Aarakshan
Encyclopedia
Aarakshan is a 2011 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan
, Saif Ali Khan
and Deepika Padukone
. Directed by Prakash Jha
, the film is a socio-political drama based on the controversial policy of caste based reservations
in government jobs and educational institutions. The film also stars Prateik Babbar and Manoj Bajpayee
and was released on August 12, 2011.
The state minister Baburam wishes to enroll his no-good nephew at STM. While it is common for college principals to oblige powerful ministers, Dr Anand stands Ishika decides Ravi Plans Ishika by his principles and turns down the minister. The minister finally decides to install his own man, Mithilesh Singh, on the board of STM and gets his nephew admitted. Mithilesh is a cunning and greedy fellow who seeks only to enrich himself (by running a private coaching class, KK Coaching, outside STM). The minister's grander ambition is to build a multi-billion educational conglomerate, and he intends to expand Mithilesh's growing business to support his goal. Mithilesh is too happy to help. Dr Anand uncovers Mithilesh's coaching class business - a conflict with his post at STM - and rebukes him, but Mithilesh has already begun forming a plan to oust Dr Anand.
In April 2008, the Supreme Court
grants reservations for Other Backward Classes. A large crowd of STM students, boisterously celebrating the ruling, arrive at the gates of STM and start a ruckus. Sushant gathers a group of upper-caste boys and tries to drive off the revellers. Deepak confronts Sushant. Mithilesh Singh calls the police. Dr Anand is shocked. He sternly reprimands Mithilesh and warns him that the police will never set foot on the STM campus. He hauls Deepak and Sushant and reads them the riot act. Sushant accuses him of favoritism towards Deepak. And Deepak demands to know Dr Anand's position on aarakshan (reservations). Dr Anand is stunned by the fact that his dearest student Deepak has now turned on him! Poorbi later confronts Deepak and orders him to apologize to her father, but Deepak points out that while he owes his life to Dr Anand, he will no longer remain Dr Anand's charity case. Poorbi breaks up with Deepak.Ishika Break Up with Ravi
Reservations are a divisive and controversial issue. The backward classes welcome reservations because it provides additional opportunities for education and upliftment. The upper classes are against reservations because they believe in a level-playing field. These arguments are played out between Sushant and Deepak. Deepak points out that the backward classes have, for thousands of years, done only the lowest menial jobs and have never been able to attend (or pay for) the preparatory school work required for admission to institutes like STM. Unless they get a break somewhere, they will never be able to bootstrap their community. The moderate STM administrators are afraid that college-level reservations may create conflicts and divide the students. Dr Anand is personally in favor of uplifting the backward classes; he himself runs pro bono tutorial classes for backward class students at his home; but he is deeply concerned about the controversy stemming from the court ruling. The local politicians exploit the political side that might benefit them.
When asked by a media reporter, Dr Anand shares his personal opinion - that some form of reservation, free of politics and economics, is good for society. The next day's headlines scream that Dr Anand favors reservations. The STM board is outraged; STM, as a private institution, is never associated with government reservation programs. Dr Anand's closest friend on the STM board warns him that Mithilesh will use this to oust him and that he should preemptively retract his statement. Dr Anand decides to stand fast. He resigns from STM. Mithilesh Singh is appointed as the new principal of STM. Mithilesh acts swiftly to take over Dr Anand's private residence. (Dr Anand had co-signed a loan, with the home as collateral, for two needy students who turn out to be Mithilesh's stooges.) The home has become a KK Coaching center and Dr Anand is turned out! He has nowhere to go. He checks into a hotel. Mithilesh gloats over his victory.
Dr Anand resolves to take out Mithilesh with the only weapon left: teaching. He approaches his friend, Shambhu the cowherd, and takes shelter at the tabela (cowshed). He begins teaching small groups of students, mostly needy and backward students from the bastee (nearby neighborhood), at the cowshed. His first success is Muniya, Shambhu's daughter, who comes first at the next board examination. Muniya's principal visits the cowshed, discovers Dr Anand, and offers to send more students to his tabela school. Deepak and Sushant put their differences aside and return to Dr Anand. They join forces and teach at the tabela school. The tabela school students, under the tutelage of Dr Anand and his team, fare much better at the exams than their classmates. The tabela school's reputation grows and it begins to draw away students at Mithilesh's KK Coaching.
