‘Kapata Nataka Sutradhari’ movie review: Dhiraj MV debuts with a brave political satire

In Dhiraj MV’s Kapata Nataka Sutradhari, a 1000-year-old temple, known for producing miracles, opens only twice a year. Despite boasting such a special temple, the fictitious town Raya Bagha is a surprisingly quiet place, or rather, it’s an ignored town, as there is nobody to look into a transgender woman’s complaint of the absence of a toilet for her, or why there is only one school in the entire village.

It takes a Hindu-Muslim conflict for the village to come alive. At the centre of the controversy is a Muslim man, Mohammad Ismail (played by Dhiraj), who gets stuck below an elephant idol. It is believed that those who crawl below the idol will have their wishes fulfilled. The overweight Ismail takes the risk of following the ritual, and gets stuck below the idol. 

All hell breaks loose when he reveals his identity. Naturally, people are divided about the situation, with one group vocal about the safety of Ismail while the other vociferously behind the protection of the idol from destruction.

Kapata Nataka Sutradhari conveys how religion is used as a political tool by the power-hungry. The character Abhirama, who nurses political ambitions, senses an opportunity and fuels communal discord. 

In the 90-minute film, Dhiraj populates his screenplay with strong characters. Apart from the evil-minded Abhirama, the film has a young woman with a mind of her own. In a backward town, it’s refreshing to see her discuss her desires with her potential husband. A perennially drunk guy who spits facts is also a hoot. He represents many homeless strangers in villages who are more intelligent than they appear.

A still from ‘Kapata Nataka Sutradhari’.
| Photo Credit:
MRT Music/YouTube

The sarcasm in the writing is on point. My favourite is when a YouTuber gets ridiculed as a product of the free internet. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari takes sharp potshots at the TRP-obsessed television media, reminding us of the Hindi film Peepli Live (2010). The idea, which works brilliantly to an extent, becomes the film’s undoing when the director gets stuck with showcasing media’s exploitation of the ill-fated, moving away from the core concept of religious harmony. From a political and religious satire, the movie suddenly becomes a media satire.

A twist reveals how those in authority are ineffective and biased in handling religious conflict. Kapata Nataka Sutradhari works best when it subtly reflects the current state of affairs. Despite many proposing a possible idea to ensure both — Ismail’s safety and the idol remaining unharmed — the situation remains the same in the film, showing how people want to or get conditioned to contest and quarrel instead of coexisting peacefully. And the elephant idol, perhaps, reflects our flawed system. While an innocent like Ismail gets stuck beneath it, the gullible get brainwashed by powerful people with vested interests.

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After deftly handling a sensitive subject for most of the movie, Dhiraj throws his hands up in the climax. He opts for a rosy, idealistic finish, dampening the effect of the movie. The climax reveals how filmmakers are worried about their films being pulled from theatres. Movies with important subjects pivot to convenient climaxes to avoid censorship troubles.

That said, Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is a promising debut for Dhiraj, who also makes a mark as a writer. The film speaks about the temple’s capacity to deliver miracles. In the end, you witness a miracle, too good to be true.

Kapata Nataka Sutradhari is currently releasing in theatres