Sandwiched between mediocre big releases like Sarkar and The Rising, yet another GEM of a movie seems to be going un-noticed. Hopefully by word of mouth, this movie will be watched by all those who appreciate good cinema.
Sehar is an account of a Special Task Force formed by the police in UP that takes on the growing might of organised crime in UP. The story is told in flashback, narrated by Pankaj Kapur. The movie is based in Lucknow, in the mid-late 90’s era, where the mafia is making major inroads into the business of railway contracting, with a number of small timers vying for power. One man emerges triumphant, Gajraj Singh (Sushant Singh), who, with sheer ruthlessness, wipes out all his competition in what he calls “Varchasva ki ladai”…the fight for absolute power.
In these circumstances, SSP Ajay Kumar (Arshad Warsi) is transferred into Lucknow where he comes to live with his mother (Suhasini Mullay). We know right from the start that this is a man of ideals and principles, who believes in what he does for a living. With sheer persistence, intelligence, and loyal support from his fellow officers and senior, he tracks the movements of Gajraj Singh and his men, but Gajraj gets bigger everyday, and the scope of his power spreads far and beyond Lucknow, with the help of a corrupt politician, into other cities in UP. This is when Ajay Kumar suggests the formation of a Special Task Force (STF) that will have jurisdiction to act in other districts of UP. He gains the support of a largely honest Chief Minister as well (a refreshing change in the trend of showing only corrupt politicians in movies!).
This movie also tracks the growth of cell phone technology and how it helps in connecting the UP mafia and helps them become more effective in their criminal activities. The STF recruits an academic, a lecturer Tiwari (Pankaj Kapur), specialising in electronics, to help them figure out the workings of the cell phone, ways in which they can track calls made by the mafia, and hence track their location. What follows are a series of very well etched out sequences, as the STF efficiently track down Gajraj Singh and his men, all culminating in a stunning climax.
While this story may not appear novel on paper, the execution of it, the research that went into writing the script, and the fact that it is based on real events, make it a very compelling movie. As the audience, you are hooked onto the movie from scene one, and don’t take your attention away for a minute, because there is so much happening on screen.
Even though the story and screenplay score big time in terms of being really fast paced, there is also ample effort put into character development. You know exactly why Ajay Kumar is the way he is, what lies behind his dedication. Just where the movie threatens to be dry and documentary like, there are elements of humour and camaraderie between the STF men, an emotional background score, and a shy, awkward romance between Ajay Kumar and Anamika (Mahima Chaudhury). None of these elements overwhelm the central focus of the film. They are just quiet moments of relief from the other action sequences, where you really have to pay close attention and have your thinking caps on!
The performances of all the actors, Arshad Warsi, Sushant Singh, Pankaj Kapoor, Suhasini Mullay, all the STF men, are wonderful and appear effortless. You completely forget you are watching a movie with actors…they all seem so life like and natural.
Apart from the fact that this movie is wonderfully directed (Kabeer Kaushik) and scripted this movie has the best dialogues that I’ve heard in a movie in a long time. Powerful lines like, “Kamzor ko mauka nahin diya jaata, usse mauka cheena jata hai”, are used very effectively to portray what lies behind the power of the mafia. There are many such dialogues in this movie that make you sit up and think, or make you laugh quietly at the irony. One also forgets how powerful language, when used well, can be. You get to hear chaste Hindi and Urdu dialogue in this movie, spoken with a perfect accent, reminding us how beautiful both these languages are.
All in all, anyone who enjoys good, realistic cinema will like this movie. Don’t get daunted by the fact that this is yet another “cop vs bad guys story”. A good story, when told well, can withstand being told repeatedly. Sehar is a film that makes you cheer for, and be proud of, the good work our police force do out there….how many movies can claim to do that?