Struggles Of An Immigrant:
Not too long ago, the Nepali security guard was ubiquitous in a city like Mumbai, where almost every apartment complex employed a succession of men called Bahadur. As if to erase their own identity, these Nepali men, when asked their name, invariably answered “Bahadur.” They were hard-working and frugal, saving up their meagre earnings to take back to their families on their annual trip to their native villages, when they would be replaced by an incoming set of Bahadurs.
They have more or less vanished from cities in western India, but in northern towns adjoining the Nepal border, they still come over for employment as casual labour, and it is this group of men that Diwa Shah has empathetically captured in her debut feature Bahadur The Brave. Set in Naintal, during the pandemic, the film tells the story of two Nepali friends, who have to make tough decisions about their future.
The film follows the somewhat simple-minded Hansi (Rupesh Lama), who does odd jobs of fetching and carrying loads, like sacks of grain and gas cylinders for the neighboring shopkeepers and homemakers. When the corona virus strikes and a strict lockdown is imposed in the hill town, Hansi finds ways of dodging the curfew, and it hurts when he is fined Rs 500 by the cops for not wearing a mask– money he has just scraped together by haggling with his employers.
Hansi’s buddy and brother-in-law, Dil Bahadur (Rahul Mukhia) takes advantage of the shortage of labour by accepting construction jobs. The lockdown is tough on them as their roommates start going back to Nepal one by one, and the few that remain are forced to stay indoors, playing cards and taking turns cooking meals. Their already hard scrabble existence is made more difficult by unexpectedly cruel circumstances.
Hansi gets news that his son who needs surgery for a stomach ailment has fallen down and broken his arm. But he is ashamed to go home without money. Everytime Dil Bahadur makes arrangements for him to return, Hansi finds excuses to miss the bus. For a man who has trouble following basic conversations (his interactions with a kind housewife are hilarious), Hansi also has hidden reserves of sly resourcefulness– like persuading a cop to lie to Dil Bahadur about the expiry of his travel permit so that he can avoid getting on the bus to Nepal.
The impasse is automatically broken when Hansi and Dil Bahadur steal some liquor from a warehouse and are caught on the CCTV camera. The boss accuses Dil Bahadur of also stealing money and threatens to call the cops. Hansi uses this incident to persuade Dil Bahadur to go back, promising to follow. Inadvertently, this innocent ploy results in tragedy.
Memories of lockdown coverage in print and TV, enumerated the deaths of Indian migrant workers trying desperately to reach their families. Poor Nepali migrants, who were not even citizens of India were trapped when the border was sealed. Hostile locals shouted slogans to exhort the Nepal government to take their citizens back. They had to camp out in the cold at the border, with no money and no access to food or supplies. The governments on either side could not care less about these powerless men, who had nothing to offer in return for safe passage.
Diwa Shah’s treatment of the subject is understated but also deeply humane. She portrays the bleakness of the lives of these migrants against a backdrop of scenic beauty. There is a little humour and joy even in a crisis when the group of workers is together. But a desperate Hansi is left to stew in guilt and helplessness.
Both the lead actors bring out the truth and realism of the story with their performances; the viewer cannot but sympathize with the plight of these Bahadurs trying to keep their families out of abject poverty. The film is a reminder that the famed resilience of the poor comes at a steep price.
(This piece first appeared in thewire.in)