Mithilesh Singh responds by obtaining a legal permit (through the state minister Baburam) to demolish the cowshed. Mithilesh arrives at the cowshed with bulldozers and a police posse, and orders Dr Anand to vacate the premises or be run over. Dr Anand stands firm. The situation is diffused by the arrival of Shakuntala Tai, the reclusive magnate who started the STM institutions that bear her name. She calls the chief minister who promptly calls off the bulldozers and averts the destruction of the cowshed.
Mithilesh is dismissed. Dr Anand is installed as the chief trustee of the STM and the lifelong principal of the newly created STM Remedial Center for backward class students. The film ends with Shakuntala Tai inaugurating the STM Remedial Center and entrusting it to Dr Anand.
finished casting but the male lead was not finalized. Ajay Devgan
was first considered for the role, however Ajay had many other projects in hand, including Golmaal 3
and Singham. So Jha decided to cast Saif Ali Khan
. Khan found it very hard to juggle between two films at once because he had to learn Sanskrit for his role in the film. Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan
learnt teaching skills in mathematics from Bihar
's Super 30
founder Anand Kumar
. Most of the film's shooting took place in Minal Residency, Oriental College, Upper Lake in Bhopal. The shooting finished in early March 2011. Amitabh Bachchan and other actors visited Cinepolis
, the only multiplex in Patna
, to promote the film.
of Bollywood Hungama
rated it with 4 stars and said - "On the whole, Aarakshan communicates an engaging story with very relatable characters. It's a movie that is truly inspiring and thought-provoking, but at the same time, its running time [almost 2.45 hours] is a deterrent.(...) Aarakshan not only works as a film, but also as a tool to drive home a forceful message. It's a daring, heroic, commanding and an engaging film that shouldn't be missed!". He also praised the performance of of the leads. Nikhat Kazmi
of The Times of India
gave it 3 stars and said - "Sad. Because as a film on the issue of reservation, Aarakshan was rocking till the first half. But as an omnibus on the travails of India's education system, it flounders into no-man's land. Watch it for the intermittent high drama and the gritty performances, scattered as they are." Shivesh Kumar of IndiaWeekly awarded the movie 3 out of 5 stars. Soumil Shukla of FilmiTadka gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote in his review - "Screenplay and direction are two branches which are the main weak points of this self proclaimed ‘socio-political drama’. The characters and situations are surprisingly underdeveloped and half baked, a far cry from some of Anjum Rajabali’s or Prakash Jha’s previous work." Dainik Bhaskar
awarded three stars in their review and wrote - "Watch it for the conflicts between the characters and an outstanding performance by Amitabh Bachchan. On the flipside, if you expect drama and finesse that you witnessed in Prakash Jha’s last release ‘Rajneeti’, you will be disappointed." Rishitu Amarnani of India Forums rated the film 2 out of 5 stars and said, "The film deals with its main plot i.e. caste-based reservations in a top-notch manner addressing the issues, concerns and opinions attached to it. But the second half is where the film goes down again, and doesn't come back. The reason being that it's no longer about the main issue 'aarakshan'; it's just about Amitabh Bachchan!" Vandana Krishnan from Behindwoods rated it 1.5/5 and said that the film represents "Great bottle bad wine" further citing "Overall, the film falls short of the expectations the trailer, start cast and story had created."
Saibal Chatterjee from NDTV
gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and said: "Given all the pre-release brouhaha over its emotive subject matter (leading to several states banning its public screening), Aarakshan is quite a copout. It ends up being more about the depredations of the nation’s education mafia than the vexed question of job and college quotas for backward caste candidates and its fallout.The basic premise is rooted in the real world all right and the film might touch some raw nerves. But the dramatization of the conflict over the quota raj that divides India down the middle tends to border on the excessively shrill, if not completely shallow." Central Board of Film Certification
(CBFC) chairman Leela Samson
said that Aarakshan was a good film about education but "unfortunately hit troubled political situations".The controversial film has received a compliment from unlikely quarters in Chhattisgarh with the state Scheduled Tribes Commission seeking a tax-free status for the Amitabh Bachchan starrer.
