A movie’s title should never be used as a criterion. Notwithstanding any reservations one might have about the movie, the opening scene of Global Baba features a riveting verbal battle involving officer Jacob (Ravi Kishan) and criminal Pehelwan (Abhimanyu Singh). Pehelwan manages to slip away from of the politician’s planned police confrontation, but his patron, Bhanumati, is shot and ends up in the Aghoris’ shelter. After a run-in with Damru alias Mauni Baba (Pankaj Tripathi), he dons a new baba costume and sets out to scam the naïve public. It’s the storey of a baba born to a prisoner.
Global Baba is a stinging reproduction of the realm of godmen, and it was well-timed given what’s going on within the globe right now. How simple it is to produce miracles as well as establish cults overnight, as well as how the babas are rising as alternative power centres. These are all the babas with so much money and they could lend it to Swiss banks. Rather than studying the Bible, they offer their suffering members a shortcut to paradise. Several Hindi films have recently been released that deal with godmen, superstition, and blind faith. Global Baba continues the concept a step further by examining the dark underbelly of it—the lethal mix of criminality, politics, & religion that is destroying the country.
There have been some apparent comical elements, as well as some facile depictions like Bhanumati, however the movie does a good job of capturing the politics of the Hindi heartland. The murders, intermingled with fervour of Ganga arti just at Dashashwamedh ghat, drive home a powerful point. The writing is snappy and captures the subtlety of living mostly around Varanasi, as well as a solid cast, lead by Pankaj Tripathi, adds towards the impact. If you see the film’s stance on alpasankhyak tushtikaran (minority appeasement) and bahusankhyakon ka mel (majoritarians joining together), you’ll know it was made by, for, and by the grassroots.
Yes, the story-telling, style, as well as texture are all obviously rough. There may be a dearth of artistic skill and artistry, as well as far too several issues—land invasion, tribal rights—fighting for attention, all capped off with a sanctimonious speech from the logical, practical Bhola Pandit (Sanjay Mishra). The turmoil on television, on the other hand, is an accurate depiction of the confusion that exists in real life. Despite the shrillness and breathlessness of the action, it takes a serious approach to a serious problem. A movie that is both loud and intelligent.
Also Read: Mard: All you should know about this Classic Bollywood Movie
