mehFILM: Prahaar (1991)

Hello and Welcome,

Today, I would like to talk about 1991 Hindi film Prahaar: The Final Attack written and directed by celebrated actor, Nana Patekar. It was Patekar's directorial debut and he hasn't made any other film since then.

Genre: Action drama

Duration: 168 minutes

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

The story of the film is divided into two parts. In the first half of the film, Peter D'Souza goes to the Maratha Light Infantry Regimental Centre for Commando training leaving his fiancee and father home. His father runs a small bakery. This entire part features rigourous commando training and soldiers' plight. Immediately after training, four of the commandos, including Peter, had to face a mission in which they had to save some school kids and their teachers from terrorists.

In the second half, Major Chauhan finds out about the murder of Peter upon reaching his home, and he decides to serve justice. The kinds of challenges he faced is the main content of second half. In the end, Major Chauhan himself was sent to rehabilitation centre. The film ends where Major Chauhan dreams of making army training compulsory for all Indain children.

WHY SHOULD WE WATCH IT?

• Excellent performances by Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit, and Nana Patekar are sure to grab our attention into the film.
• Satirical presentation of Indian corruption as well as nexus between power and hooligans makes the film very interesting.
• The role and behavior of the masses as presented in the film are also interesting. When Peter was beaten and killed by local goons, all the people - that includs his neighbours - just stood there silently and watch him dying. None of them turns up as witness in front of police so that justice can be served. But the same public, when Major Chauhan starts beating goons, started stone-pelting on Major Chauhan, showing their loyalty to the hooligans. This, according to the philosophy of the film, is the major reason of the problems that we face as a country and society. Our inability to take a stand for self, and defend our rights make us a weak society and country.
• The most important aspect of the film, according to me, is the rigourous militry training and the conidtion of the trainees. It has been shot very authentically and all major stages of training are captured at length.
• Very melodious use of classcial music.
• Major Chauhan's disturbing childhood as presented in the flashbacks.

Soldiers are trained to identify and nullify the enemies of the state who are on the other side of the border and hence easier to do their duties; but a bigger challenge comes from the enemies inside the country who make, through corruption, crimes, and wrong-doings, our nation a weak country, and a very little justice and rights can be served. This is the main philosophy of the film, and as a solution, film proposes compulsory militry training for all the citizens of the country, as presented in the dream-sequence of Major Chauhan.

If you are a fan of the movies about social concern and interested to see raw action on screen, you must see this movie. The movie is availbale on youtube. I would rate this film 8 out of 10.

Thank you.