Sukanya Venkatraghavan of Filmfare
gave it 2 stars out of 5, stating "The problem with Aarakshan is its meandering graph. It starts off solidly enough, keeping up a pace that will engross you until interval time except for two totally unnecessary songs. From there on, the film sheds it’s theme of ideals and becomes a one on one contest that, to put it really tritely, is a tug of war between two coaching classes. The dialogue is strong and opinionated and actors like Saif Ali Khan and Manoj Bajpai do everything to get you to like the film (...)Aarakshan has all the right intentions but it is a tad confusing in its stance. Of course ultimately it shows the triumph of selfless dedication to the cause of education and there is no faulting that. One does walk away with some reservations though." Rajeev Masand
of CNN-IBN gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it "a deathly boring slog" and adding: "With so much to say, the movie drags on endlessly, with over-written scenes, over-the-top emotions and dialogues that are so heavy, they end up being inaccessible. Of the performances, every actor seems to go through the motions and only Manoj Bajpai inserts some spark onto the screen. 'Aarakshan' is well-intentioned, but you can't shake off the feeling that you're trapped by a three-hour-long tirade. I'm going with a generous two out of five for Prakash Jha's 'Aarakshan'. If you don't want to be lectured, stay at home."
to go to 42.38 crore nett in four weeks. The film added
5 lakhs nett in India
to go to 42.43 crore nett in five weeks.
Moreover, the film fared poorly in the overseas markets. It grossed £76,000 in the United Kingdom, $345,000 in North America, $190,000 in UAE and $82,000 in Australia, taking it's total overseas gross to $900,000 over its first weekend. In its third weekend, the film collected £13,085 on 42 screens at the U.K. Box office with a total of £1,68,662 [approx. 1.27 crores], Australian $1,42,193 [approx. 69.26 lacs] in two weeks at the Australian Box office. Aarakshan’s total worldwide nett collections after three weeks were 47.75 crores..means aarakshan makes a success
, Shreya Ghoshal, Mahalakshmi Iyer
, Raman Mahadevan
, Shankar Mahadevan
and classical singer Channulal Mishra. The concept of song "Kaun Si Dor" was of Prasoon Joshi
, the songwriter of the album who came up with the first lines of the song. The trio then went on to develop the song and roped in Channulal Mishra who agreed to sing the song as per their request. The soundtrack was released on 11 July 2011.
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and said: "Aarakshan doesn't boast of the kind of score that has in it to make waves commercially since almost all songs mainly have a situational appeal to them. Yes, at least 'Achha Lagta Hai' is good that prevents Aarakshan from becoming totally forgettable. However despite low expectations from the soundtrack here, the end result is far more being satisfactory." Planet Bollywood felt that Prasoon Joshi
- Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
"failed to create the same magic as in Taare Zameen Par
." Sheetal Tiwari of Bollyspice, in her review, described the soundtrack as "brilliant with an astounding lyrical quality." She also praised the composer trio for "their versatility to compose for any subject."
Some pro-Dalit groups in Kanpur protested Saif Ali Khan
being cast in the role of a Dalit
. They objected to the actor's royal background and saw his role of a so-called Dalit as an insult to the community.
The film was banned in Uttar Pradesh
, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh
before its theatrical release. The Punjab government banned the film on fears that certain scenes and dialogues in the film may inflame the passion of some communities in Punjab. Mayawati government banned the film in UP for two months on grounds that it could create law and order problem in the state.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) viewed the movie after getting complaints of its objectionable content. “While the overall theme of the film is not objectionable, it is loaded with anti-Dalit and anti-reservation dialogues,” said NCSC chairman P.L. Punia. However, the Board, which granted the film a U/A certification, said it would defend Jha's right to free expression. In reply to this, the director decided to remove 'objectionable' scenes from the film in a bid to prevent further backlash. Prakash Jha and producers of Aarakshan moved the Supreme Court to lift the ban on the film in the three states. Supreme Court lifted the ban on Aarakshan in Uttar Pradesh later.
