Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Writer/director: Aruna Raje, Netflix.
Cast: Usha Jadhav, Sachin Khedekar, Girish Kulkarni, Rajeshwari Sachdev.
Netflix’s first Marathi film, Firebrand is a drama set in India, it is in English and partly uses subtitles.
A social commentary, it would not be wrong to say it’s empowering in its feminist statement. It’s a revealing and responsible telling, examining the emotional and psychological aftermath of rape and the intricacies inherent in the healing process.
A successful Mumbai-based divorce lawyer, Sunanda Raut (played worthily by Jadhav) is at the centre of this story. She was the victim of a tragic sexual assault many years earlier. Jadhav is admirably supported by award winning actor Kulkarni, who plays the role of her husband, Madhav Patkar.
Interspersed with multiple flashbacks and surreal nightmares that depict that earlier rape, paramount is the persecution, untrue accusations and the challenges of recovery.
Hard-hitting it is, but it does not detract from the fact that the remarkably placid spirit of Firebrand is surprising. Director Aruna Raje exerts authority and persuasion, in a minimalist manner, which are purely embedded as the story unfolds of a concerned lawyer fighting to gain control of her life – and her body.
National Award-winning actress Jadhav injects a lot of strength into the pivotal character, which is the part-successful formula of Firebrand. Not only is she calm, but is conspicuous in portraying the inner turmoil of the protagonist.
She’s a tough lawyer who never fails to ensure justice for her clients, with an enviable reputation for honesty and an unfailing professional track record. Nevertheless, that is not enough to help her to liberate herself from the scars of a shocking sexual assault she faced as a schoolgirl.
Firebrand is as much about attentiveness as it is about assertion.
This is the first digital production venture by Bollywood actress-singer-film producer Priyanka Chopra, formerly Miss India World 2000. Priyanka married American singer-songwriter-actor Nick Jonas in two lavish ceremonies, in India, in December 2018.
