Sat Na Gat: A Tedious Watch

Reviewed by Praveen Lulekar

Rajan Khan – the author of the novel Sat Na Gat quoted quite profoundly that a novel and a film based on it are two independent products. The statement was made in a completely different context - underlining that the novel would always remain what it is irrespective of the film’s quality. But it was important that director Raju Parsekar should have understood the other side of this statement – that the film needed as much effort as put in the novel.

The film Sat Na Gat is an example of what bad direction can do to a good story, a bunch of fine actors and what was probably a good script. The film narrates the story of the aftermath of the rape of a poor village woman by a police officer. You realise how important are simple tricks of a director’s trade like getting the expressions of the extra artists right, when a mob talks like students in an amateur college drama. The problems are however much serious. From the very beginning, you are never allowed to get settled in the film with the jerks you experience between two scenes. You understand what is nagging you when you realise that there is no effort taken on the transition between scenes. The discomfort increases with camera angles that are almost never parallel to your eyes (cinematography – Wahaab). The actors always appear in a certain angle on screen and the long shots are either low angle or wide-angled panoramas.

What the subject required was simple technicalities with ample subtleties. We are introduced to Police Officer Dinesh Aasole (Mahesh Manjrekar) through his lust for a tamaashaa girl. We often cry that films should avoid unnecessary bed-scenes, but it would have served the character’s purpose here. Instead, Aasole is seen sitting with a gajara in his hand enjoying the dance. Same follows for reporter Wable’s character (Bharat Jadhav). A case of erroneous casting, Jadhav tries to be a reporter with only his pen and notepad (in which he never writes anything). Paakhi Hegde as the victim Naami shows promise but is stuck with expressions of helplessness as she becomes a Malena, being taken advantage by every man that comes her way, except Wable.

The saving grace is Sayaji Shinde’s brilliantly carved out newspaper editor Shinde. The hypocrisy of a typical observer is portrayed superbly by Shinde. He makes most of his dialogues and contrary to Manjrekar (surprisingly very lousy), shows a lot of energy. No doubt the original story is a major engaging factor but Sat Na Gat is not about its story. It is about the social relevance it has with corruption in power, media and police exposed with every detail. Sadly, the film’s taking never allows us to relate. On the backdrop of a well-designed and intricate set of the village (art direction – Satish Bidkar and Prashant Bidkar), all we see is mob gathering in every scene to see a new episode of Naami’s tragedy. You start losing track of how many times she is taken for investigation and never feel her anguish through the repetitive scenes that lack intensity.

The novel is set in 1992 because it was written then; the film has no reason to go back in time. The story is relevant to every time period. At the end, Sachin Khedekar’s voice-over tells us that Naami has become Nirbhaya today and the scenario hasn’t changed for women. He surprisingly adds that ‘we agitate against female foeticide but what is the future of a woman in India?’ Does that mean women should not be allowed to be born? The film raises many such unintended moral questions. All these die in the process of viewing the film. What remains with you on your way home is the soulful voice of Shankar Mahadevan singing a beautiful song at the background throughout the film. The only relief in this tedious watch!

m4m rating: watch at your own risk

Posted in: