Aarakshan

Movie
Aarakshan
Director
Prakash Jha
Cast
Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan, Manoj Bajpayee, Deepika Padukone, Prateik Babbar
Rating: ****
Aarakshan is about different aspects of the Indian education process, the reservation law being is one of them. Aarakshan's genuine and serious grief cannot be questioned, but if a topic is important enough to be the film’s title, it has to be purely debated first.
Aarakshan sweeps in strong and high intense  into the tough territory, but post pee-time, diverts from the original issue. Stupid it may be, the first half focuses on the reservation plot revealing us how students, parents,teachers,politicians are differ on this  sensitive issue.
This is explored within the reign of a highly respected college leader and principled by Dr Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan).  He doesn’t think again while rusticating the son of a trustee or thrashing his most intelligent professor for getting into a wrong deeds.
When the 27 per cent reservation quota for backward castes in government institutions is upheld by the Supreme Court, it creates a ripple of celebration on one side, and angst on the other. Prabhakar doesn’t take a stand, even when directly asked whose side he’s on. He has been quietly teaching poor students .
The implementation of the reservation has a strong effect on the college. The professor Prabhakar takes his decision but results into losing his favorite student.
Prakash Jha should have taken a clear stand. You might not  go with the thoughts of central character Prabhakar, but you will applaud that through this character, Jha makes the film’s leanings clear. It’s such a difficult thing – not to sit idle. And then, just as you’re fully immersed in this concern, the film changes tracks. Just like that.
The second half is better but does not go with the theme of   'Aarakshan'. It becomes a center of  fight between considering education as a business and teaching as a noble profession.Prabhakar’s character is the only one that remains steady and consistent. The others keep on shifting their stance, their views thoughts and and issues.
Amitabh Bachchan’s performance is worth appreciation.  The other character which is worth applause is Deepika.
Saif and Prateik are  superb but they keep on changing their issues so made them quite diverted from the issue.
Verdict: "Aarakshan " although diverts from the title but still manages to convey more realistic issue of business of education.Go watch it with your family and social circle!!
Author: Shaan