This cinema explores a characterless city and its people

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Gurgaon is a characterless, scary city that is expanding with no respect to the indigenous character of the topography and land. (Perhaps all cities are, but I got scared in Gurgaon for no reason!) I had been there in February 2017.
I had attended a workshop that focused on how to restore water table in Gurgaon's residential and farming areas. A rich farmer who came in a Bolero to the workshop struck a conversation with me, and I got a hint of what they are made of. He went to the extent of inviting me to his hotel, which I declined, and after a week he even called me. When I came to know it was him I didn't want to continue the conversation.
The Metro line cutting through the now-developing city had an eerie character to it in the area I was staying, with only malls and high-end buildings, no dhaba or no public transport - basically meant for only those who had cars and who could afford to go to restaurants in malls. DLF wanted Metro connectivity to CyberCity, and a bidder IL&FS Rail Ltd got the contract for Rapid Metro there. The government "saved" money as there was no investment needed, but other than Metro, last mile connectivity was a pain.
An ex-IAS officer I met at the workshop told me how the land was "gifted" to DLF by one of the "toughest" prime ministers in 70's. He had so much to say, but he had no documents to support his claims, and I couldn't pursue it due to distance and lack of communication channels.
Because of all these associations I watched the movie Gurgaon. Gurgaon Movie depicts what lust for money and land can do to people. It shows how in Haryana's farming class daughters are rejected and even killed, and revered when it suits the overall scheme of things. It shows a slice of what farming community in India is going through, with ever-expanding industries and need for more and more land.

The movie leaves you with a feeling of bitterness and insecurity, that is similar to what comes to you when you watch the movie by Anurag Kashyap, Ugly (though that feeling is much more intense in the latter). To me, it was a haunting one because of the subject it dealt with, and the make too - there were no other takeaways.
#Gurgaon

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