav Group of Companies’’. They control police stations, bully ministers, palm out government contracts, authorise kidnappings, rape and kill with impunity. No law applies to them; finally Devgan resorts to extra-constitutional means. How does Jha’s script match up to real life?
A Gujarati businessman is arrested and brought to Patna to stand trial in a cheating case. Instead of producing him in court, the policemen take him to a minister’s house. There, the businessman is tortured for days. When his police escort, initially compliant, start protesting, they too are tortured. Meanwhile, opposition parties allege the money involved has actually been embezzled from the state coffers.
A film script? Actually it’s the summary of a charge sheet against Surendra Yadav — a former state minister — Azad Gandhi, a serving legislator, and Pappu Yadav, brother-in-law of Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s brother Subhash Yadav.
The case is being heard by a court in Gaya. Gandhi is still in jail, Surendra has just been released on bail.
In Gangaajal, Ajay Devgan is an IPS officer who takes on villain Sadhu Yadav and his son Sunder Yadav, promoters of the ‘‘Yadav Group of Companies’’. They control police stations, bully ministers, palm out government contracts, authorise kidnappings, rape and kill with impunity. No law applies to them; finally Devgan resorts to extra-constitutional means. How does Jha’s script match up to real life?
A Gujarati businessman is arrested and brought to Patna to stand trial in a cheating case. Instead of producing him in court, the policemen take him to a minister’s house. There, the businessman is tortured for days. When his police escort, initially compliant, start protesting, they too are tortured. Meanwhile, opposition parties allege the money involved has actually been embezzled from the state coffers.
A film script? Actually it’s the summary of a charge sheet against Surendra Yadav — a former state minister — Azad Gandhi, a serving legislator, and Pappu Yadav, brother-in-law of Chief Minister Rabri Devi’s brother Subhash Yadav.
The case is being heard by a court in Gaya. Gandhi is still in jail, Surendra has just been released on bail.
Meanwhile, the real Sadhu Yadav — one of Rabri’s infamous brothers — has had his supporters disrupting screening of Gangaajal, accusing the film of defamation. The Yadav hegemony is complete.
Jha calls his film an attempt to understand Mandalised Bihar, ‘‘If you call Brahminism an attitude, that attitude has now been appropriated by the Yadavs.’’
Caste is ever a hot issue in Bihar. In Gangaajal, most policemen who back Devgan have upper caste surnames. Jha dismisses suggestions of bias, ‘‘There is one Yadav inspector who gives up his life fighting the criminals.’’ Additionally, a corrupt Dalit inspector confesses bribing his caste leader to get a police job.