Axone

Axone (7.5/10)

Genre: Comedy/Drama

Director: Nicholas Kharkongor

Cast: Sayani Gupta, Lin Laishram, Rohan Joshi, Tenzin Dalha, Lanuakum Ao

Country: India

Language: Hindi, Manipuri, Naga, Mizo, Nepali

Year: 2020

While almost everyone is watching the star-studded Gulabo Sitabo, I am delighted to watch this little feel-good comedy, which addresses an issue widely prevalent in India, yet we have always turned a blind eye to it just like the current pandemic situation. No, it is not a prime time comedy on any news channel, rather a film – Axone (pronounced Akhuni). Oh yes, I was constantly mispronouncing the title until I saw the film. Instead of making a serious film about racial discrimination and harassment experienced by the people of the North-Eastern states of India, the film uses comedy and symbolic satire as a medium of expression. Why I feel so connected? Maybe because I belong to North- East, who has lived in Delhi for several years or maybe I have observed a thing or two.

I remember watching the trailer for the film a couple of years ago if I remember correctly, and I knew immediately I was going to watch this film when it releases. Axone or Akhuni is a traditional dish savored by the people of Nagaland and other parts of North-East India. What’s the catch? It exudes an unbearable odor for people who are completely alien to the dish. I remember similar incidents with my friends who used to cook dry-fish in their flat, and you can hear everyone cursing in the entire building.

The film cleverly uses the dish as a metaphor to describe the racial slur and challenges faced by the people of NE living away from their homeland. I must point out an interview by director Nicholas Kharkongor where he stated, “Racism is equally prevalent in the North-East where people treat the non-tribal people differently”. And it is true in every sense as there are two sides to a story – you can be a victim as well as the one who inflicts it.

The film’s story is simple and unfolds the event in a single day. A small group of friends wants to celebrate their friend’s marriage and also surprise her by cooking Akhuni, but it’s not an easy task in an extremely densely colonized neighborhood in New Delhi. What happens next is a series of the comedy of errors with underlying tones of racial prejudice, the nuances of a typical homeowner in Delhi, the revolutionary neighbors, and the feeling of indifference. The film describes the seriousness of the matter - physical abuse -experienced by a female character is openly slapped in the public for protesting against some vulgar comments directed towards her – just one of the many bigotry illustrated in the film.

The film is not without flaws, and certain moments feel a little pressed to maintain the balance or to infuse the feel-good factor. One scene in particular where the landlady defends her tenants is such an example as the character takes a certain turn without any reasonable explanation. Of course, it hardly matters if you view it just as a film, but if you want to dig deep, then it is obvious to think otherwise. On the other hand, it also breaks taboos and highlights diversity – for instance, a Manipuri lady married to a Sikh and her son who is a mix between a Sardar with a typical tiny-eyed North-Easterner.

The film’s casting is noteworthy for its mix of multi-racial actors, and it is very rare to see such an unusual choice of actors for a Hindi film - a definite bold step and equally worthy. Every actor - Lin Laishram, Tenzin Dalha, and Lanuakum Ao to name a few - delivers excellent performances in the film. A personal observation – Sayani Gupta who portrays the role of a Nepali girl speaking accented Hindi, but having a few Nepali friends back home, their accent is a little different. Her accent sounds more like the people from areas of North Cachar hills. Then again, I may be wrong since I have not explored the entire North-East. It will be a total injustice not to appreciate the performance of Rohan Joshi, who is euphoric every time he is on the screen to depict an archetypal Delhi boy, and Dolly Bindra as Mata Ji is another social creature amply found in Delhi. However, veterans like Vinay Pathak have smaller parts, while Adil Hussain is completely wasted – not sure the purpose or importance of his character in the film.

Nicholas Kharkongor deserves a standing ovation for making a film on the topic, and even though the situation has prevailed for many years, no one has dared to address it through the medium of cinema and make it inspiring concurrently. The cinematography by Parasher Baruah is satisfactory for a low-budget film, and so is the editing by veteran editor Suresh Pai. The sound is a little disappointing and could have been better, but overall it is alright. The supremely talented Tajdar Junaid’s music is the main highlight of the film.

Axone may not be a piece of classic cinema nor the best multi-cultural representation of North-East, but it is one of the most entertaining and thought-provoking films I have seen in recent times.