The “Lost” Thread

When a film picks up issues which are usually sidelined, raises questions which make us ill at ease and rakes up premises which are conveniently ignored , it is time to talk, discuss and debate about it without being depreciative and brusque.

Lost (2023) pivots round an investigative journalist, Vidhi Sahni (Yami Gautam Dar) who lives with her retired grandfather or Nanu(Pankaj Kapur). Vidhi is investigating the case of a missing Dalit boy Ishan Bharti (Tushar Pandey). As she delves deeper she is certain that there is more to it than just an everyday missing report. The local police is giving it a Maoist colour whereas Ishan was an apolitical person and merely an ardent street theatre artist. He was into a serious relationship with an over ambitious girl named Ankita Chauhan (Pia Bajpayee), who is being used by the local politician Ranjan Varman (Rahul Khanna) for his personal political benefits. Ishan was last seen in her flat (gifted by Varman) before he goes missing. There is huge pressure on police not to interrogate Ankita in the case. Vidhi, on the other hand, is also being threatened to keep off the investigation. Varman’s goons also hit at Vidhi’s Nanu but to no avail. The spunky old man proves to be more than a handful for them. There are two possibilities in this case – either Ishan has been kidnapped by Varman and killed or he has been brainwashed by the Maoist Leader Bhim Rana and gone rebel. It is for Vidhi to get to the right trail and find Ishan.

Vidhi is wedded to her profession which affects her personal relationship with her parents as well as her boy friend Jeet (Neil Bhupalam). She is very close to her Nanu who is not only her friend, philosopher and guide but also the voice of rationale when she gets overly emotional and involved in her work. Vidhi’s idealism at times borders on activism. Her boss has to constantly mentor her not to cross over the lakshmanrekha where her career and life can be endangered. But Vidhi gives more importance to her conscience than protocol which may be a downside of how she is built. But don’t you need people like that in your stereotypical world who think differently, act differently and function differently?

Lost is all about Vidhi seeking the truth following clue after clue in the myriad gullies of old Kolkata where the city itself becomes a character pregnant with mystery given its sordid political history, it’s laidback wakefulness and it’s complex cultural miliue.

Lost very convincingly portrays the hard work behind authentic investigative journalism sans the sensationalism which has become easy avenue of revenue grossing these days. Again there is painful realism intercepting every now and then where straightforward journalism is kick boxed by heavily laced ideology. Should a journalist be only a non partisan reporter? A bystander? A spectator recounting a story? What if he or she is also a humanist ? An idealist? What is the ultimate motto of “clean” journalism? To build and influence public opinion? If yes, which way?

Lost tries to scoop up too many issues. It’s the film’s flipside. It questions patriarchy. It questions the rationale behind extremism – their dubious claim of giving a “dignified life” to the underdogs of the society. A woman’s dedication to her profession which in our society is seen through suspicion tinted glasses, more so, if it comes in the way of expected course of life. But to me the most significant amidst all this labyranthine mess is finding that wee bit of soul satisfaction which at the end of a gruelling task brings in. When Vidhi hugs her Nanu, out of sheer delight, after her story comes to a justified end.

Lost ends abruptly and leaves a lot many loose threads untied. As I have often said earlier the story begins where it ends because life is never simply living happily ever after. We humans have a tendency to make it complicated as we choose to exploit every situation our own way like Varman, like Bhim Rana, like Ankita Chauhan. But the silver linings in our overcast life-sky are people like Nanu, outstandingly performed by the veteran Pankaj Kapur, Vidhi, a role smartly chosen by Yami who carries the entire movie on her shoulders and Ishan, who does not buckle under killing pressure and is able to make a choice of his own. To give the devil it’s due Rahul Khanna as the suave but deadly politician, like many times before, swept me off my feet. Director, Aniruddh Roy Chowdhury, has again taken up an unusual and difficult theme after Pink. Kudos to him for that. A tighter and unidimensional script would have added more credibility to the message of the film. Last but not the least, Avik Mukhopadhyay’s stunning cinematography brings Kolkata alive once again after Kahani wherein the city itself becomes an integral part of the narrative and one cannot think of dissociating the plot from the backdrop.

Trivia – The film premiered at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival and received a standing ovation. It was selected to be the closing film of the Atlanta Indian Film Festival. In Asia it premiered at the 53rd International Film Festival held in Goa. Lost is now streaming on Zee5. All those who wish to see meaningful mainstream movie can watch it now.