Hamare Baarah : Amateurish attempt to tackle a social issue!

India has the highest number of population now. We overtook China too. Population control measure is not a serious thing with the ruling government, any ruling party, as the idea itself is ‘untouchable’ to the rulers. Way back in 1975 a Population control measure was adopted but due to atrocious implementation the then government faced the wrath of people who threw their regime away. Since then no government seems to be taking any measures to control ever increasing population. Additionally Muslims in our country are reported to be against birth control and abortions, making the task still difficult. Hamare Baarah (earlier it was titled Hum Do Hamare Baarah) tries to focus on Muslims who are against family planning.

In our country, a myth, ‘Bacche Uparwale Ki Den Hai’ holds strong with many. Similar thinking is of Manzoor Ali Khan Sajjani (Annu Kapoor) who additionally thinks that wives are baby making machines. Resultantly he has 6 children from first wife who dies giving birth to the sixth child. He has 5 kids from from his second wife and she is pregnant for the 6th time. The doctors advice abortion as there a threat to wife’s life. But Manzoor is against it and says that his religion doesn’t permit it. One of is daughters, Alfiya, who is fond of her step mother, doesn’t want her to die. She files a petition against her father and requests honorable court to grant permission for abortion. What transpires around it forms the crux of the story.

The film Hamare Baarah is mired in controversy and the court had ordered some cuts and muting of a few words/dialogues. In the sub text the director Kamal Chandra has tried to put focus on treatments meted out to women, education and birth control. The writing is a bit gaudy and the screenplay was needed to be tighter. The dialogues are okay but technical aspects are poor. Music is passable. Annu Kapoor plays the central character but the script doesn’t support his talent. Same applies to Manoj Joshi who plays a defence lawyer. Ashwini Kalshekar plays a lawyer who supports the protagonist. She could have toned down her portrayal. Rest of the cast is not worth mentioning.

Hamare Baarah is an amateurish attempt to tackle a social issue.

Rating : **

By Keerti Kadam