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By Taran
Adarsh, June 8, 2007 - 10:00 IST
 Very
rarely does one come across a film that makes the
other films look so trivial in comparison. DHARM is
one of those films!
In which genre does one classify / place a film like
DHARM? It talks of religion. It talks of communal
harmony. It also looks at the parent-child bond. Most
importantly, DHARM is one of those thought-provoking
films that touch the core of your heart.
Certain films are beyond box-office. It would be
blasphemous to evaluate their potential on the basis
of how they fare at the turnstiles. That holds true
for DHARM.
An outstanding film in all respects, this one deserves
the highest praise and of course, the highest award.
Do yourself one favor. Watch DHARM.
DHARM is about a Hindu priest, Pandit Chaturvedi [Pankaj
Kapur], who's revered in Benaras. One day, his
daughter gets an infant home. The mother of this
infant had disappeared and was untraceable. The
priest's wife [Supriya Pathak Kapur] requests him to
allow her to raise the child [Krish Parekh], instead
of sending him to an orphanage. The priest hesitates
initially, but agrees later. Gradually, the child wins
everyone's heart, including that of the priest.
 The
story takes a turn when the child's mother, a Muslim,
resurfaces and claims her child. The entire family is
shocked…
Director Bhavna Talwar deserves kudos for not only
choosing a daringly different story, but also
presenting it with rare maturity and honesty. A lot of
hard work and detailing has gone into this film and
it's evident in each and every frame.
To pinpoint a sequence or two would be doing gross
injustice to the film, but a few sequences do leave
you spellbound. Take, for instance, the intermission
point, when the mother of the child surfaces or the
climax, which deserves an ovation.
Bhavna Talwar's direction deserves distinction marks.
The writing [script: Vibha Singh; dialogues: Varun
Gautam] is flawless. Only thing, the chaste Hindi is
difficult to comprehend at places, but goes well with
the mood of the film. Cinematography [Nalla Muthu] is
superb. Sound [Dileep Subramaniam] is of international
quality. Costumes [Shehnaz Vahanvati] are authentic.
 The
performances are award-worthy. Like always, Pankaj
Kapur delivers an astounding performance. It's akin to
a textbook in acting. Supriya Pathak Kapur excels.
Krish Parekh is first-rate. Hrishita Bhatt is good.
K.K. Raina is top class. The actor enacting the role
of Raina's son, Pankaj Tripathy, is effective.
Dayashanker Pandey is superb.
On the whole, DHARM is one of the finest films
produced in India. A film that deserves to be seen by
every lover of qualitative cinema. A film that's bound
to create ripples!
Rating:- [critique] * * * *
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