Qaidi Band Movie Review: Powerful, pertinent, and full of heart

Directed By: Habib Faisal
Produced By: Aditya Chopra
Cast: Aadar Jain and Anya Singh
Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes
Bollywood Bubble Rating: 3/5

“Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain… To feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices – today I choose to feel life, not to deny my humanity but embrace it” – Kevyn Aucoin.

That beautifully utopian idea of freedom, we tell you! Who knows how many juvenile souls have gone insane in search of this freedom? How many are drunk on the idea of unequivocal freedom? Most importantly, does it even exist? 70 years after independence, as in every small nooks, corners and streets we hoist the tri-colour, there will be empty glares and unarticulated murmurs that we will comfortably pass by. Sounds like escapism? May be it is!

Habib Faisal’s ‘Qaidi Band’ comes at a time when the country is into figuring out socio-political as well as individual rights for its own citizens. Sanju (Aadar Jain) and Bindu (Anya Singh), despite being guilt-free, land up inside the jail as UT (Under Trial) prisoners. UTs are a worse league of sufferers in the sense that they’re neither proven to be guilty, nor are they free. The law often fails them, and they end up spending some of the most constructive years of their lives behind the bars; sometimes, for no reason at all! For Bindu and Sanju, however, fate plays different strokes. The jail authority forms a band with handpicked performers among the prisoners, for a performance on Independence Day. This opens a new door for the duo, as well as their friends. What starts as just a performance (with a hidden agenda to please the concerned minister), turns a movement and changes the course of five lives.

The most important thing the film can do here is to strike a conversation. Human rights of prisoners has long been a subject of debate, with the jail authorities across the country often being ruthless in treatment towards them. ‘Qaidi Band’ as well brings into light the plight of Under Trial convicts who look up to the system for justice, and often return empty-handed. Habib Faisal, here, has to be credited not only for thorough research, but also for a powerful yet subtly put screenplay that forces you to think.

Is the judiciary fair? Is it unprejudiced, irrespective of socio-economic differences? Does the 130-crore odd population have access to the same legal privileges? Is a social movement a validated idea? Rather, is it one worth risking, in a society that screams in demand of rejuvenation of correctness? Long since we’ve been pondering over these. Once more, may be?

Our takeaway from the film are debutants Aadar Jain and Anya Singh. Aadar is firm, expressive. At the same time, he is the guy who discovers himself in love amid circumstances that aren’t in favour. He’s the guy who has had a lot and is yet ready to bear more. He has impressed! Anya, on the other hand, carries the simplicity of a girl-next-door, and that’s what her character required the most. We want her to do many more meaningful characters!

The second element to make this a winner is the music. Those who’ve only heard Amit Trivedi’s soulful compositions so far, can’t imagine there could so much rebel in his work! Or maybe, that’s not the right way to put it. After all, what is a rebel without soul? Each song has a suppressed agony in it, but the determination takes over every time.

‘Qaidi Band’ is fairly shot by Anay Singh and aptly edited by Aarti Bajaj. Further, the supporting actors have made it a more impactful watch.

Amid many a disappointing films, this one definitely deserves a watch!

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