Anaarkali of Aarah

Anaarkali of Aarah (Anārakalī ŏph Ārā) is a 2017 Indian film written and directed by debutant Avinash Das. The movie has Swara Bhaskar playing the lead role of a small-town erotic folk dancer in Arrah in Bihar. The movie revolves around her confrontation with a vice chancellor played by Sanjay Mishra. The film released on 24 March 2017.[4][5][6] Bhaskar was nominated for Best Actress (Critics) for her performance, at 63rd Filmfare Awards.

Anaarkali of Aarah
Hindi अनारकली ऑफ आरा
Directed byAvinash Das
Written byAvinash Das
Produced by
  • Priya Kapur
  • Sandiip Kapur
Starring
CinematographyArvind Kannabiran
Edited byJabeen Merchant
Music byRohit Sharma
Production
company
Promodome Motion Pictures
Distributed byPVR Cinemas
Release date
  • 24 March 2017 (2017-03-24)[1]
Running time
113 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Box office₹10.78 million[3]

Plot

Anaarkali of Aarah is the story of Anaarkali (Swara Bhaskar), who makes a living by performing to double meaning/erotic songs in public functions. During one of her stage shows, Anaarkali comes across Dharmender Chauhan (Sanjay Mishra), the vice chancellor of a local university who tries to molest her. This leads to a conflict between the two where Dharmender holding a position of power has an upper hand but Anaarkali refuses to give in to the challenges thrown in her life and instead decides to fight back.

Cast
  • Swara Bhaskar as Anarkali
  • Sanjay Mishra as Vice Chancellor Dharmender Chauhan
  • Pankaj Tripathi as Rangeela
  • Ishtiyak Khan as Hiraman Tiwari
  • Vijay Kumar as Inspector Bulbul Pandey
  • Ipsita Chakraborty Singh as Chamki Rani
  • Man Mohan Joshi as Faiyaz Bhai (Anarkali's Chaachaa)
  • Abhishek Sharma as Sukhilal Sipahi
  • Vishwas Bhanu as Dukhilal Sipahi
  • Mayur More as Anwar
  • Nitin Arora[4] as Studio Owner

Production

Development

According to Avinash Das, the director of Anaarkali of Aarah, the idea to make this film originated after he watched a music video of Bhojpuri folk artist Tarabano Faizabadi in which she was singing an erotic song Hare Hare Nebuaa. He says, "It intrigued me that visuals of Tarabano singing expressionless in a studio were mixed with a sequence in which a woman is trying to seduce a man.[7] In 2011, a Bhojpuri folk singer, Devi, stood up against the Vice Chancellor of Jai Prakash Narayan University for molesting her at an event.[8] These two incidents helped Avinash in the creation of Anaarkali, the central character of his film. Avinash says, "These two threads began to form into a script about a street singer who sings erotically-charged songs but has the integrity to challenge the powers when she is mistreated."[7]

Casting

Initially, the central role of Anaarkali was supposed to be played by Richa Chadda but she opted out of the project, the reason for it being, as stated by Director Avinash, that she was unsure of the film getting a release considering it was smaller budget film as compared to the projects that she was doing at that time.[7][9][10]

Soundtrack
Anaarkali of Aarah
Soundtrack album by
Rohit Sharma
Released27 February 2017 (2017-02-27)[11]
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length38:58
LabelZee Music Company
External audio
audio icon Audio Jukebox on YouTube

The soundtrack of Anaarkali of Aaarah comprises 10 songs, all of them composed by Rohit Sharma while the lyrics have been written by Ramkumar Singh, Dr. Sagar, Ravinder Randhawa, Prashant Ingole and Avinash Das.[12][13]

Tracklist
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Dunaliya Mein Jung"Ramkumar SinghSwati Sharma05:15
2."Lahanga Jhaanke"Ravinder RandhawaIndu Sonali02:49
3."Aye Sakhi Ooh"Ramkumar SinghPawni Pandey03:57
4."Badnaam Jiya De Gaari"Ravinder RandhawaRekha Bhardwaj06:20
5."Mann Beqaid Huva"Prashant IngoleSonu Nigam04:18
6."Mora Piya Matlab Ka Yaar"Dr. SagarSwati Sharma03:41
7."Sa Ra Ra Ra"Ravinder RandhawaPawni Pandey07:32
8."Mera Balam Bambaiya"Avinash DasPawni Pandey02:33
9."Hamre Jobna Pe"Avinash DasIndu Sonali01:27
10."Laal Laal Cheekwa"Ravinder RandhawaRohit Sharma01:06
Total length:38:58