Apart from the aforementioned announced bans, there was an unexpected mid screening ban on the film in the multiplexes of Gurgaon, on the night of its release.
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
, Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
and Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress and a former model. She appears mostly in Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada language films. Born to Badminton player Prakash Padukone, she chose to become an actress and not pursue a career in sports.Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film...
. Directed by Prakash Jha
Prakash Jha
Prakash Jha is an Indian film producer-director-screenwriter, who is most known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul , Mrityudand , Gangaajal , Apaharan and multistarrer hit movie Raajneeti...
, the film is a socio-political drama based on the controversial policy of caste based reservations
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
in government jobs and educational institutions. The film also stars Prateik Babbar and Manoj Bajpayee
Manoj Bajpai
Manoj Bajpai , also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles. He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.-Early life:...
and was released on August 12, 2011.
Plot
The film opens in 2008 with Deepak Kumar at an interview for the post of a teacher at an affluent school. The interviewers quicky turn him down when they discover his lower-class roots. Deepak storms out and relates the incident to his mentor Dr Prabhakar Anand. Dr Anand, the legendary principal of the renowned STM college, consoles Deepak and offers him an interim job as a teacher name Ravi Dr Anand's Son And His Girlfriend Ishika at STM, until Deepak departs for the US to pursue his PhD. Deepak is comforted by his friend Sushant (an upper-class boy) and his girlfriend Poorbi who happens to be Dr Anand's daughter.The state minister Baburam wishes to enroll his no-good nephew at STM. While it is common for college principals to oblige powerful ministers, Dr Anand stands Ishika decides Ravi Plans Ishika by his principles and turns down the minister. The minister finally decides to install his own man, Mithilesh Singh, on the board of STM and gets his nephew admitted. Mithilesh is a cunning and greedy fellow who seeks only to enrich himself (by running a private coaching class, KK Coaching, outside STM). The minister's grander ambition is to build a multi-billion educational conglomerate, and he intends to expand Mithilesh's growing business to support his goal. Mithilesh is too happy to help. Dr Anand uncovers Mithilesh's coaching class business - a conflict with his post at STM - and rebukes him, but Mithilesh has already begun forming a plan to oust Dr Anand.
In April 2008, the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
grants reservations for Other Backward Classes. A large crowd of STM students, boisterously celebrating the ruling, arrive at the gates of STM and start a ruckus. Sushant gathers a group of upper-caste boys and tries to drive off the revellers. Deepak confronts Sushant. Mithilesh Singh calls the police. Dr Anand is shocked. He sternly reprimands Mithilesh and warns him that the police will never set foot on the STM campus. He hauls Deepak and Sushant and reads them the riot act. Sushant accuses him of favoritism towards Deepak. And Deepak demands to know Dr Anand's position on aarakshan (reservations). Dr Anand is stunned by the fact that his dearest student Deepak has now turned on him! Poorbi later confronts Deepak and orders him to apologize to her father, but Deepak points out that while he owes his life to Dr Anand, he will no longer remain Dr Anand's charity case. Poorbi breaks up with Deepak.Ishika Break Up with Ravi
Reservations are a divisive and controversial issue. The backward classes welcome reservations because it provides additional opportunities for education and upliftment. The upper classes are against reservations because they believe in a level-playing field. These arguments are played out between Sushant and Deepak. Deepak points out that the backward classes have, for thousands of years, done only the lowest menial jobs and have never been able to attend (or pay for) the preparatory school work required for admission to institutes like STM. Unless they get a break somewhere, they will never be able to bootstrap their community. The moderate STM administrators are afraid that college-level reservations may create conflicts and divide the students. Dr Anand is personally in favor of uplifting the backward classes; he himself runs pro bono tutorial classes for backward class students at his home; but he is deeply concerned about the controversy stemming from the court ruling. The local politicians exploit the political side that might benefit them.
