ajji movie review

AJJI MOVIE FULL REVIEW:-

                                                                    Little Manda is found raped and dumped in a trash heap in her slum. Her parents are more concerned with survival than dignity and want to forget and move on as even the cops are powerless to help as the rapist is a local politician's son. But Manda's Ajji (grandmother) cannot accept the injustice of it all. Can a frail, arthritic and powerless old woman grapple with the big bad wolf? Is there still hope for justice in a cruel world? Can anything act as a deterrent to rape? The answers to these questions form the crux.

                                

                                                                       After her 10-year-old granddaughter Manda (Sharvani Suryavanshi) is brutally raped by a serial sex offender, the young girl's Ajji ('grandmother' in Marathi) sets out to seek revenge, after custodians of law refuse to bring the rapist to book, thanks to his influential political background. The local cop threatens Manda's family so that they don't lodge an FIR against the powerful culprit. He victim shames the rape survivor and exploits her further with his sickening demand of wanting to take a close look at her wounded private parts to 'ensure' she has been raped.

           

                                                                            "Freedom is never granted; it is won. Justice is never given; it is exacted." Ajji epitomises this thought. Devashish Makhija's much acclaimed movie is an unsettling revenge drama that unfolds like a thriller. It's a morbid, melancholic and haunting tale of crime and justice that's not everyone's cup of tea. You are bound to hold your breath throughout this traumatic yet utterly gripping film that is poignant, empowering and heartbreaking all at once. It is disturbingly real in its approach towards exposing the harsh realities of our society. Unlike various films made on a similar subject, this one has no filter and heads to an eerie conclusion that's debatable but perversely gratifying. With more and more women championing the 'me too' campaign, there couldn't have been a more relevant film for today than this one. Sexual crimes do not affect just one person but her/his entire family. Your heart yearns for Ajji (a brilliant Sushama Deshpande), who cannot bear the agony of watching her little girl suffer in silence. Your heart breaks into a million pieces as the 10-year-old innocently asks her Ajji if she is now a grownup woman since she bleeds and if that's what happens to all the girls of her age.

                         The underprivileged are not expected to have a voice or courage to defend themselves. They are, in fact punished for doing so. Makhija gives a thrilling spin to this tragic social drama by maintaining a creepy silence throughout, as you see Ajji spying and chasing down the criminal despite her age related ailments. A small-time tailor, you don't judge the old woman's decision to eventually take law into her own hands as she is left with no choice.

                                                                Theatre actor, writer, director Sushama Deshpande commands your unflinching attention from beginning to end with her unsaid words and raw emotions. She makes her battle every woman's battle, who demands her safety and right to be heard. Other actors deliver a compelling performance, too. Director of photography Jishnu Bhattacharjee deserves a special mention for making this quest for justice seem rep