The film “Ardh Satya” is a landmark in Indian cinema that showed the world that Indian films can compete on the global stage. More than just entertainment, the movie strives to depict real-life situations through its characters. The portrayal of Anant Velankar (played by Om Puri), created by Govind Nihalani, not only leaves a deep impression on the subconscious minds of the audience but also reveals the “half-truth” (Ardh Satya) that we are all trapped in a maze.
“Ardh Satya” tells the story of sincere police officers and their lives within Indian society. In a single line, the plot can be summarized as: “A sincere police officer, who refuses to bow to any form of injustice, gets trapped in the maze of the corrupt system and faces numerous wicked challenges, continuing to perform his duty with integrity.” At a time when Amitabh Bachchan ruled Bollywood as the “Angry Young Man,” Govind Nihalani, by casting Om Puri as Anant Velankar, broke box office records and proved that parallel cinema could stand shoulder to shoulder with commercial cinema.
The screenplay, written by renowned Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar, is based on the story “Surya” by SD Panvalkar. “Ardh Satya” is a case study in Indian cinema for its portrayal of cop stories. The dialogues by Vasant Dev breathe life into the film. Several elements contribute to the screenplay’s strength, such as space, time, situation, characters, their personalities, and their moral dilemmas.
A good story resolves a problem, but a great story creatively addresses the problem in a way that connects with the audience emotionally. This is the visionary brilliance of a director. Govind Nihalani, as a director, connects with the hearts of his audience through his imagination, conveying a meaningful narrative on the silver screen. “Ardh Satya” changed the perspective of global audiences, presenting police stories from a viewpoint that had never been seen before. People began to watch films with a new sense of appreciation.
Human beings are constantly trapped in some sort of maze. As long as directors remain entangled with market forces, they cannot truly create from the depths of the audience’s subconscious. Great directors, however, always withdraw from the conscious realm and bring forth the unconscious, allowing for profound self-expression. By Prakash Surya