When asked by a media reporter, Dr Anand shares his personal opinion - that some form of reservation, free of politics and economics, is good for society. The next day's headlines scream that Dr Anand favors reservations. The STM board is outraged; STM, as a private institution, is never associated with government reservation programs. Dr Anand's closest friend on the STM board warns him that Mithilesh will use this to oust him and that he should preemptively retract his statement. Dr Anand decides to stand fast. He resigns from STM. Mithilesh Singh is appointed as the new principal of STM. Mithilesh acts swiftly to take over Dr Anand's private residence. (Dr Anand had co-signed a loan, with the home as collateral, for two needy students who turn out to be Mithilesh's stooges.) The home has become a KK Coaching center and Dr Anand is turned out! He has nowhere to go. He checks into a hotel. Mithilesh gloats over his victory.
Dr Anand resolves to take out Mithilesh with the only weapon left: teaching. He approaches his friend, Shambhu the cowherd, and takes shelter at the tabela (cowshed). He begins teaching small groups of students, mostly needy and backward students from the bastee (nearby neighborhood), at the cowshed. His first success is Muniya, Shambhu's daughter, who comes first at the next board examination. Muniya's principal visits the cowshed, discovers Dr Anand, and offers to send more students to his tabela school. Deepak and Sushant put their differences aside and return to Dr Anand. They join forces and teach at the tabela school. The tabela school students, under the tutelage of Dr Anand and his team, fare much better at the exams than their classmates. The tabela school's reputation grows and it begins to draw away students at Mithilesh's KK Coaching.
Mithilesh Singh responds by obtaining a legal permit (through the state minister Baburam) to demolish the cowshed. Mithilesh arrives at the cowshed with bulldozers and a police posse, and orders Dr Anand to vacate the premises or be run over. Dr Anand stands firm. The situation is diffused by the arrival of Shakuntala Tai, the reclusive magnate who started the STM institutions that bear her name. She calls the chief minister who promptly calls off the bulldozers and averts the destruction of the cowshed.
Mithilesh is dismissed. Dr Anand is installed as the chief trustee of the STM and the lifelong principal of the newly created STM Remedial Center for backward class students. The film ends with Shakuntala Tai inaugurating the STM Remedial Center and entrusting it to Dr Anand.
Cast
- Amitabh BachchanAmitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
as Prabhakar Anand - Saif Ali KhanSaif Ali KhanSaif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
as Deepak Kumar - Deepika PadukoneDeepika PadukoneDeepika Padukone is an Indian actress and a former model. She appears mostly in Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada language films. Born to Badminton player Prakash Padukone, she chose to become an actress and not pursue a career in sports.Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film...
as Poorbi Anand - Manoj BajpayeeManoj BajpaiManoj Bajpai , also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles. He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.-Early life:...
as Mithilesh Singh - Prateik Babbar as Sushant Seth
- Manish Kapoor as Ravi Anand
- Shraddha Thakur as Ishika Sahani
- Tanvi AzmiTanvi Azmi-Early life and family:Her maiden name before marriage was Saunhita Kher. She is the daughter of famous Marathi-Hindi actress Usha Kiran and Dr. Manohar Kher...
as Mrs. Prabhakar Anand - Hema MaliniHema MaliniHema Malini is an Indian actress, director and producer, as well as a Bharatanatyam dancer-choreographer. Making her acting debut in Sapno Ka Saudagar , she went on to appear in numerous Bollywood films, most notably those with actor and future-husband Dharmendra. She was initially promoted as...
as Shakuntala Thakral (Tai)-guest appearance - Mukesh TiwariMukesh TiwariMukesh Tiwari is an Indian actor who has appeared in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu language films as a character role. He belongs To Sagar. His first appearance was as a bandit "Jagira" in China Gate in 1998...
as Inspector - Yashpal SharmaYashpal SharmaYashpal Sharma is a former Indian cricketer. He was a middle order batsman who played at the turn of the 1980s.-Early career:...
as Shambhu Kaka - Darshan JariwalaDarshan JariwalaDarshan Jariwala is a Gujarati film, television and stage actor. He won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Gandhi, My Father. He currently stars in the show Saas Bina Sasural which airs on Sony TV as Chhedilal Chaturvedi...
as College Trustee - Saurabh ShuklaSaurabh Shukla-Early life:Shukla's family left Gorakhpur for Delhi when he was two years old. After completing his schooling, he did his graduation from Khalsa College, Delhi...
as Education Minister - Chetan Pandit
- Vinay Apte
- Anita KanwarAnita KanwarAnita Kanwar is an Indian film and television actor who is best known for her role as Lajjo ji in the 1980s Doordarshan mega soap opera Buniyaad....
