ACT: 1978

Plot: Geetha, a pregnant widow, goes to a government office as part of her long and continuous ordeal to get money from a government scheme that is hers. What seems to be a normal day of bureaucracy and corruption goes awry when she lands up with a bomb strapped to her stomach.

Review: TS Eliot in his poem The Hollow Men ends it by saying 'This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper'. This might sound anti climactic, but those words hold true to the normal lives that are far removed from a lot of action and drama. Mansore's ACT-1978 is a lot like that in a way, where it begins like a metaphysical poem with a lot of action and drama, but is actually a repulsive mirror at the hollow and corrupt lives of people today.

There have been a lot of expectations from the film as Mansore has previously given critically acclaimed and nationally recognised films such as Harivu and Nathicharami. Does he end up living to those? He does to a large extent. The film hits home hard in a way that is a lot subtler than a film dealing with wrong doings in the system, which is commendable.

The title of the film is a direct reference to the Karnataka Civil Services Act 1978. How does this impact a lay film goer? What is the connection between the pregnant protagonist with her crusade for justice in the most shocking way and the title? This is what the film is about and it is worth that time in the cinema hall.

Apart from some clever writing, the other victory of the film is in its casting. While Yagna Shetty plays the protagonist, there are a host of characters, each having their own important part to play in this big jigsaw puzzle. Each of the characters have been aptly cast. Be it B Suresha as the old man on a vow of silence to Pramod Shetty as the rational cop to each of the characters who are held hostage. It is easy to make them all into caricatures, but the writing does not seek refuge in that short cut.

Apart from this, the cinematography and the subtle background score also stand out. This film couldn't have had a better time for a release, with 2020 and the lockdown bringing the activist (whatever the degree) in all people online. This film definitely fuels that side of people. If you're seeking for that adventurous outing to a cinema hall, ACT-1978 is definitely worth that risk. It has traces of reminiscence to Nishkarsha and A Wednesday, though emerges its own film in the end.