Manthan (1976)

[**** stars/*****]

Har nayi kaam mein rukavate aati hai

(Every new work has its hurdles)

Dr. Rao (Girish Karnad) and his team arrive at Semla village, Gujarat to help start a milk cooperative, but the going seems impossible with the villagers reluctant to change things. Can Dr. Rao succeed? 

What does it take to stand against ages-old tradition and empower  people? India has its roots in the exploitative caste and feudal system, and even 70-odd years after independence, anyone trying to counter this stubborn tradition has the odds stacked sky-high against them. 

That is why the success story of Amul, India's largest diary cooperative society is remarkable and miraculous, a striking example of what can happen when a group of determined people get together for a common good.   

Sharp, engaging cinema

Manthan (The Churning) is Shyam Benegal's sharp, extraordinary telling of how Amul became a large scale milk cooperative movement. 

This is Indian cinema at its realistic best. 

Manthan is among the first Hindi films that stood out for its stark, sharp realism, otherwise seen most notably in Satyajit Ray films until then.  

The mythology angle
In Indian mythology, the churning of the ocean took place between the celestial Devas and demonic Asuras in order to obtain the nectar of immortality or amrut. 

Manthan is a riveting human tug of war, just like the mythological one, arising in a society trying to do away with the old order. It is a bold chronicle of the struggles between classes, men, youth vs corruption and men vs women, that is, the temptations of the flesh and heart.

What works 
Benegal doesn't overplay any scene one bit, keeping audiences guessing, creating one powerful scene after another. This straight, simple approach later became the legendary director's rock-steady trademark.    

The sexual attraction, its complexities and consequences depicted between the city men and village women are among the movie's most surprising, revealing moments.

The rustic Indian village, the boredom of its afternoons, the sensuality of its rivers and lakes, widespread life-threatening illness, turbaned, wrinkled village faces, hostile rough-talking people, corrupt people with vested interests, dust and the hot sun, mud houses, chilly winter mornings, are aspects that come alive in Manthan, the movie is a breathing, compassionate mirror to rural India.  

   
Advent of great Indian actors
Among the stellar cast, Smita Patil and Naseeruddin Shah are unbelievably genuine as Gujarati villagers, while the great Girish Karnad as Dr. Vargese Kurein, the man who started the fire, gives a straight, grounded performance. Movie lovers will notice the early astonishing sparks that Shah and Patil display, two great actors in the making.  

Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Anant Nag and Mohan Agashe also put in credible performances. 

Manthan review 
If you love confrontational, true story-inspired gritty drama, Manthan is classic gold.