I am sure lot of you are also staying home and trying to be safe and sane. I like to watch movies and who doesn't ! I have been watching a few but I want to give a review for two movies that deals with racism and it is the hot topic currently around the world along with COVID-19.
"There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race - scientifically, anthropologically" ~ Toni Morrison
Axone - a film which is directed by Nicholas Kharkongor. But I watched it because I saw one name that is my favorite - Adil Hussain. An amazing actor who has worked in Indian and International cinemas and a National award winner too. The movie is about the North-East Indians who have moved to Delhi for better prospects and their struggles in a new place.
When people move around for job or any other reasons they don't lose their nationality or identity when its within the country or for that sake even out of the country until and unless they change their nationality. But still why differentiate among ourselves because of race, religion, ethnicity, caste or creed?
The movie is about the North-East Indians who have moved to Delhi and one of their friend is getting married. Everyone is busy in planning, decorating and making sure of the menu for the wedding party dinner.
As you know every culture has their speciality whether its about clothing, food, festivals, beliefs, customs and traditions its an amazing mix of fragrance that differ from each one yet brings an amazing aroma to everyone.
Why can't we embrace this and enjoy the flavors?
The movie talks about the hardship one has to go when they are not from that place. New-comers have to work harder to achieve anything.
I loved the movie and Adil Hussain had a very tiny role of being a citizen who is keeping a keen eye on these North-East Indians. Which is also part of our society how they treat people and how they consider others as outsiders is very well depicted through his simple gestures. Believe me there's no dialog yet Adil Hussain has put him impact in this movie. Some of the privileges that some of us have of being an immigrant can be felt by watching this movie where its a struggle for them. I wonder how racist we are? Even though they are from India just because their looks are different a bit they treat them differently. I am sure the North Indians treat the South Indians differently and vice versa.
Can't we just see each other as a human?
"In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist. We must be anti-racist." ~ Angela Davis
To my readers let me tell you first what is Axone? It is called Akhuni in Sino-Tibetian (Sumi) language that is spoken in Nagaland. Akhuni is a signature dish of North-East Indian made out of fermented soybeans.
My only critic for this movie is that, wish they had shown how Akhuni is cooked, a dramatization of cooking of this dish would have added more flavors to it.
Besides that, my favorite Papon's music and he is singing one of the song - Dance it out. It's amazing, one must watch and understand the pain of migrants.
"Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible." ~ Maya Angelou
Another movie that I saw on Netflix was Penalty directed by Shubham Singh. I was a hockey player once and sports is closed to my heart. If you love sports and / or football then this is for you. This movie has interesting game sequence which literally puts you in action mentally but then the politics is everywhere which one can see here too.
This one is again about a North-East Indian guy Lukram who is from Manipur joins the college in Lucknow only for his passion to play football for India one day. This college seems to be a great platform for such sports lovers.
This character reminded me of my classmate in Pune Fergusson College. I have seen racism then and I used to feel bad about such treatment hence we became good friends and I made sure he is not feeling left out.
"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~ James Baldwin
Kay-Kay Menon is another my favorite actor who's films I hardly miss and in this film as Vikram Singh character he shows his racist self and how he himself learns a lesson out of it and corrects himself by giving the opportunity to play Lukram who is talented and deserving to be in the college team. Other characters such as Shashank Arora and Manjot Singh are some of the actors who have become my favorite after watching some of their movies. They have done justice to their roles in this movie, one must watch this one.
"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you - always." ~ Oprah Winfrey
The struggle to standup against people who are racist or do injustice is really tough though courageous yet when five fingers come together they become one and united.
Everywhere we are fighting racism and I feel we in India also should get rid of such disease and should cure by seeing everyone as equal.
What I liked about these movies is that even if its about entertainment, different culture and traditions its shows the mirror to the society. And we must see that mirror and reflect upon it and bring that change that is much needed.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
~ Dawn