Critical reception

Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and said that "Anaarkali of Aarah is an unexpected winner that stuns you with its authenticity." The critic praised the director Avinash Das by saying that, "Avinash Das’ execution lends gravitas to the proceedings, making you feel for the lead character" and also the lead actress Swara Bhaskar by saying that, "this film finally gives Swara Bhaskar an opportunity to put her exemplary acting chops on display. She is a revelation as a pan-chewing, courageous woman, who won’t buckle under pressure."[14] Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 and said that, "Anaarkali of Aarah brings forth a world that’s out of focus and needs our attention. Marginalised sections are fighting their own battles in this part of the globe and Anaarkali Of Aarah wants us to be sympathetic to them."[15] Savera R Someshwar of Rediff gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 saying that, "Anaarkali Of Aarah is a tale well told".[16]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and said that, "With Anar, Swara Bhaskar gets a role worthy of her. The film uses lines and situations involving crudity but never turns vulgar. Nowhere does Anaarkali of Aarah makes you cringe, and that’s a real achievement."[17] Namrata Joshi of The Hindu praised the performances of Swara Bhaskar, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra and Ishtiyaq Khan and said that the film is, "A unique, well observed, raunchy musical that reiterates that no means no."[18] Shomini Sen of News18 gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 and said that, "the film works for its tight script- which never dwindles- and for its powerful story. That a marginalized section also has the right to speak up against any kind of atrocity is something that the film highlights well.[19] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and said that, "Keeping in line with Hindi cinema's new found passion for strong women protagonists and their resilient stories, Anarkali Of Aarah is the pitch perfect lesson in relevant feminism. This one's a must watch, whether you live in a metro or in rural India."[20]

Mayank Shekhar of Mid-Day gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and applauded Swara Bhaskar's performance by saying that, "It's hard to come across a performance so gut-wrenchingly real. It's hard to tell Swara from Anaarkali of Arrah, who's thankfully not another 'abla nari' either."[21] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in said that, "Swara Bhaskar is superb as a singer out to prove that ‘no means no’. Avinash Das's debut feature overcomes its indulgences and flaws by focusing on the big picture on sexual assault and consent."[22] Stutee Ghosh of The Quint gave the film a rating of 3 out of 5 saying that "The idea is fantastic, which makes it an important film that has its heart in the right place, but the execution leaves it wobbly in parts."[23] Tanul Thakur of The Wire said, "The film seethes with anger about gender disparity, but it makes its points without sacrificing the film’s plot or resorting to preachy overlong platitudes." He also applauded Swara Bhaskar saying that, "Bhaskar plays Anaarkali with so much verve, joy, and anger that it’s impossible to not feel intrigued by her and, ultimately, the film."[24]

Box office

Abysmal. Total collections, from all revenue streams combined, from Indian and foreign markets combines, amounted to a grand total of less than 1.1 crore (Rs. 11 million / $ 140,000/-). The woke, JNU-type "message" of the film, the absence of any saleable stars, and the presence of the widely disliked Swara Bhaskar were the reasons for the film's rejection by audiences, despite significant publicity efforts, which alone cost more than the film's entire collections.

Awards and nominations
Date of Ceremony Award Category Recipient(s) and nominee(s) Result Ref.
20 January 2018 Filmfare Awards Best Actress (Critics) Swara Bhaskar Nominated [25]
20 March 2018 News18 Reel Movie Awards Best Actress Swara Bhaskar Nominated [26]
Best Art / Production Design Mainak Das Nominated

Controversy

The film courted controversy when its trailer depicted an item number performed as part of the silver jubilee functions of the Veer Kunwar Singh University in Arrah.[27]

References
  1. "Anaarkali of Aarah – 2017". FilmiBeat. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  2. "Anaarkali of Aarah – Cast". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  3. "Anaarkali of Aarah – Box Office". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  4. "Anarkali of Arrah movie review: Bold, beautiful and endearing". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  5. "Swara Bhaskar to return in and as 'Anarkali of Arrah'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  6. "Language Games: Anarkali of Arrah". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
  7. "The erotic Bhojpuri song and the news headline that inspired 'Anaarkali of Aarah'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  8. "'Molested' singer seeks help". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  9. "Richa turned down Anarkali of Aarah right before signing the film: Avinash Das". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  10. "Sandiip Kapur: You Won't Miss A Hero In Anaarkali Of Aarah". Koimoi. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  11. "Anaarkali of Aaraah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. "Anaarkali of Aarah – Rohit Sharma". Saavn. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  13. "Anaarkali of Aarah – 2017 – Zee Music – Rohit Sharma". Gaana. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  14. "Anaarkali of Aarah – Movie Review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  15. "Anaarkali Of Aarah movie review: Swara Bhaskar's film carries the Pink discussion forward". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  16. "Review: Why aren't you watching Anaarkali Of Aarah?". Rediff. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  17. "Anaarkali of Aarah movie review: Swara Bhaskar film is a full-bodied, crackling watch". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  18. "Anaarkali of Aarah: Let's talk about consent". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  19. "Anaarkali of Araah Review: The Most Relevant Film of This Season". News18. Archived from the original on 18 July 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  20. "Movie Review: Anarkali Of Aarah – Swara Bhaskar kills it in a deeply relevant film on women". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  21. "'Anaarkali of Aarah' – Movie Review". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  22. "'Anaarkali of Aarah' review: Swara Bhaskar is superb as a singer out to prove that 'no means no'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 4 December 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  23. "Movie Review: 'Anaarkali of Arrah' Is Loud and Clear About Consent". The Quint. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  24. "'Anaarkali of Aarah' Is Witty, Feisty, Fearless in Narrative and Execution". The Wire. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  25. "63rd Jio Filmfare Awards 2018: Official list of nominations – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  26. "Reel Movie On Screen Awards 2018 | Best Film, Actor, Actress, Director and More". News18. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  27. "'Anarkali of Aarah' whips up a storm in Bihar's Bhojpur". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
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