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A Must-Watch: Jaundiced Society Needs Just This Shade of ‘Pink’!

‘Pink’ contains the daily, everyday kind of bigotry and misogyny we have all internalised... and then dismantles it.

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How do we judge a woman’s character? By the length of her skirt? The time she steps out or comes back home? Her profession? Colour of her lipstick? By the number of “guy friends” she has? Her choice of beverage?

“Refined” bigots of our country would say – of course, all of the above.

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Most of us who get judged day in and day out on these parameters would nod our heads in agreement too… after all, we have all grown up on and made to succumb to the philosophy akeli ladki toh khuli tijori ki tarhan hoti hai!

Pink is made up of all this. The daily, regular, everyday kind of bigotry, misogyny and patriarchy that we have internalised which make us accept all this unquestioningly. And then, with great pleasure, cuts these prejudices and biases to shreds!

For a story like this, Delhi is the perfect setting. As the rape capital of our country we understand a thing or two about women’s safety… ab aisi ladkiyon ke saath, aisa hi hoga.

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Three girls, sharing a house in a posh south Delhi locality, get embroiled in a dangerous mess. The real incident isn’t revealed to us till the very end, what we get are some blurbs and sound bytes.

‘Pink’ contains the daily, everyday kind of bigotry and misogyny we have all internalised... and then dismantles it.
(Film Poster: Pink)

The girls complain that the men forced themselves on them. Neighbours tell us that the girls frequently have male visitors. The men say the girls were drinking and having a great time. The prosecution lawyer says the very rules made to protect women are now being misused by women to blackmail “decent” men.

One man shouts: “Ladki ko uski aukat batani padti hai.”

Much like what generally happens when a molestation case is registered, hearsay and an autopsy of the “fallen” girl’s character is conducted. This is what makes Pink irresistible. It leaves us a deep scarlet shade of anger, because it all seems so damn real!

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As we try and piece together the events of the fateful night when the three girls meet the boys at a rock concert and how things could possibly have wound up here, there are times when we even forget to blink. Pink sucks you in and stays with you long after it’s over.

‘Pink’ contains the daily, everyday kind of bigotry and misogyny we have all internalised... and then dismantles it.
Amitabh Bachchan playing Deepak Sehgall, a maverick defense lawyer. (Photo Courtesy: Screengrab of trailer)

Minal, Falak and Andrea are the most ‘real’ girls we have seen in a Bollywood film in a long, long time. They aren’t caricatures. They don’t have unending reserves of strength and bravado. These are girls who get angry, scared, nervous, cry and howl and are alive to every prick of the needle. Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari and Andrea Tariang translate these emotions exquisitely on screen.

And then this film gets exactly what it needs; a thrilling court room sequence with Amitabh Bachchan playing Deepak Sehgall, a maverick defence lawyer. The prosecution lawyer (Piyush Mishra) leaves no stone unturned as he casually lets his sexism come to the fore. His client Rajveer (Angad Bedi) is a decent man led on by the “giri hui ladkiyan”, he shouts.

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Amitabh Bachchan’s booming voice fills the proceedings, lacing his arguments with just the right amount of sarcasm as he makes mincemeat of the bigots, tearing into one misogynistic claim at a time. Earlier in Shoojit Sircar’s Piku and now in his latest venture as producer, Amitabh Bachchan is, quite frankly, a treat to watch!

‘Pink’ contains the daily, everyday kind of bigotry and misogyny we have all internalised... and then dismantles it.
Rajveer (Angad Bedi) plays a pivotal role in the film. (Photo Courtesy: Screengrab of trailer)

Big B’s buoyant performance, aided by Ritesh Shah’s sharp writing, chews into the malicious chauvinism. Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury never loses his grip through the narrative and the extra layer of intrigue becomes more effective thanks to the taut editing by Bodhaditya Banerjee. Pink is quintessentially baar baar dekho!

If there is one film you watch this whole year, make sure it is this!

5 QUINTS out of 5.

The yellow, jaundiced view of our hypocritical society needs just this shade of Pink!

(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)

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Topics:  Amitabh Bachchan   Movie Review   Pink 

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