- S. M. Zaheer
- Aanchal Munjal
Production
Shooting began on 15 January 2011. Director Prakash JhaPrakash Jha
Prakash Jha is an Indian film producer-director-screenwriter, who is most known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul , Mrityudand , Gangaajal , Apaharan and multistarrer hit movie Raajneeti...
finished casting but the male lead was not finalized. Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
was first considered for the role, however Ajay had many other projects in hand, including Golmaal 3
Golmaal 3
Golmaal 3 is a 2010 Bollywood comedy film directed by Rohit Shetty. A sequel to the 2008 film Golmaal Returns, the project stars most of the actors from the previous film, including Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Tusshar Kapoor and Shreyas Talpade. New additions to the cast include...
and Singham. So Jha decided to cast Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
. Khan found it very hard to juggle between two films at once because he had to learn Sanskrit for his role in the film. Bachchan and Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
learnt teaching skills in mathematics from Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
's Super 30
Super 30
Super 30 is an Indian educational program that started in Patna, Bihar, India under the banner of 'Ramanujan School of Mathematics', by Anand Kumar. Established in 2002, the program selects 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains...
founder Anand Kumar
Anand Kumar
Anand Kumar is an Indian mathematician and a columnist for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines. He is best known for his Super 30 programme, which he started in Patna, Bihar in 2002, and which coaches economically backward students for IIT-JEE, the entrance...
. Most of the film's shooting took place in Minal Residency, Oriental College, Upper Lake in Bhopal. The shooting finished in early March 2011. Amitabh Bachchan and other actors visited Cinepolis
Cinépolis
Cinépolis is a Mexican chain of movie theaters. Its name means City of Cinéma and its slogan is La Capital del Cine .Cinépolis is the biggest cineplex chain in Mexico with 205 theaters in 65 cities,...
, the only multiplex in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, to promote the film.
Critical reception
Aarakshan mostly garnered mixed reviews. Taran AdarshTaran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
rated it with 4 stars and said - "On the whole, Aarakshan communicates an engaging story with very relatable characters. It's a movie that is truly inspiring and thought-provoking, but at the same time, its running time [almost 2.45 hours] is a deterrent.(...) Aarakshan not only works as a film, but also as a tool to drive home a forceful message. It's a daring, heroic, commanding and an engaging film that shouldn't be missed!". He also praised the performance of of the leads. Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
of The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
gave it 3 stars and said - "Sad. Because as a film on the issue of reservation, Aarakshan was rocking till the first half. But as an omnibus on the travails of India's education system, it flounders into no-man's land. Watch it for the intermittent high drama and the gritty performances, scattered as they are." Shivesh Kumar of IndiaWeekly awarded the movie 3 out of 5 stars. Soumil Shukla of FilmiTadka gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote in his review - "Screenplay and direction are two branches which are the main weak points of this self proclaimed ‘socio-political drama’. The characters and situations are surprisingly underdeveloped and half baked, a far cry from some of Anjum Rajabali’s or Prakash Jha’s previous work." Dainik Bhaskar
Dainik Bhaskar
Dainik Bhaskar is an Indian Hindi-language daily newspaper published by D B Corp Ltd.. It was started in year 1958 from Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh...
awarded three stars in their review and wrote - "Watch it for the conflicts between the characters and an outstanding performance by Amitabh Bachchan. On the flipside, if you expect drama and finesse that you witnessed in Prakash Jha’s last release ‘Rajneeti’, you will be disappointed." Rishitu Amarnani of India Forums rated the film 2 out of 5 stars and said, "The film deals with its main plot i.e. caste-based reservations in a top-notch manner addressing the issues, concerns and opinions attached to it. But the second half is where the film goes down again, and doesn't come back. The reason being that it's no longer about the main issue 'aarakshan'; it's just about Amitabh Bachchan!" Vandana Krishnan from Behindwoods rated it 1.5/5 and said that the film represents "Great bottle bad wine" further citing "Overall, the film falls short of the expectations the trailer, start cast and story had created."
