As the environment begins to deplete itself, political apathy will rise. Democracy will be conquered by the whims of extreme hegemony, leaving people to exist wearing horse’s blinders.
Deepa Mehta’s Leila (also directed by Shanker Raman and Pawan Kumar), would have left many people astounded, if the adaptation of Prayaag Akbar’s novel had its loose ends tied up. The first season of this extreme political fiction started streaming since June 14, 2019 on the international OTT platform Netflix.
The rather patchy and slow moving six-part series revolves around the rising political apathy that has stirred the very being of a nation. The widening divide between the rich and the poor has been ruthlessly emphasised, robbing the show of its very essence.
India, that has now been renamed Aryavarta in this series, has not a defined border, or geographical expanse. The plot evolves from a mighty city that now seems to have replaced leaders like Nehru and Gandhi, worshipping some modern clad gentleman named Joshi.
The essence of the plot lies in how Shalini Chaudhry (played by Huma Qureshi) has lost her daughter Leila to extreme Hindu goons, as her brother-in-law Naz Chaudhry (an extreme Muslim fundamentalist) conspires against her in order to keep Shalini from his brother Riz Chaudhry (played by Rahul Khanna) who is fast turning into a modern Muslim, casting away the traditional ways.
Shalini Chaudhry goes through the extreme torture of the Aryavarta concentration camps. By Guruma (who is a man)’s whim she is then moved to a dull and dingy prison (which is oddly bereft of any torture).
Shalini’s quest for her daughter continues, when one day she is assigned to work as a house-help at an NRI’s home, who is involved as the lead engineer, in a project named Skydome.
The project aims at air conditioning the city. However, the scientist is forced to remain tight-lipped about a possible genocide attempt that would destroy the slums bordering the Skydome as soon as the wheels of the contraption would begin to turn.
Bhanu (played by Siddharth of Rang De Basanti fame) is an ambushed Anti Aryavarta. Shalini is to report to him. On learning of each other’s experiences with the authoritarian regime, they come to support each other.
While Shalini is employed to hack the details of the flaws of Skydome, Bhanu gives Shalini insights on her brother’s misgivings and also helps her find Leila, who is probably termed as deceased. So where is Leila after all?
The narrative is a stunner, but riddled with heightened tones of fiction, which could have been underplayed. Reality has been hugely discounted, leaving patrons a little surprised at this being a Deepa Mehta production.
The cinematography is dark, suggesting nuances around the premised genre. The protagonists have delved well into their characters and graciously evolve with the plot.
The writer has thankfully steered away from the irking and mundane Hindu-Muslim riotous ways, but has introduced terms like ‘Mixit’ and ‘Dooch’, which is questionable indeed, yet not enough to stir a curfew. A certain reference to ‘Project Balee’ remains a mystery!
While onlookers keenly await season two, this season would comfortably be rated at 2.5/5.
