Bheed (2023)

A social drama, shedding Bheed light on the dichotomy and complexities through the toughest times India faced. A crisis that shook the whole nation, a time when borders of disparity divided the people and one man stood for humanity. Archika Khurana, TNN, Mar 24, 2023, 11.00 AM ISTCritic’s Rating: 3.5/5Bheed story: Anubhav Sinha’s social drama highlights the plight of migrant workers during the nationwide Corona virus-induced lockdown and their painful and heartbreaking journey to make their way back home.

Without a doubt, the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant psychological impact on people around us and the world at large. Given that it’s impossible for a 112-minute film to capture what millions of people experienced in real life, Anubhav Sinha’s ‘Bheed’ is a compelling drama that comes close to relaying the truth of severe hardships migrant workers faced at that time of crisis—with bare minimum access to food, Bheed shelter, little or no money, sealed borders, and lack of overall infrastructure to support them. The film also addresses the caste discrimination that some of them faced during those challenging times.The opening scene, which tells the story of “16 migrant workers run over by a train” (as reported), sets the tone for the intense and poignant story that follows. By now, we all are fairly aware of the traumatic incidents that occurred during the course of the pandemic, and even the thought of it can still shake you up. So, watching this story unfold and revisiting some of these incidents cinematically, could have a similar effect on you. The screenplay by Anubhav Sinha, Saumya Tiwari, and Sonali Jain refrains from sensationalising any aspect of the story and allows ‘Bheed’ to remain closer to reality. Balram Trivedi (Pankaj Kapur) is a watchman who wishes to return to his hometown with many of his friends and fellow workers. Thousands more, like them, arrive at the Tejpur border, which is 1200 km from Delhi. However, the borders are sealed, and the officer in charge, Surya Kumar Singh (Rajkummar Rao), refuses to let anyone pass through. As a result, Madam Ji (Dia Mirza), who comes from a wealthy family, is also trapped with them. Meanwhile, medical student Renu Sharma (Bhumi Pednekar) organises a camp near the border to provide basic medical aid to Covid patients. The magnitude of each person’s problems varies but they are all trapped in this tragic situation with little recourse, and only faith to hold on to.