Bhopal : A Prayer For Rain...

2 December 1984.

Union Carbide Corporation.

Methyl Iso Cyanate.

Bhopal.

Madhya Pradesh.

~~~

30 Years.

Three Decades.

A Deadly Poison.

A Living Death.

~~~

The fateful night of 2-3 December 1984 left an indelible mark and countless scars on the face of humanity for generations to come.

To be mute remnants of a dark night in the truest sense of the word, for the perpetual suffering it had rendered to innocent civilians of the state capital of Madhya Pradesh - the 'heart' of India.

To be struck with those horrific facts and figures - when counting the number of bodies doesn't hold much significance - for each day, they're dying as they live through, pass through another day...

~~~

Touted as the world's worst industrial disaster, the Union Carbide India Limited Plant is where it all began.

40 tonnes of toxic MIC gas spewed death to kill thousands in their slumber on that night of December 2, 1984.

~~~

The 'Bhopal Gas Tragedy' as it is infamously called, is a heart-wrenching chapter in the history of India.

And, it was well necessary that this incident, be brought into the light, for the Youth of the Nation and the Indian audience at large, to garner understanding, of the What-When-Why-How of a lethal legacy.

~~~

With this idea in mind, Bhopal : A Prayer For Rain was born.

Director Ravi Kumar, teamed up with Ravi Walia of Rising Star Entertainment, to bring to us, the sorry - state of Bhopal, owing to the corrupt, and negligent officials at Union Carbide, backed up by the business - minded CEO, Warren Anderson

A Still From Inside The Cineplex.

~~~

The filming and presentation of a disaster of such gravity calls for an equally sensitive portrayal and direction by the actors and the Director alike.

And, Mr. Ravi Kumar has done just that.

Each of the actors on board, deliver their part effortlessly.

I could feel the sense of helplessness for the poverty stricken common man, Dilip, (portrayed by Raajpal Yadav) to continue working in such life-threatening situations as Carbide's.

I could hear the local journalist Motwani's (Kal Penn, inspired by the real life Bhopal journalist Mr. Rajkumar Keswani) earnest efforts to spread awareness on the 'time-bomb' that was ticking away in the heart of India.

I couldn't help but request the American journo, Eva, (Mischa Barton) not to leave.

I could sense the haunting despair in the widow Rekha's (Fagun Thakrar) eyes.

I could see how Roy, as a Security Officer, was pressured to comply to unwillingly compromise with the safety standards.

I couldn't help but condemn Chaudhari's corrupt ways. He made sure to check that the air - conditioning was deliberately shut off, even when MIC had to be maintained in freeze temperatures!

As for the liaison officer Shane, and the CEO Anderson (Martin Sheen), who form the key villainy, along with the CM of the state, they had a choice, to make.

Any antidote was not even given consideration as according to Anderson, only washing with water would suffice!

For them, Human Life Was Cheapest.

~~~

Apart from honest, true-to-the-frame portrayals, the pace at which the incidents unfolded, was steady.

The connect was established, one after another.

How Dilip, a rickshaw driver, landed a job at UCC... 

How we were shown the rusty pipes and faulty machinery, the Tank 610, waiting to spell disaster...

How the lady's husband, a dear friend of Motwani's, lost his life to one drop of MIC, thus widowing her.

The lady who gleefully used to sport a new Sari, every week, owing to that man's respectable position at the factory, was now rendered in White, for the rest of her pitiable life.

How Motwani's efforts took the fast track, after he lost his friend to MIC - with 'Cherry Red' Blood.

How corruption had an upper hand, all this while, be it the key Indian official, Chaudhari at the Factory, or the liaison officer 'bribing' the Chief Minister.

The most hard - hitting of them all were the concluding moments of the film, wherein the tragedy unfolded, in a gruesome manner.

How Dilip lost his wife Leela, sister, son, Raju and himself to the lethal demon...

That too, at the time of his sister's wedding ceremony, for whom he had decided to make do with risks threatening his life, all the while, at Union Carbide.

The menace of Dowry and Poverty together, weighed heavy on Dilip's life.

How that dead man's soul haunted Dilip in the last moments of his life, with his ID badge in his hand, saying,

तू तो उसी दिन मर गया था, जिस दिन तू ने मेरी Uniform पहनी थी...

as it were his title that Dilip was promoted to, when he died of that accidental drop of MIC falling on his arm...

The final scenes of the Hamidia Hospital, with bodies strewn all over the city, down to present day, when the civilians are shown suffering of the perpetual illnesses, bestowed upon them by MIC, can prove to be a gut - wrenching sight, not meant for the faint hearted.

~~~

 Bhopal : A Prayer For Rain, is hard-hitting, to the point, and serves as the perfect medium for spreading awareness about the one incident, that has crippled us, as Indians, for generations to come...

The portrayal of the series of events is gripping, requiring you at the edge of your seat...

The performances are top-notch, with each actor seeping into the skin of the character, effortlessly...

The facts presented before the rolling of end credits, are soul-stirring and draw a parallel between reality and what has been successfully portrayed in the film.

The entire movie, is one, which ought not to be missed, as what happened in Bhopal, 30 years back, could happen elsewhere too.

The tragedy led to new laws to tighten regulations, but audits still elude many.

That Night...

A 'Plant' Ensured That...

It Made People 'Choke'! :(

That Night...

Union Carbide didn't unite, rather split the entire city of Bhopal into pitiable conditions...

~~~

~~~