Saibal Chatterjee from NDTV
NDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars and said: "Given all the pre-release brouhaha over its emotive subject matter (leading to several states banning its public screening), Aarakshan is quite a copout. It ends up being more about the depredations of the nation’s education mafia than the vexed question of job and college quotas for backward caste candidates and its fallout.The basic premise is rooted in the real world all right and the film might touch some raw nerves. But the dramatization of the conflict over the quota raj that divides India down the middle tends to border on the excessively shrill, if not completely shallow." Central Board of Film Certification
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
(CBFC) chairman Leela Samson
Leela Samson
Leela Samson is a Bharatanatyam dancer, choreographer, instructor and writer. As a soloist she is known for her technical virtuosity and has taught Bharatanatyam at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra in Delhi for many years; presently she is the chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification ;...
said that Aarakshan was a good film about education but "unfortunately hit troubled political situations".The controversial film has received a compliment from unlikely quarters in Chhattisgarh with the state Scheduled Tribes Commission seeking a tax-free status for the Amitabh Bachchan starrer.
Sukanya Venkatraghavan of Filmfare
Filmfare
Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene...
gave it 2 stars out of 5, stating "The problem with Aarakshan is its meandering graph. It starts off solidly enough, keeping up a pace that will engross you until interval time except for two totally unnecessary songs. From there on, the film sheds it’s theme of ideals and becomes a one on one contest that, to put it really tritely, is a tug of war between two coaching classes. The dialogue is strong and opinionated and actors like Saif Ali Khan and Manoj Bajpai do everything to get you to like the film (...)Aarakshan has all the right intentions but it is a tad confusing in its stance. Of course ultimately it shows the triumph of selfless dedication to the cause of education and there is no faulting that. One does walk away with some reservations though." Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN gave it 2 out of 5 stars, calling it "a deathly boring slog" and adding: "With so much to say, the movie drags on endlessly, with over-written scenes, over-the-top emotions and dialogues that are so heavy, they end up being inaccessible. Of the performances, every actor seems to go through the motions and only Manoj Bajpai inserts some spark onto the screen. 'Aarakshan' is well-intentioned, but you can't shake off the feeling that you're trapped by a three-hour-long tirade. I'm going with a generous two out of five for Prakash Jha's 'Aarakshan'. If you don't want to be lectured, stay at home."
Box office
Aarakshan released in 1085 cinemas across India. The film saw 50-70% occupancy on its first day of release, while in Delhi, it opened at around 60-70%. The film's business was affected due to the bans imposed on its screening in Punjab, UP and Andhra. It went on to collect 4.47 crore on the first day. The opening weekend collections of the film were around 18.33 crore. The film grossed 37.53 crore nett on Indian box office in two weeks. Aarakshan added around 3 crore nett in its third week to go to 40.50 crore nett in three weeks. The film added 58 lakhs nett in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to go to 42.38 crore nett in four weeks. The film added
5 lakhs nett in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to go to 42.43 crore nett in five weeks.
Moreover, the film fared poorly in the overseas markets. It grossed £76,000 in the United Kingdom, $345,000 in North America, $190,000 in UAE and $82,000 in Australia, taking it's total overseas gross to $900,000 over its first weekend. In its third weekend, the film collected £13,085 on 42 screens at the U.K. Box office with a total of £1,68,662 [approx. 1.27 crores], Australian $1,42,193 [approx. 69.26 lacs] in two weeks at the Australian Box office. Aarakshan’s total worldwide nett collections after three weeks were 47.75 crores..means aarakshan makes a success
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is composed by Shankar Ehsaan Loy. The album consists of six tracks. The soundtrack features the vocal talents of Mohit ChauhanMohit Chauhan
Mohit Chauhan is an Indian pop and playback singer, most known for his romantic ballads. He started his career singing Indian pop songs with the band Silk Route, which released two albums, Boondein and Pehchan. The song "Dooba Dooba" became a rave in the Indipop music scene. However, the band...
