Aarection

So there's this Indian movie "Aarakshan" (reservation), apparently about the reservation system in Indian colleges, that has been raising quite some hackles of late. A few politicians have banned the movie from playing in cinemas in their states, ostensibly to prevent social unrest, but actually to showcase themselves as protectors of the backwards' causes, for obvious electoral reasons. The stage was set for a debate on whether reserving 50% of the seats in higher education (and elite institutions) in favor of socially backward classes would achieve equality of opportunity and correct historic wrongs apparently committed by my ancestors against yours, or if that agenda has been hijacked by populist politicians (reservations were supposed to last for just 10 years post independence) who are willfully destroying the Indian education system by creating an entitlement system, lowering standards, ignoring merit, wasting scarce resources and driving wedges between youth of different sections of society. Aarakshan had an opportunity to look into all aspects of reservation.

But, ‎Aarakshan is not about reservation. It is about Hitler+Anna (Hazard)+Eddard (Stark) fighting against.. errr... coaching centers.

Plot outline

The plot was a refresher course on how most Indian movies have a  meandering incoherent weak plot punctuated with needless songs, hamming and bad-guys-that-look-obviously-evil-thus-preventing-confusion-and-divided-loyalties. So, Amitabh is this superhero in the field of education, principal of a college, with everyone falling at his feet, ruling his kingdom with an iron fist and principles. Then reservation arguments last 10 minutes. Misquoted by media due to a tutorial villain, he loses his job. He loses his house to the same villain, who has opened a coaching center in the very house of our superman, just to spite him. After much victimization, our superman finally fights tutorials by providing free tuitions in a cowshed and destroys the evil coaching center guy. The end. They should've named it "Super Tabela" or "Aaarrrrgh". However, "Aarakshan" will lead to more publicity. Hence the name.

Comic relief

Sudden song-dance routines in the first half, some random love story (so that we can have the aforementioned songs), a phone call from Cornell with a number starting +9122 (the dialing code for Mumbai in India), very clean slums, a hotel that doubles up as a residence presumably having very low tariffs ... errrr.... etc

Climax

A 30 minute Tian'anmen square meets 300 (Battle of thermopylae) standoff .... The coaching center villain (who teaches like millions of students and has investments of like 12 lac crore INR but is threatened by a one-man free operation) has used his influence to get the government to repossess its own land which was being used for the free tuition center. They break open the gate with heavy machinery to find all cowshed school students (all brave 800 of them) and Amitabh's ragtag bunch of educators (Superman, a dalit, a rich boy, a brahmin and a woman, but no muslim #OUTRAGE). Then the guy with the demolition machinery leaves his vehicle to join the 800, creating an instant hero. The scene brought a tear to many an eye. Mainly because of the ten dollar ticket price...

Product placement

So this Indian Plywood manufacturer gets a word in as a special mention. The transformation of a cowshed into an open air gurukul was apparently helped by them. They also get screen time in the climax shots as a big advertisement hoarding in the background.

Final word

I'd rate the movie a 3 on 10. All 3 points for the unintentional humor. Watch it if you can get a decent torrented version. :-P

Silver lining

Reservation enters public discourse. It is blasphemy to suggest that undeserved handouts should be up for debate. The entire Indian political system is based on handing out unmonitored ineffective placebo handouts to the idiot classes in return for their votes.

Note

I am strongly against reservation. The solution of the claimed historic wrongs to weaker sections of society is better primary education and increased number of quality seats and infrastructure in higher education. It is not easy, but we've been sleeping for 60+ years while the system rotted. The fix has to be long term, and would probably take a couple of decades if we work in full earnest. Helicoptering in disadvantaged classes into higher education is painful for the teachers, for the weaker students themselves and for the other students. However, it is the way to fake short term progress, and given the Indian IQ of 80, can easily distract crowds till the next circus starts. The proponents of reservation want the benefits in perpetuity - children and grandchildren of the no-longer-oppressed are also entitled to the benefits. Well, if even an advantageous playing field cannot "uplift" the backward castes, the reservation system does not address the original intent, 'innit? All this could've been debated in the movie.

But Aarection is not about reservation.