‘Ancestral’ movie review: A gentle but gripping indie that scratches beneath the surface

A scene from ‘Pushtaini’ | Photo Credit: Pustaini Film/YouTube

Our society is still not able to accept the sad reality that sexual abuse is not gender-specific. Maybe that is why our mainstream cinema either ignores the sexual abuse of boys or treats it as a means to create humour. For a change, AncestryThe story of this small film with a big purpose begins on a film set where a struggling actor lies on a couch struggling with his dialogues.

Like a skinny cat trying to roar like a tiger, Aryan Shaw (Vinod Rawat) is trying to hide the simple-minded pahadi boy Bhupinder or Bhuppi from the camera. Soon, we realise that his set up is perhaps deliberately designed in the script as his launchpad, as Bhuppi has gone through the painful process of ‘casting couch’, a euphemism for sex-for-work.

This sleazy line producer has a video that could end Bhuppi’s career, but somehow the desperation of being blackmailed has brought out a natural talent in him that wasn’t in his repertoire. This is something that Rajkummar Rao, playing the hero within the film, advises him to bring out, but by then Aryan and Bhuppi are two different people.

To escape the trap, Bhuppi travels back to his native land in Uttarakhand and the beautiful scenery opens up cracks in the young man’s mind about the past that forced him to flee his reality to the city of dreams. As the purpose of the title starts to make sense, we find Bhuppi suffering from father issues that seem more serious than ever before. Animal. There is a sister who feels she has let the family down and an aunt who holds her responsible for their father’s unnatural death. Then there is a will that is in the hands of his father’s employer Yashpal (Mithilesh Pandey), whom Bhuppi does not want to face because of a childhood trauma that has not healed and has perhaps created flaws in his personality. It creates an emotional trough where the soundscapes and landscapes become an integral part of the storytelling.

In his journey to find his truth, Bhuppi finds a companion in Dimple, a life coach (Rita Heer) who is seeking answers to questions that have haunted her since childhood. While Bhuppi avoids drugs as it takes away the layers she has put on herself, Dimple takes to bhang and vodka to push through the gravity of the situation and scenario.

The film features Hemant (Hemant Pandey), a taxi driver and Bhuppi’s childhood friend, who takes him and Dimple on this journey of self-discovery. Hemant is the prototype of small-town men who judge women based on their food and lifestyle.

Rawat not only plays Bhuppi/Aryan with a gentle intensity, but has also directed, produced and co-written AncestryWhile seeking answers to Bhuppi’s quest, he touches upon the issues of unemployment, migration and economic hardships in the hills, which make people prone to various kinds of manipulations, without any pretense.

Like her property, Bhuppi’s problem is also ‘ancestral’. People living on the margins faced sexual abuse then and hid it; they are uncomfortable talking about it now. Time and place do not matter. It seems they are destined to suffer and move on with a straight face. Rawat depicts this helplessness and reorientation in Bhuppi by weaving events into a gripping narrative that does not ask for pity, being an independent film.

In terms of technology, on a large scale, Ancestry It has the feel of a good, personal student film. It has a heartbeat, but the writing and acting don’t tie up the loose ends properly. At times, the rawness in expressing emotions and language works in the film’s favour, but then there are scenes where low-hanging metaphors are used for effect.

said that, Ancestry Better than many of the decorative products currently on display in cinemas. Hopefully it will break out of the ruthless distribution system that is tilted towards tentpoles and where ancestral grip on the system still works.

Ancestry is currently playing in cinemas