Watch Cholai

Cholai (2016) is a masterful Bengali-language film that tells the powerful story of the Bengali agricultural crisis in 1980. Directed by Arun Roy, this poignant drama is a soaring tribute to the resilience and indomitable spirit of the farmers of West Bengal who, despite their relentless struggle, never gave up their dream of living a dignified life.

The film follows the story of Sadashiv, a farmer who we learn in the opening scenes, is in dire straits. Over the years, he has incurred a lot of debt trying to grow crops on his land that never quite amounted to anything. The bank is threatening to foreclose his land and he is desperate. His son is serving term in prison for a crime he didn't commit, so Sadashiv is left all alone to fend for himself. The villagers rally around him, offering him their support and breaking into impromptu performances of Baul music to lift his spirits. But the harsh reality of his situation weighs heavily on him, and he is occasionally wracked with bouts of depression and hopelessness.

One day, while Sadashiv is out selling teak wood, he hears about a new hybrid seed that has been developed by Dr. Mitra. This seed promises to deliver bumper crops with lesser water and fertilizers. Sadashiv sees this as the only way out of his dire situation and decides to gamble his last rupee on buying the new seed. He borrows some money from a predatory moneylender and makes his purchase.

However, things don't go as he planned. The hybrid seed is expensive, and the crop yield isn't as high as he expected. The government doesn't have a procurement system in place to purchase the produce at reasonable rates, so Sadashiv is forced to sell his crops at a loss. Frustrated and disillusioned, he becomes increasingly vocal about the unfairness of the system, but his cries fall on deaf ears. He realizes that the fault lies not with the farmers, but with the government and banks that are oblivious to their suffering.

The story of Sadashiv is representative of the struggle of thousands of farmers in the state of West Bengal. They were let down by the government, and the powerful moneylenders bled them dry. The film also touches on the politics of farming and how the government's policies were geared towards the development of urban areas at the expense of agriculture.

Another powerful aspect of Cholai (2016) is its portrayal of the deep-rooted casteism that still existed in the rural areas of that time. There is a scene where Sadashiv's daughter-in-law is thrown out of a burial ground because she is from a lower caste. This scene is especially heart-wrenching and captures the pervasive nature of casteism in Indian society. The film highlights how the poor and lower caste farmers were at the receiving end of double discrimination – the government's neglect and the rural upper caste's discrimination.

The performances in the film are uniformly excellent. Saswata Chatterjee, who shot to fame with his role in the Bengali film Kahaani, delivers a powerful performance as Sadashiv, the beleaguered farmer. The film's supporting cast – Kharaj Mukherjee, Partha Sarathi and others – pitch in with strong performances in their respective roles.

Overall, Cholai (2016) is a deeply moving, poignant and important film that highlights a critical social issue. It offers a vivid insight into the tough lives of farmers who have been consistently let down by the system. The film is a must-watch, especially for those who are interested in the Indian agriculture industry or rural life. It is a film that will stay with you long after you finish watching it, and will make you think about the state of our society and the need for change.

Cholai is a 2016 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4.