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New Indian Express

Jigar Nagda Interview: Ignorance is what ails the oppressed communities

Batti, especially when Bheru gets turned down every time he approaches the officials, might remind audiences of Nawazuddin Siddique's Manjhi – The Mountain Man, where the lead knocks on every door to make a road for his village. Not all government schemes reach the last person in the social ladder, and in most cases, this last person will either be a Dalit or an Adivasi. Jigar affirms, "In both the cases (Batti and Manjhi), the grieving party belongs to the downtrodden community. The reason is the last mile connectivity of schemes is the responsibility of a Sarpanch and the Panchayat authorities. Belonging to a dominant caste enables a person to wield power and it is that power that makes someone a village head. Their inherent caste bias gets them worked up with the prospect of treating the Dalit/tribal people on par with those in their community. Also, corruption plays a huge role. Sarpanchs like the one I show in Batti will put up a facade of being do-gooders and lend money to the tribal people only to get the lion's share of their crops as interest, but will shut the door if approached for amenities. This way, even the land-owning tribal person will be at a disadvantaged position. When people can discriminate against people based on their caste just for the sake of 'superiority,' will they not do it if they can make themselves richer? The oppressed are falling prey to exploitation or accepting their status quo as 'normal' due to their ignorance." Bheru is the 'black sheep' who wants to break free of this inhumane system, coupled with the generational trauma, and as a result, faces stiff resistance from several corners. Incidentally, his father Nathu (Mahendra Shrivas) is the first hurdle. "Being denied basic rights is Hobson's choice for Nathu, but he chides his son, asking, 'Haven't our women lived in houses without power?' This is, of course, to dodge the guilt of his inability to obtain electricity, resulting in a close one's death. Beneath his rude opposition to his son's 'rebelliousness,' he feels helpless, and even tells Bheru that if he was as active as his son, he might have done a lot more in his youth," says Jigar, who points out the differences in the father figures in the film, including the Sarpanch.