I was browsing the OTT platforms listlessly one afternoon and the unusual name caught my attention. The trailer seemed even more intriguing and I ended up sitting through this one in one stretch. I am a self-confessed fan of innocuous-looking movies that rear up and catch you off-guard and this debut film does that in a hard-hitting manner. It can leave you cynical and depressed though, so you are warned.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #EebAllayOoo, debutante director #PrateekVats bold foray into satire. The film has just been released on #NetflixIndia.Theilm debuted at the Jio MAMI film festival in 2019 and won the Golden Gateway Award in the India Gold category.
#EebAllayOoo is a metaphor all through. It starts with the name of the lead . Anjani (#ShardulBhardwaj) is a migrant young man who lands up in Delhi and is put up with his sister and brother-in-law. He lands up a sarkaari job of shooing away monkeys that abound in the office district of New Delhi. He is meek and unable to produce the guttural sounds that needs to be conjured up to scare away the simians. He doesn't like what he is doing and isn't good at it but has no other option. He tried out various options but to no avail. In a disturbing sequence of absurdity, he descends metaphorically to a level where you wonder who the real monkeys are!
#ShardulBhardwaj is terrific in his portrayal of the migrant labourer. He is from outside Delhi and is grappling with his inner fears, helplessness, animosity of those around him and humiliation from his boss. His expressions are a myriad of emotions. “Kahan narak mein laake phek diya” he asks of his colleague Mahender (#Mahender) as soon as he settles into the job. Earlier, he and the other monkey-catchers are taken through an “induction video” that explains in english how the monkeys are revered and often pandered to so much that they turn demanding. This is when the gods turn into pests!
#Saumyananda Sahi’s camera work is excellent as he employs a bunch of close-up and shaky shots to establish the monkey menace. In the background are the tall and imposing symbols of authority in Lutyens’ Delhi. These are the areas around the Udyog Bhawan, Vigyan Bhawan, Nirmaan Bhawan and the Rajpath. In one scene, Anjani tries to dissuade a well-attired gent from feeding the monkeys. The man turns on him and in true Delhi style starts throwing names an authority to establish his credentials.
The portrayal of the ilk of the migrant labourers is a class act. Editor #TanushreeDas makes sure that the shots of upmarket Delhi are juxtaposed against the trans-Yamuna Jhopad-patti. #NutanSinha plays Anjani’s sister and is pregnant, She packs spices to supplement the family income. In one scene she proudly declares that her brother has a government job! Meanwhile, her husband Shashi Bhushan is ill-equipped to manage the rigours of the job of a security guard. Even an increment of Rs 1500 is a big deal for him. In the process, he has to carry a rifle and this disturbs his wife.
Anjani meanwhile tries out various things to become effective at his job. This includes sign-posts, slingshots and a langur costume. All this irks his boss and he lands in trouble. As the sequence of events take him to the brink of madness, it is a chilling experience for the viewer. How many of us would take a second look at a character like Anjani if you were to spot him on the street? How many of us would even bother to take cognizance of his circumstances?
The absurdity of the plot and some fantastic performances off-set slow pace of the film. The satire is in many ways an acerbic condemnation of the capital and the nation. The migrant labourer is both literally and metaphorically at the receiving end. As the distinction between man and monkey blurs, #EebAllayOoo leaves you a tad disturbed !
Комментарии