Tigmanshu Dhulia swirls in the riches of his past in Ghamasaan. After his humanising portrait of dacoits in Paan Singh Tomar, the filmmaker finds himself operating within the extremes this time. The daaku here is no baaghi like the real-life figure, immortalised by Irrfan Khan in the 2012 film. The political nuance doesn’t extend beyond the nexus between nefarious cops and greedy politicians. Even though it is set in the tribal belt of Bundelkhand, the regional specificity doesn’t quite mingle with the narrative. The director’s understanding of the heartland’s pulse is rendered into an outer setting, while the mud, blood, and sweat are substituted with stray pieces of familiarity.
Inside ‘Ghamasaan’: How Tigmanshu Dhulia and Pratik Gandhi’s minimalistic style shapes their work
The film begins with seemingly unrelated events as a newly married couple is welcomed into a home. The groom’s father is kidnapped by Maharaj (Arshad Warsi), a dreaded dacoit, and eventually killed brutally, which pushes the son onto the path of vengeance. As Maharaj enjoys freedom, continuing his violent exploits, politicians feed into his enigma to procure votes during elections. In response to Maharaj’s threats, IPS Aditya Singh (Pratik Gandhi) is called in with his team of honest officers, setting off a cat-and-mouse chase.
