“No death, no doom, no anguish can arouse the surpassing despair which flows from a loss of identity” and this is what an acid attack does to a person. Even the spectators of the movie “Chapaak” begin to feel that death is better than surviving an acid attack. I watched this movie with my parents and they were terrified of being the parents of a daughter.
“Chapaak” is a very good cinematic depiction of such a Spine-Chilling and Blood-Curdling issue. The film is based on a true story of Laxmi Agarwal who suffered from an acid attack in 2005.
The movie successfully touches the core issues behind such a horrifying act i.e. a conglomeration of Patriarchy, Misogyny, Hate, and Violent Tendencies. The following dialogue in the movie summarizes the “Hate” aspect of it. It says “Acid first dissolves in the mind and then it comes in the hand”.
While keeping the issue of “Acid Attacks” as the main theme, the movie rightly and meticulously also shows the inadequacy in jurisprudence as well.
The profoundly inspiring part of the movie is when after having suffered a terrible acid-attack the protagonist, Malti, played by Deepika Padukone, recuperates physically and psychologically and is ready to face the world with not only courage, but also with love and humility. It reflects in the following statement.
The kind of severe assault, Malti suffered with, can make anybody very hard-boiled, cynical, and distrustful, but as the movie progresses, the way Malti responds to various situations and the way she leads her life makes the spectator, fall in love with the beautiful character of Malti, behind the Acid Burnt Face.
If you have ever felt excruciating physical pain in your life, then you are bound to relate to the piercing cries of Malti, played by Deepika Padukone, who also co-produces the film with Gulzar. Towards the climax, just when you are beginning to relax your shoulders, the movie shakes you like a leaf, by portraying yet another gruesome acid-attack incident. This denial of catharsis is what gives Chhapaak its uneasy and poignant effect.
A must watch.
My rating: 4 / 5.
Laxmi Agrawal before and after Acid Attack in 2005.
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