A Morning With Newton

The morning was heavy with nightlong rains and chill winds – my eyes were fluffy due to oversleeping - I could see hefty grey sky from dusty window, and then my mobile chimed.

Two messages, one confirming a booking of a movie and then another providing a buy-one-get-one-free coupon in a momo-joint. I got down from my crumpled bedsheet and took some water. I was sure my maid would skip today – rainy day, like we used to bunk classes back days. I went to kitchen, switched on the kettle and made coffee with extra coffee powder. It tasted bitter, but the aroma was exactly what I needed at this awful morning, not a damn hindi movie, funnily titled ‘Newton’. I went to balcony and sat on a chair, and sipped coffee while gazing at sky. How much rains will it need to prove that it wasn’t raining for a while? Look at my car – parked under a tree, surrounded by ankle length clogged water.

Rain stopped momentarily around eight thirty, and the show was scheduled at nine. I didn’t change cloth, didn’t take breakfast, just went down, started the car and drove.

Satyam Cineplex in Janakpuri is now-a-days INOX. I give a shit. It’s all same to me. I parked the car – the attendant gave me a ticket, and I went inside after my pockets and ticket were scanned.

My expectation was nil, and if it was not a Saturday and that too rainy, probably I’d never consider it. I had already some other good movies in my watch list. I knew that ‘Newton’ was considered for Indian entry for 2018-Oscar; but I had no faith on our infamous censor board. They are funny.

The movie began. At this time in a watery morning, half of the hall was full. Few lines in screen gave us a glimpse of what were we going to watch – that armed Naxals dominated the mineral rich forests of Chhattisgarh and they wanted to topple the government and then expectedly, the first scene of the movie was a murder of a political leader by gun toting Naxals. I sniveled, I had to spend another two hours watching this shit.

But I was wrong. So wrong, that the moment I understood what was happening before me, I knew it was one of those rare moments, when you became happier if proved wrong. Newton Kumar is a government clerk of impeccable honesty, and he is deputed for Election duty as a presiding officer in a village, where for years no election had taken place. For a mere 76 listed voters, Newton Kumar and two other officers are flown into deep forest and then to a barbed CRPF camp and from there to the dilapidated school among burnt down houses, and now the HONESTY of Newton Kumar is in challenge.

It was so much fun to watch Pankaj Tripathi (as Aatma Singh, CRPF Assistant Commandant) dueling with Raj Kumar Rao (as Newton Kumar). Their verbal dual sometimes revealed more than we bargained for. Whereas Aatma Singh was crippled with his narrow assessment of security and sense of duty, Newton was overzealous with his honesty. They both were perfect, and imperfect, and that is where the director shines beyond the Bollywoodish gimmick. Their words meant sense and they took us into a roller-costar of right and wrong; even silence meant a lot of thing.

It’s a sarcastic take on Indian democracy; a black comedy which tells us the void of democracy, where the big-card (read voter-ID) holders don’t even know what does it mean. It puts a question and then answers. Is it all a big fucking show? Yes, and then NO.

The whole movie doesn’t even show a single Naxal, expect the murder at start. Because for a smooth democracy, the Naxals aren’t important; it’s us. From the beginning, Newton is dissuaded from performing his duty – the original Presiding Officer excused himself, the CRPF declined to help him, his colleagues supported CRPF’s view, everybody mocked – laughed – hated – and later beat him to the ground; and yes, everything in the name of Naxals/Maoists/extremists. And that’s where the film shines.

It’s not very easy to tell a serious story with funny anecdotes. I didn’t hear even a murmur in hall, when the pictures of inked-finger totting adibasis were shown in big-screen; it was a big moment for democracy – it was working even in this jungle, as the foreign correspondent expressed – but we just happened to witness what did the ink mean to these adibasis. They wanted to get rid of both - naxals and police. And we knew, that was not gonna happen. No buddy, that’s not gonna happen.

I didn’t like the climax - in order to make it more dramatic, director had put gun in Newton’s hand and for a moment, the basic difference between our democracy and Naxalism/Maoism blurred. Afterall it’s gun, which is the source of power. Then what’s the hell we’re are fighting for?

But I was happy. A movie, which didn’t give me headache. When I came outside, it was drizzling. I ordered a cup of tea – I texted Taniya, thanking her for ticket.

Having a wife isn’t bad afterall.

(picture: bdmusic110.com)