The film's opening scene gives one a glimpse of how deep (or shallow) Bhola (Satendra Soni) and Shambhu's (Sparsh Suman) understanding of Hindu mythology is, as the former is convinced Naga-Lok is just about 40 deep below Earth's surface. During the course of the movie, it becomes apparent how impressionable minds form beliefs based on what they learn from those who influence them. The duo is exposed to differing ideologies, constantly questioning their faith and knowledge about their own and other religions. The changing socio-political landscape further fuels their journey as they navigate life. Director Shiladitya Bora and writer Sudhakar Nilmani' Eklavya' set the story in North India's unknown village in 1989 when one would adjust the television antennae with sticks for the picture to relay on the screen. The rustic life also introduces us to characters such as the village priest and teacher, Panditji (Shrikant Verma), who dismisses anyone going against dogmatic ideologies as asur (demon). This includes an atheist (Manu Rishi Chaddha) and people of another religion in the neighbouring village. Bhola's conditioning makes him believe the elders' ethos as the gospel truth, and the story leads to an event resulting in lost innocence and childhood. Ab To Sab Bhagwan Bharose is an emphatic comment on how the seeds of bias and intolerance are sown early in young minds and how manipulative people can twist the narrative to their benefit. Bora and director of photography Surjodeep Ghosh create a rich rural tapestry that looks exquisite, quaint, and peaceful on the surface, but the undercurrents of unrest soon become palpable. Indian Ocean's background score and music are powerful and complement the drama well. The movie also comes up with aces as far as performances go. Satendra Soni shines as the confused and misled young boy. He exhibits his acting chops every time his faith is questioned. Sparsh Suman, as his buddy, and Vinay Pathak, as his gentle grandfather Nanababu, are great. But the surprise package is Masumeh Makhija as Bhola's mother, Radha. While Shrikant Verma does well as the prejudiced priest, Manu Rishi Chaddha deserves mention for being the voice of reason, especially when he succinctly talks about the asur within us who wreaks havoc when it gets insecure. The film is thought-provoking without being preachy. What truly stands out about the movie is the strong message it delivers without letting go of the compelling story and narrative. Catch this one for its immersive experience.Read more

With television and social media all pervasive today, and instead of clearing facts are being used to spread misinformation, Shiladitya Bora's Bhagwan Bharose goes back to a time when innocence still existed. Set in 1989 in a north Indian village, the film begins as a bucolic idyll, where the only thing that drives little Bhola (Satendra Soni) and his best buddy Shambhu (Sparsh Suman) is beating the rival group in a kite-flying contest. Their grandfather (Vinay Pathak) encourages their passion for kites and their mother (Masumeh Makhija) raises her son by herself, while her husband works in Mumbai. Sponsored What little education the boys get is from a pandit (Shrikant Verma), who runs an informal, open-air school. They take the mythological tales he tells them very seriously, since there is no other source of information. Their lives change when the father returns from the city with a television, and they get to see the serial Mahabharat in fuzzy black and white. Rural homes have not been electrified till then, so the grandfather illegally taps an overhead power line. But their TV watching is often interrupted when there is no electricity. The village gathers with full devotion to watch Mahabharat, but the kids are exposed to Bollywood too. In a hilarious sequence, they watch saucer-eyed as Helen slithers sexily on screen. At school, Bhola is shocked to learn that the earth is not held up by Sheshnag, as he was taught, and neither do Rahu-Ketu cause eclipses. For the first time in his simple existence, science clashes with belief. There seems to be no mention of caste in this village, and the presence of the 'Other' is indicated with a faint sound of azaan from a village across the river, which they have never been allowed to cross. Shambhu's granny had told them then asurs (demons) live there, and the boys unquestioningly accept that because they have nobody to tell them the rational alternative. The only atheist in the village (Manu Rishi Chadha) has already been reviled by the villagers as evil. When rumblings of saffron-waving Hindutva reaches their villages, the boys are not equipped to comprehend what is happening. Their faith is simple, and their God is the one who answers their prayers and now appears on TV. But when they are told temples have to be built to protect Hinduism they believe it because they have no real concept of evil. Bora takes the film from random scenes of childish humour and family interactions to the inevitable tragedy when hate insidiously seeps into their lives. Like Prasun Chatterjee's 2021 film, Dostojee, Bora chooses to tell his story from the perspective of a child. The children stand in for those who are easily misled and corrupted in the name of religion. Some years ago, Iranian film-makers had started making films with children as protagonists to avoid strict censorship. It caught on in other film-making countries, and there have been a number of Indian films in multiple languages that use children to get their messages across. Most of them have picked fresh faces so that the innocence does not have to be 'acted.' For Bhagwan Bharose, Satendra Soni is a wonderful choice. He has a charming crooked-toothed smile and brow furrowed with genuine confusion when everything in his hitherto sheltered existence spins out of control. Films like Bhagwan Bharose do not get a wide release and are buried under the lavish promotional campaigns of big-budget films. But those who want an alternative world view ought to support independent cinema.Read more