Director: Ajai Sinha
Cast: Om Puri, Mohnish Bahl, Anooradha Patel, Uvika Chowdhury, Sarrtaj, Manoj Pahwa, Govind Namdev
Ajai Sinha was responsible for well-known and well executed television shows like Astitva andHasratein, but something seems to have gone off track in his directing skills in Khap. The story is current, relevant and frighteningly real, based on the khap system, or honour killing. Ria (Chowdhury) and Kush (Sarrtaj) are two young people in love and decide to marry. Ria’s father, Madhur (Bahl) had left his village 16 years earlier, exiled by the khap law and traumatised by the death of his friend by that same norm. Choudhary (Om Puri), Ria’s grandfather, is the president of the khap panchayat, which had ordered the death of Veer and Surili. Madhur is chosen to investigate that double killing. Meanwhile, Ria and Kush have also violated the khap law and battle the family and the system for their freedom to live happily ever after. Unfortunately, neither the young leads nor the flow of the film look either coherent or fluent. The film stutters and coughs, with the stars trying too hard and the director lost for any sense of…err…direction. Patel, an earnest actor, could have been given more to show off her talent, but Om Puri and Namdev make a strong and believable point with their presence and powerful characterisations. This one is worth watching for its basic concept, but avoidable for its actual presentation of a current and contentious issue.
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