‘Ardha Shathabdham’ movie review: Incoherent narration mars interesting ideas
The Hindu
Earnest performances aren’t enough to hold together the Telugu film ‘Ardha Shathabdham’, where romance, caste strife and a discussion on the Indian Constitution don’t blend seamlessly
Ardha Shathabdham joins the string of recent Telugu films where the story unfolds in a less-explored interior region of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and mirrors the native milieu. Director Rawindra Pulle takes us into a hamlet in Telangana (filmed in Nirmal and adjacent areas of Nizamabad) in the early 2000s, where the fault lines of caste still run deep. He questions why archaic norms are adhered to even at the turn of the new millennium. It’s a relevant premise. When divisive forces are at work, a seemingly random incident is enough to stoke deep-rooted hatred and spark violence, as shown in the film. Rawindra tries to ask why humanity cannot rise above caste divisions to uphold the tenets of the Indian Constitution. The film looks at the social fabric issues through its myriad characters — a former Naxal, a youngster in the throes of a romance and seeking job prospects in Dubai, a police officer who is frustrated at having to carry out encounter killings, a politician who doesn’t flinch before doing something unjust, and the villagers who are caught up in their own ideas of caste-based social norms.More Related News