Safed Review: Misery Porn

Safed is a lame attempt at social commentary, with terribly dull and thoughtless direction, observes Mayur Sanap.

As the transgender community got prominence in the media with ventures like Taali and Haddi, the cinematic climate became truly diverse last year.

While the quality of those shows is debatable, they at least brought attention to one of the neglected aspects of our society.

Producer Sandeep Singh's directorial debut, Safed, showcases the plight of the same marginalised group. But his depiction is so superficial and shrill that the film about tragedy unwittingly ends up as a literal tragedy.

Set in Varanasi, Chaandi (Abhay Verma) and Kaali (Meera Chopra) struggle to adjust to the new life unexpectedly thrust upon them.

He is a eunuch whose family has given him away to the tribe, headed by Guru Maa (Jameel Khan).

She is a young widow, who is taken under the wings of Amma (Chhaya Kadam, the only decent performance).

This community begs all around the town and doesn't have any respect. Instead, they are treated as sex workers.

Chaandi and Kaali are brought together by fate and they fall in love with each other only to become victims of their dire circumstances.

It's a gut-wrenching premise that needed a sympathetic gaze, but Singh and his co-writer Rishi Virmani use this as a template to either shock or leave you distressed.

What could have been a nuanced and deeply affecting film about various oppressions in society results in a cold and un-engaging drama where attention to image and music takes precedence over telling a coherent story. It's almost like Singh and co thought about scenes first and then formed a story around them.

The narrative is hell-bent on excessive melodrama and over-the-top treatment that do no justice to its heavy subject matter. The lack of nuance in the writing further adds to this emotional disconnect as viewers.

The plot mainly revolves around exploring the sense of identity of its protagonists and yet, we barely feel for them. The characters are either getting abused, or beaten, or herded towards an awful fate.

The strong theme is further derided by performances that are mostly hammy, dialogues that are flimsy, and production values that look more impoverished than your average Hindi daily soap.

What Safed can count on is music which never fails to elevate certain moments in the film, no matter the quality. Better save this for YouTube viewing.

If you want to see a film that depicts similar transgender themes and characters with finesse and sensitivity it deserves, watch the 2009 Marathi film Jogwa for its refining sensibilities.

This one is a lame attempt at social commentary, with terribly dull and thoughtless direction, leaving its characters stripped down to nothing but misery porn.

Safed streams on ZEE5.