Garmi (A)

The authors of Garmi are Dhulia and Kamal Pandey. Caste politics at the state level, the diminishing influence of leftist ideology, Chanakyan deals to secure power at any costs, high-level corruption, the killing of innocent people, Dalit exploitation, and police abuses are some of the ingredients simmering in the cauldron. Mrityunjay Singh is a particularly repulsive law enforcement officer who seems to focus solely on the University and its surroundings. Scenes that link homosexual sex with criminal intent show a streak of (presumably unintentional) bigotry. Unnecessarily explicit details are used in a horrific sequence of in-custodial torture and its aftermath. Both the verbal and visual gratuity are present. Unrestrained nasties in little armies rush around tossing explosives, firing guns, torturing their foes, and assaulting our eardrums with the coarsest invective the Hindi language has to offer. Strangely, none of the commotion, news stories, or WhatsApp forwards about his son's rising notoriety reach Arvind's father (Harish Khanna). Dhulia expertly directs the large cast, giving even supporting performers meaningful opportunities to shine. The two most fascinating performers among the main cast are Anurag Thakur as Govind and Puneet Singh as Bindu. Jatin Goswami's zeal to explore the depths of depravity is frighteningly convincing. Vyom Yadav is a reliable presence, albeit his lanky build and irritable demeanour may make us think of another well-known irate young man from Allahabad.