'Jal' Trailer Review

More than forty years ago, K. A. Abbas who was known for his hard-hitting films based on the realities of life made Do Boond Paniwhich was all about the drought in Rajasthan which is an eternal phenomenon in the deserts of Rajasthan, especially. There have been other attempts made by filmmakers and short filmmakers to make films based on the same subject. Shekhar Kapur who has made films like Bandit Queen and Elizabeth which he shot in Hollywood, besides the Hindi films like Masoom and Mr. India, both of them outstanding films in their own genre has been planning to make Paaniagain about the scarcity of water in the deserts of Rajasthan. But, even as Shekhar has been grappling with his script, Girish Malik, a better known director has completed his own film on the same subject called Jal (water).

In telling the story of a man who claims to have divine powers to strike water even in the most scorched and parched deserts in a particular district called Sambharjheel, the maker and his cameraman takes an epic look at the problem of the lack of water and even the drought. It is a very common subject, but the way Girish Malik has tackled this serious problem which has been evading solution ever since time and opens the eyes of people to the conditions in Sambharjheel and other similar districts in Rajasthan. The struggle of the people to get water under the most grim circumstances has been depicted in the kind of manner which has rarely been seen before. To make the film much more real, Girish has shot on actual locations and has used very few professional actors like Purab Kohli, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Kirti Kulhari, Yashpal Sharma, Mukul Dev and Saidah Jules, but has shot with the locals in most of the scenes which makes the film appeal in a much better way.

Full marks to the cinematographer Sunita Radia who brings the whole atmosphere alive and also the circumstances faced by the people. Some of the scenes like the dry deserts with every crack and curve seen very vividly that they almost speak like characters in the film and also make anyone cry. The music by Sonu Nigam for a change and Bickram Ghosh adds to the life of the film which has to be seen to be heard to be believed. The makers of the film, Dar Productions deserve plaudits for making a film that is so very relevant today and for all times. The film is schedule to release on April 4.