Gārgi - a question of justice

Gārgi 

Tamil, 2022

Director: Gautham Ramachandran

Cast: Sai Pallavi, Kaali Venkat, Kavithalaya Krishnan, R. S. Shivaji, Sudha S., Saravanan

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐

After her massive career in Tollywood films, it is easy to forget that Ms. Sai Pallavi is Tamil. It is also just as easy to forget that, if given the right role, she can prove she is also one incredible actress. To me, Gārgi is her finest role yet.

In a society just slightly shy of being agnostic, it would be hard to fully understand how the Rishika Gārgi can be to India as Joan of Arc is to France. A woman who stood up against the chauvinist mindsets of Vēdic Rishis, it is little wonder her name has been chosen for the title character of this film.

She is a young schoolteacher living a very ordinary life in a very ordinary part of Chennai. Her life falls apart when she finds her aging father accused and arrested for involvement in the gang rape of a young girl, someone no older than her own sister.

Her anger, her desperation, is depicted by Sai Pallavi with conviction. It is a controlled rage, with only occasional moments of breakdown. In short, it is convincing.

Convincing too is Mr. Venkat as a starving, inexperienced assistant attorney whose empathetic nature drives him forward. Together they are a pair. But, thankfully this movie focuses not on cheesy romance, but friendship born out of camaraderie. This is just plus point to set the movie apart from the rest. The story is genuine, focused, striving to bring a moral and humane understanding to a what is without doubt, a dark blot on the character of men, all men.

This is perhaps why the judge over the trial is decidedly transgender. Ms. Sudha brings a refreshing maturity to her character. She explains herself how she is perfect to take on the case - she knows both the desires of men and the pains of women. Brilliant!

Who really knows what drives men to put aside all that they are to engage in demonic acts?  Gārgi never attempts to answer this either; only to ensure the punishment befits the crime.