Desi Dreams

Debutant director Avinash Das deserves a pat on his back for the gritty Anaarkali Of Aarah, 

- Suman Sharma

It could well be dubbed as the Pink of the rustic landscape – a film that takes on misogyny in a small town. Debutant director Avinash Das’ Anaarkali Of Aarah is yet another bold statement on a woman’s right to say ‘no’. Not only has the small film won big raves for its feminist theme but Swara Bhaskar, as the feisty protagonist, has been hailed for her heart wrenching performance. The story spotlights Anaarkali, a street singer and dancer. who’s sexually assaulted by a politician... and her battle for vindication.

It was a real-life incident that inspired the journalist-turned-director to make Anaarkali... “I happened to see the music video of an erotic song, Hare Hare Nebuaa, sung by the Bhojpuri folk artiste Tarabano Faizabadi. While she was singing expressionlessly, it was juxtaposed with a sequence of a woman trying to seduce a man,” he says adding, “It left me intrigued.”