Ghaath

Last year, Chhatrapal Ninawe’s Ghaath had its premiere at the Berlinale in the Panorama section and received acclaim from viewers. The film has had an interesting journey until its theatrical release this week. Equally interesting is its premise. Set amidst areas with Maoist influence in central India’s jungles, Ghaath intertwines the fates of guerrillas, civilians and cops in a tightly knit screenplay. The film’s story unfolds through three chapters influenced by three elements – zameen (land), jal (water) and jungle. Each chapter has a central character and each character’s story merges with that of the others at some point. Dhananjay Mandaokar, Jitendra Joshi, Milind Shinde, Janardan Kadam and Suruchi Adarkar play pivotal roles in this slow-burn thriller that keeps you engrossed with its intriguing narrative, presented through the stories of a cop, two rebels, a tribal and a civilian. Each of these stories give a perspective of various human emotions but ultimately connect with the common theme of ambush/ betrayal.