Although we have seen glamorous cops mouthing dialogues and practically taking the law in their hands in the name of law, the best cop movies are the ones where they are also part of the system and struggle with it despite their sense of duty . Its not just a fight against the criminals but its also with the rotting system around them and also with themselves. Its that trapped feeling, the nexus between politicians, cops and mafia so strong that you are helpless to fight it alone even if you have the bravery and even if you get one side of this nexus solved , it does nothing to the nexus.
Ardh Satya by Govind Nihalani stars Om Puri as a cop who takes on the wily Sadashiv Amrapurkar. Its one of the most pragmatic cop movies since it also shows the realistic side of the cops actual helplessnness to take on the system. Its not that the cop succumbs immediately but slowly the tentacles get stronger and he is stuck not knowing whats the best path.
My favourite scene in this movie is where Om Puri goes to arrest Sadashiv based on a testimony by a victim . Sadashiv Amrapurkar nonchalantly says ' Kal aana' in such a dismissive way that this scene is still etched in my end. It just shows how crippled the police force really is. A day of bravura cannot save years of systemic erosion. And if you want to act against the system you face a tough dilemma.
And the dilemma perfectly captured in the poem Chakravyuh.
Ardh Satya by Govind Nihalani stars Om Puri as a cop who takes on the wily Sadashiv Amrapurkar. Its one of the most pragmatic cop movies since it also shows the realistic side of the cops actual helplessnness to take on the system. Its not that the cop succumbs immediately but slowly the tentacles get stronger and he is stuck not knowing whats the best path.
My favourite scene in this movie is where Om Puri goes to arrest Sadashiv based on a testimony by a victim . Sadashiv Amrapurkar nonchalantly says ' Kal aana' in such a dismissive way that this scene is still etched in my end. It just shows how crippled the police force really is. A day of bravura cannot save years of systemic erosion. And if you want to act against the system you face a tough dilemma.
And the dilemma perfectly captured in the poem Chakravyuh.
Chakravyuh mein ghusne se pehle,
kaun tha mein aur kaisa tha,
yeh mujhe yaad hi na rahega.
kaun tha mein aur kaisa tha,
yeh mujhe yaad hi na rahega.
Chakravyuh mein ghusne ke baad,
mere aur chakravyuh ke beech,
sirf ek jaanleva nikat’ta thi,
iska mujhe pata hi na chalega.
mere aur chakravyuh ke beech,
sirf ek jaanleva nikat’ta thi,
iska mujhe pata hi na chalega.
Chakravyuh se nikalne ke baad,
main mukt ho jaoon bhale hi,
phir bhi chakravyuh ki rachna mein
farq hi na padega.
farq hi na padega.
Ek palde mein napunsakta,
ek palde mein paurush,
aur theek taraazu ke kaante par
ardh satya.
ek palde mein paurush,
aur theek taraazu ke kaante par
ardh satya.
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