#BhopalAPrayerForRain #HindiEnglishBollywoodHollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas Rating: * * *

#BhopalAPrayerForRain #HindiEnglishBollywoodHollywoodFilmMovieReview #JohnsonThomas Rating: * * *

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#SulemaniKeeda(Hindi) Rating: * * * Peddling attitude rather than substance. The content is ephemeral but the performances and dialogues come across naturally. Mildly humorous, Ironical bitter-sweet bromantic engagement - even though the script lacks solidity and bite.
#AmitMasurkar #NFDC #MauliSingh  #NaveenKasturia #MayankTewari #AditiVasudev #KaranMirchandani #KrishnaSinghBisht #DilipPrabhawalkar
 
#BhopalAPrayerForRain(English/Hindi) Rating: * * * Revisiting a terrifying human tragedy without the requisite homework. A wishy-washy tale of death and debilitating agony, this one prefers to stay on the right side of the Americans! Even so it’s a decent watch. #MartinSheen #MischaBarton #RajpalYadav #SaharaMovies #PerceptPictures #RisingStarProductions #RenukaGuptaPR #TanishtaaChatterjee #SatishKaushik
 
#ExodusGodsAndKings (English Imax 3D) Rating: * * * Visually majestic but a little stunted in it’s expansiveness. Christian Bale stars as Moses in director Ridley Scott's Biblical epic based on the Book of Exodus. Scott makes it much more realistic and believable but unfortunately that takes away from the expected fantasy experience. Doesn’t have the campy involvement that made DeMille’s ‘BenHur’ oh so memorable.   #FoxStarIndia #RidleyScott #ChristianBale #UniversalCommunications #ParagDesai #JoelEdgerton #BenKingsley #AaronPaul #JohnTorturro #IndiraVarma #MarAavalverde #GolshiftehFarahani #SigourneyWeaver


 

                                                                                          




Hindi film review
Johnson Thomas

Of Death and Outrage


Film:Bhopal A Prayer for Rain
Cast: Martin Sheen, Kal Penn, Mischa Barton, Rajpal Yadav, Tanishtaa Chatterjee, Joy Sen Gupta
Director: Ravi Kumar

Rating: * * *

The Bhopal gas tragedy is reckoned to be amongst the biggest Industrial disasters in human history. The accident caused by human negligence claimed 10,000 lives within a few hours and caused severe deformities in those that survived. In fact even future generations were afflicted by the MIC gas leak from the Union Carbide plant sitting in the heart of Bhopal, amidst a large slum colony enveloping it’s periphery. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals as the toxic substance made its way in and around the shanty towns located near the plant.


 Debt-ridden rickshaw puller Dilip (Rajpal Yadav) is eager to find work at Carbide. Financial relief is not all he is seeking though. A job with the town's flagship employer bestows a certain respectability that will potentially improve his sister's marriage prospects. The freak accidental death of a worker in the factory , who also happens to be his neighbor and good friend, creates an opportunity, and Dilip steps into the vacancy despite his lack of experience and training.

Meanwhile, the same accident prompts local newsmonger Motwani (Kal Penn) to investigate the company's chemical products and safety precautions. During a visit by Chief Executive Warren Anderson (Martin Sheen), Motwani manages to persuade ‘Paris Match’ journalist Eva (Mischa Barton) to wrangle an interview with the CEO. But the revelations are not enough to create enough of a furor over mismanagement and negligence.  


Ravi Kumar’s film based on the true events that lead up to that humungous tragedy tries hard to capture the realities of the perils that emanated majorly from neglect, sheer callousness for human life and greed for profit at any cost. But the end result seems to be far removed from the initial intent. As the tragedy plays out, leading up to the unforgettable events of  the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the filmmaker appears to shift sights midstream in an effort to minimize blame tragedy onto the Indian technicians involved in the running of the plant. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas as the toxic substance made its way in and around the shanty towns located near the plant. 

"Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain" sets it’s sights on being a historical-drama but it’s efforts to showcase the shocking events  that led to the tragedy appear less than gritty and realistic- mainly because the narrative prefers to sit on the fence and the overall performances  are not of a very high quality. While focusing largely on  the negligence and ineptitude of the mostly inexperienced and underqualified technical crew in the plant the film seeks to draw the ire away from the CEO’s own culpability in the matter of administrative accountability. 

By and large the tragedy has been captured quite effectively, serving as a reasonably well put-together account of that dark night. But the lack of sting in it’s expose of unholy nexus  between the corrupt politicians and international corporations that seek to exploit the benefits of cheap land and cheaper labor available aplenty in the third world nations, is quite galling. The narrative plays out empathetically  but there is little depth in the telling. Though this one is a first on the tragedy, it’s by no means a definitive  or entirely satisfying account of the event. And it most certainly doesn’t do justice to the pain and suffering of those left behind!



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