The review contains minor spoilers.
Director
Sudarshan Thapa loves mythology particularly the Mahabharat. There are
references to Abhimanyu,
One
thing that is clear after watching ‘Prasad 2’ is that it’s a social drama whose
plot is driven through the lens of mythology. The result is a mix of
underwhelming as well as emotionally devastating scenes. The film also tries to
address the big issues plaguing Nepali society. But it doesn’t fully manage to
convey the intricacies of either the caste system or the abuse women face in
society.
Early on, a scene features a Christian trying to convert Dalits into embracing
Christianity. His argument is that the Hindu religion categorises them as lower
caste and denies them entry into temples. Baburam, who is also a Dalit,
explains that religion is never the culprit; it’s the people. ‘Prasad 2’ is
filled with these culprits ranging from the gossipy aunties in the community
tap to purely evil brothers, fathers, and priests. However, these evil
characters are so caricaturish that the seriousness of the issue barely
registers.
For
instance, consider the village’s big shot, Kaji’s son Ajay (played by Mahesh
Tripathi), who is contesting against Baburam in the election. Baburam’s
election symbol is Damaha, whereas Ajay’s is black sunglasses. The point might
be that Ajay, with his black sunglasses, can’t see human beings in the ‘lower
caste’, but the one-note performances don’t carry the weight of this symbolism.
This wouldn’t be a big problem if caste were not such a prominent theme.
To
be fair, the filmmakers have tried to go into the details and intricacies of
the caste system in ‘Prasad 2’. One instance of this is how two individuals
from a Brahmin family are demoted to being Dalits because they marry Dalits.
Even though they now live within a Dalit family, they have shown instances of
internalised casteism, as in the case of Narayani, who others her husband’s
family based on their caste.
The cinematographers have made excellent use of locations to
tell the story. Viewers can notice how the Kaji has to climb down the steps to
go to a Dalit’s house as if he’s climbing down to the ‘lower caste’. He even
waits for a second or two before taking steps, wondering if someone’s seen him.
But when he climbs up the stairs and reaches the road, he’s once again achieved
‘high status’ and reveals his true intentions to his daughter.
Melodramatic
scenes are the movie’s high points. The village council scenes are equivalent
to court dramas. This setting is used by the director as a platform to give out
social messages. The characters simply act as mouthpieces. Dialogues which
would have been preachy in other scenes, come across as powerful during these
scenes. These moments work, but they don’t make up for the poor writing in
other parts.
A
big issue I have against this film is how the problems get resolved in very
simple ways. The characters change their mind and heart without proper buildup.
The monologue at the end by Bunu’s (a character with a type of disability)
mother feels performative because she is the same mother who refuses to report
Ramesh when he touches her daughter inappropriately. In between these two
scenes, we barely see her. Yet by the end, she’s delivering a ‘heartfelt’
monologue. Without the build-up, these monologues feel preachy.
The random insertion of songs also drags the film’s pacing.
Songs are presented as filler scenes making some of the plotlines appear more
simplistic than they actually are. Movie OSTs don’t need to be tethered to
reality, but they must fit into the context. It seems the filmmakers are
including these songs just for the sake of it.
The
character of Ramesh is something else entirely. Ramesh, a diminutive of
Rameshwar, is the antithesis of his name. He doesn’t flinch before molesting a
woman in a temple. With a permanent sandalwood tika between his eyebrows, a
chipped tooth, and a weird buzz cut, Ramesh looks more like a cheap pervert
than a cunning and evil character.
Ramesh
represents the predators lurking among us; the over-friendly relative, the nosy
neighbour, or the uncle who makes those uncomfortable jokes in the name of
openness. It’s shown that he couldn’t digest that a girl as pretty as Narayani
would marry someone like Baburam. Perhaps, the idea was to create a
machiavellian mixture of Shakuni and Duryodhan, but the writing and the
performance don’t entirely create the pure evil he’s meant to embody.
Despite
the maker’s best intentions, ‘Prasad 2’ comes off as a contrived and convoluted
film.
Prasad 2
Language: Nepali
Duration: 2 hours 14 minutes
Director: Sudarshan Thapa
Cast: Bipin Karki, Keki Adhikari, Arpan
Thapa, Mahesh Tripathi
Released: April 28
Bibek Timalsina
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