‘Daman’ Odia movie review: Chasing cynicism in Malkangiri
A still from ‘Daman’
| Photo Credit: Panorama Studios
An inspiring tale of a fearless young doctor whose initiative helped in bringing down cases of Malaria in the remote areas of Odisha, Daman is a timely prescription for those who want to watch cinema with a cause.
Set in 2015, it is the Hindi version of the Odia drama that made headlines in November last year. Written and directed by Vishal Mourya and Debi Prasada Lenka, Daman stars Babubhushan Mohanty as a young, wide-eyed doctor posted at Janbai public health centre which falls in a tribal area in Malkangiri district. As per the State rules, medical graduates are expected to serve in rural and tribal areas for five years. Unable to counter the challenges and hardships that are in store in the harsh terrain, the upwardly mobile doctor decides to quit even before putting up a fight. However, a chance encounter with a young patient changes his mind and Siddharth’s enlightenment leads to a campaign that covers 151 mosquito and Naxal-infested villages that are cut off from the mainland because the bridge that is supposed to come up decades back is stuck in the red tape. Based on a real government programme, the film shows how the commitment of different government departments can help resolve a simple but enduring problem.
Daman (Odia)
Director: Vishal Mourya, Debi Prasada Lenka
Cast: Babubhushan Mohanty, Dipanwit Dashmohapatra
Runtime: 121 minutes
Storyline: The film chronicles the journey of Sid, a young doctor who is posted to the cut-off area of Malkangiri district Odisha infamous for Naxal dominance and no basic facilities.
While the natural beauty of the region, suitably captured by cinematographer Pratap Rout, draws us into the narrative, the depiction of the appalling standard of living of villagers shakes us. As a character in the film says, the difference in the standard of living between the region and the rest of the country is as much as that between India and the U.S.
However, after giving us interesting snapshots of overloaded vehicles, a dilapidated PHC building, and an occultist trying to exorcise plasmodium falciparum from a young girl’s body, the script unfolds like a well-meaning flowchart where the writers turn some noble quotes on the medical profession into a screenplay.
Soon Daman dons the role of a well-meaning public service docudrama documenting a success story of the government where a mosquito that draws its energy from superstitions and ignorance is the main villain. The ignorance of the tribals is put forward as the principal reason why the government’s efforts took time to bear fruit. The utter neglect of the region and the delays in development programmes caused by the pernicious corruption and a lax system find only a passing reference. Also, the film touches upon the complex Naxal issue of impeding the growth of health infrastructure in a remote area only with a barge pole.
Babubhushan looks the part of an unsuspecting young doctor who comes of age during the challenging assignment but strangely he remains conscious of the camera and his screen presence. There is a scene where Siddharth gets a sense that he looks like an outsider in the tribal belt and decides to do something about it. That effort remains cosmetic… like the second half of the film. No such limitations exist with Dipanwit Dashmohpatra who immerses into the role of a dedicated pharmacist who knows how to run a long race with legs tied. It is the honesty of his performance and the integrity of the core theme that has the power to cull the rampant cynicism in the youth that keeps us invested in this simplistic attempt to create a Manthan in Malkangiri.
Daman is currently running in theatres