, Shreya Ghoshal, Mahalakshmi Iyer
Mahalakshmi Iyer
Mahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.-Career:Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus,...
, Raman Mahadevan
Raman Mahadevan
Raman Mahadevan is an Indian playback singer, known for his Bollywood songs. He also has an indipop Album, Ramanasia in his discography.-Career:...
, Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan
Shankar Mahadevan is an Indian music composer and singer. He is a part of the Shankar Ehsaan Loy trio team that composes for Indian films and a playback singer.-Early life:...
and classical singer Channulal Mishra. The concept of song "Kaun Si Dor" was of Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi is an Indian lyricist, screenwriter and advertising copywriter. A prolific Writer-Poet whose first book of 3 books "Main aur Woh" was published when he was 17 years of age, an internationally acclaimed Indian advertising professional, Bollywood film songwriter, as well as a...
, the songwriter of the album who came up with the first lines of the song. The trio then went on to develop the song and roped in Channulal Mishra who agreed to sing the song as per their request. The soundtrack was released on 11 July 2011.
Reception
Upon release, the album received generally mixed reviews from the critics. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood hungamaBollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
gave it 2 out of 5 stars and said: "Aarakshan doesn't boast of the kind of score that has in it to make waves commercially since almost all songs mainly have a situational appeal to them. Yes, at least 'Achha Lagta Hai' is good that prevents Aarakshan from becoming totally forgettable. However despite low expectations from the soundtrack here, the end result is far more being satisfactory." Planet Bollywood felt that Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi
Prasoon Joshi is an Indian lyricist, screenwriter and advertising copywriter. A prolific Writer-Poet whose first book of 3 books "Main aur Woh" was published when he was 17 years of age, an internationally acclaimed Indian advertising professional, Bollywood film songwriter, as well as a...
- Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages...
"failed to create the same magic as in Taare Zameen Par
Taare Zameen Par
Taare Zameen Par is a 2007 Bollywood drama film directed by Aamir Khan, written by Amole Gupte, and produced by Aamir Khan Productions. Gupte initially developed the idea with his wife Deepa Bhatia, who served as the film's editor...
." Sheetal Tiwari of Bollyspice, in her review, described the soundtrack as "brilliant with an astounding lyrical quality." She also praised the composer trio for "their versatility to compose for any subject."
Controversy
In early May 2011, civic authorities in Bhopal bulldozed the sets of Aarakshan because it was erected on disputed land.Some pro-Dalit groups in Kanpur protested Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan
Saif Ali Khan is an Indian actor known for his work in Bollywood films. He is the son of the late former Nawab of Pataudi, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, and actress Sharmila Tagore. He has two sisters: Saba Ali Khan and actress Soha Ali Khan....
being cast in the role of a Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
. They objected to the actor's royal background and saw his role of a so-called Dalit as an insult to the community.
The film was banned in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
before its theatrical release. The Punjab government banned the film on fears that certain scenes and dialogues in the film may inflame the passion of some communities in Punjab. Mayawati government banned the film in UP for two months on grounds that it could create law and order problem in the state.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) viewed the movie after getting complaints of its objectionable content. “While the overall theme of the film is not objectionable, it is loaded with anti-Dalit and anti-reservation dialogues,” said NCSC chairman P.L. Punia. However, the Board, which granted the film a U/A certification, said it would defend Jha's right to free expression. In reply to this, the director decided to remove 'objectionable' scenes from the film in a bid to prevent further backlash. Prakash Jha and producers of Aarakshan moved the Supreme Court to lift the ban on the film in the three states. Supreme Court lifted the ban on Aarakshan in Uttar Pradesh later.
Apart from the aforementioned announced bans, there was an unexpected mid screening ban on the film in the multiplexes of Gurgaon, on the night of its release.