Aadim Vichar: a movie review

Director: Sabyasachi Mohapatra

Aadim Vichar or, ‘the ancient justice’ is a take on the various existing issues and the life that revolves around the tribal people. Set in the traditional roots of Odisha, the Sambalpuri language movie explores the constant outpouring of culture, values, virtues along with the plight of the indigenous community.
The movie begins with a non-native tribal group engaged in a moment of rejoice, dancing on their way to a village. This leads to a tussle between them with the native Kondh tribe. The audience watching has no idea that the supposed fight later turns out to be a friendly banter , as a part of the ‘fight festival’. One might interpret this as a way to foster stronger relationships with the other communities.
The idea of villages having 'Grama Devi' who protected the children from diseases, gave her consent for marriage alliances, blessed them with good yield, rain and would become a last resort of sorts to help overcome deaths and the pain associated with it, is incorporated into the picture. This further led me to recollect my old memories of watching Kantara.
Tribal people are as rich in their culture as much as they tend to express their feelings, be it rejoicing or grief.
The love for nature is depicted in the fact that a newly born girl child is named ‘Bandevi’: goddess of the forest.
Dance, music and food constantly functioned as a unifying force to bring the folks together.
Ignorance and lack of knowledge continues to remain as one of the strong reasons for them being subjected to exploitation. The bitter truth is reflected in how the rigid mindset of the folks forced them into believing a woman as a bad omen. The projection reveals the deeply rooted gender dynamics and furthermore demeaning her on grounds of misinformation. The public ostracization and the disrespect inflicted on her dignity was celebrated with fervor.
The complexities of human relationships prevail everywhere yet the beauty of tribal people lies in their simplicity, innocence, humanitarian and righteous approach. The narrative presents this as a prime suit.
The authenticity and the performance this movie brings on the table is commendable and serves as a reminder of the priorities in life amidst the material wealth we all long for.