ATTYACHAR - MARATHI MOVIE

             ATTYACHAR  --- THE LITERATE UNEDUCATED

                                                                                     By Vijayanta N Chitale

Smt. Pratibha Patil, H’able President of India, in her very first address to nation quoted Sant Tukaram, “ Je Ka Raanjale Gaanjale, Tyansi Mhane Mi Aapule”, referring to concern on upliftment of downtrodden. Daya Pawar, whose death anniversary falls on 20^th Sept, was a distinguished Marathi writer on the problem, plights and issues pertaining to down trodden backward communities. Based on his masterwork BALUNT, Bhaskar Chandavarkar has directed the movie Attyachar (torture)

Balunt is a story of the struggle of a young man, from Mahar community, who has left village after educating himself. However untouchability follows him everywhere. Education creates awareness in him but the same awareness does not percolate to all strata’s of society including his own community. On one hand he is alienated from his near and dear ones, on the other he is not accepted as equal amongst educated Urbanites. He inhabits the indeterminate in between. Balunt has been translated into Hindi, German, French and Italian.

The theme of movie is set by song, Hee Kaide Kiti Janmanchee, at the onset. The song ends and a young educated villager Dagdu Pawar (Satish Pulekar) is seen approaching an employment exchange building. He is assured of job, more due to his caste background then because of his merit. He is placed as lab assistant in a veterinary college. His job includes skinning and preserving parts of animals for veterinary science students. He does’nt like it.

Dagdu ‘s mind wanders back to his childhood.

His father is a musician but an alcoholic., who even thrashes his wife Sakhu ( Sushma Deshpande) if she objects. He is also involved with commercial sex workers. But dies early when Dagdu is still a child. Sakhu takes Dagdu to village. She insists on educating him at any cost, even if she is humiliated and falsely implicated in thefts.

Dagdu grows up and marries Sai (Vibha Jakatdar) a lonely girl from his own community. Both come down to Mumbai. But life does’nt changes much for him. At work he is often reminded of his background and at home, his wife finds difficult to adjust to the slum surroundings. Dagdu remains occupied with his college, work and poetry, but Sai has no option. In course, she develops affinity for Mehboob (Mohan Gokhale). Gossipmongers foment suspicion in mind of Dagdu about Sai’s character. One day he follows her to market. On finding Mehboob in conversation with Mehboob, thrashes him even as Mehboob tries explaining him reality. But Dagdu is in no mood. He even packs off Sai back to village forever.

Meanwhile, Dagdu is called to village as his mother lies on deathbed like a dumb and mute, eventually dies. Dagdu decides to return back to Mumbai leaving other things to his maternal uncle.

As he stands at bus stop, he sees upper caste villagers shouting and chasing a low caste boy, whose sin was, he washed feets in field belonging to them. Boy takes refuge in leper’s hut. The mob sets hut on fire. Dagdu runs towards the burning hut. The mob turns to him, abuse him and chase him for life.

The movie Attyachar is not just a story of down trodden but also sheds light even on modern urban educated masses. The slums are an urban version of village outskirts and living conditions are not much different. It is not only about rebel in mind of young educated low caste villager towards job, but is general reflection of mind set which is emerging across the length and breadth of country. This is a typical hesitation getting associated with educated youths presently. No job is mean or indignified, but the attitude to look towards different profession is a matter of concern. Skinning of cattle as a part of Lab assistants work, why should it be indignified. It creates platform for future veterinarians, who have immense role in society.

 Dagdu’s father beats up his wife as she tries to prevent him from consuming alcohol. Now this beating of wife by husband, is it restricted to down trodden low castes only ? Or is it a reflection of wife abuse, a common phenomenon in our society.

Ostracizing or distancing is not only between upper and lower castes but within the caste itself too. A minister from Dagdu’s own community gives him rosy picture of help, but nothing materializes. He drops Dagdu outside a hotel and subsequently leaves him lurching. His fellow Dalit childhood friend, grown up into a leper, begging his livelihood, runs away to avoid dagdu. Then there are opportunists in community, parroting the words of great leaders like Ambedkar, but behaving just opposite.

Dagdu falls prey to gossipmongers and drives out Sai from his life. Is it not a typical wife abuse and torturing her? Does he ever offer any solution to her pain and agony? But is quick enough to accept gossipmongers as truth. Does that not constitute blatant violation of her human rights? Is he himself not inflicting emotional torture on her? Here Dagdu too reflects typical chauvinism prevalent in society down the ages. Where does his education vanish at the crucial stage?

The movie has some soul jerking and thought provoking songs Hee Kaide Kiti Janmanchee. Yethe Jeethe, Tithe Mee Baazar..is vivid description of red light area. Bhaskar Chandavarkar himself composes music.

The movie produced in 1982 holds true even in present times. It also put a question mark on quality of education and its very meaning and spirit of it. Attyachar was screened at film festival in Germany and Brazil.