In the 80s, Ardh Satya became one of the landmark films amidst the new wave of Indian parallel cinema. When popular cinema was a haven of escapism to attract the masses, Govind Nihalani’s Ardh Satya broke the boundary between reality and fantasy. His hero and villain are not one-dimensional caricatures serving the patriarchal fancy of the audience but real-life humans who are also the victims of a dysfunctional system. The hero doesn’t come out triumphant in the end, nor does anyone else. It is splendidly captured by Nihalani himself and meticulously written by Vijay Tendulkar.
Existentialism in Ardh Satya
The story revolves around an individual pushed to serve in the police force. But, his soul still embraces poetry and lingers around in surprise, experiencing loopholes of the system which stands on the bedrock of lie and deceit. The reality of a well-knitted corrupt system makes Velankar question his principles. His struggle to be truthful to himself and a confrontation with Jyotsana about the injustices around him throw him further into an existentialist dilemma. When the protagonist reads Dilip Chitre’s Ardh Satya (that he gets from Jyotsana), It describes his current state of despair. It states that he is inside an eternal circle (Chakravyuh) and doesn’t remember who he was before entering it and who he is now. Now, that he is inside the endless cycle, his life and death seem insignificant. Nihalani signifies that gratification lies in being truthful to oneself, which Velankar failed to achieve due to his father, society, and the system.
Angry Young Man
The 80s saw the arrival of angry young men fighting the injustices of society for their people in commercial Indian films like Zanjeer, Deewar, etc. These characters initially originated from British cinema during world war 2, where the protagonist belongs to the working class. He is the leader of his tribe and fights against the atrocities of the powerful for his people. The portrayal of masculine rage in Ardha Satya was way ahead of its time. We see Velankar as an individual who gets mentally traumatized by his patriarchal father and then the incompetent workforce. His confusion and inability to protect his ideals turn into frustration which he takes out on defenseless people and himself. Unlike, the stereotypical heroine of commercial films, Jyotsana (a college professor) has strong political and philosophical views. She empathizes with Velankar’s current state of confusion but parts her way due to Velankar’s anger issues with dignity instead of being enticed by it.
Psychological Warfare
Govind Nihalani’s social realism is a realistic and psychological vision of a naive mind. Paradoxically, while serving as a bridge of justice between the victim and the guilty, Velankar slowly becomes later while being the victim himself in an administration that secretly supports dishonest officials. He has fallen prey to the aggression and brutality of his profession. His mental confusion to come to terms with the reality of his corrupted superiors and subordinates makes him question his capability to protect the right of the working class people to whom he is appointed. There are several montages of Velankar thinking back at the past when his father compelled him to join the police force. His father believed in the superficial glory that comes with the service uniform.
Generational Trauma
Anant Velankar’s father (Faujdar Velankar) spent his whole life serving the nexus of the police force. His grandfather also worked in the same field. Thus, Velankar struggles with the weight of carrying a generational tradition which is more of a suicide of his ambitions. He grew up seeing his patriarch father coming frustrated from his work in the intoxication of alcohol. His father often beats his mother and was emotionally unavailable all his life his son. Although, there are scenes that portray his loneliness and concern. But it is concealed behind a tough masculine exterior. Velankar slowly turns into his father, finding escapism from his dull and exhausting job under the influence of alcohol. Thus, he gets the trauma as a token of succession from his predecessors (who sacrificed their whole lives to earn respect for themselves.)
Compromised Idealism in Ardh Satya
Velankar vented his inner sensibilities to Jyotsana (a college lecturer). He gets intrigued by her perspective on trade union strikes, worker’s rights, and politics. It often makes him question his virtues on the deep-rooted injustices in his workspace, perhaps due to a well-knitted nexus inside the system, in which he is just one of the cogs. But, as the aggression of Velankar’s work-life takes over his individuality Jyotsana straightforwardly parts ways with him. Her principles didn’t incline with the values Velankar ought to follow. Lastly, even his ideals couldn’t match his actions. His compromised idealism made him question the existence of his soul, which died as soon as he entered the eternal circle of immorality (chakravyuh). When his job becomes limited to serving the atrocious politicians and local gangsters, Velankar feels humiliated as it takes away his right to practice his authority independently. He is left to act as a puppet without power.
Rama Shetty: A Villain or a Virtue
Unlike the one-dimensional villains of mainstream cinema, Nihalani’s main antagonist Rama Shetty in Ardh Satya is one of the toilers in the maze of unethical practices. The existence of corrupted principles in the administration (formed to protect the rights of the innocent), paralyzes the progress of an individual and society. It stands on the deep-rooted pillars of lies and deceit that work against the fundamentals of the constitution. Rama Shetty is one of the pillars. He is helping in advancing the roots of his selfish motifs. He has a relationship of convenience with the people in power, including politicians, senior police officers, the local mafia, etc. His network goes beyond the understanding of Velankar. He is new and naive to learn the trade of remaining silent amidst inequity. Justice seems unattainable in his world. Velankar’s superiors underestimate his missions and later take all the credit. But, this does not bother Velankar much as does his inability to protect who he was before entering the Chakravyuh. Apart from Rama Shetty, his father, his corrupted superiors, the incompetent system, and himself are the victims and villains of the story.
