Netflix's Bhakshak review: Even if reality bites hard, watch it

Bhakshak on Netflix is a dark, stark, and very realistic, a little fictionalized but still honest retelling of an infamous 2018 case of child sexual abuse at a Girl's Shelter home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. 

The case came to light by a social audit done by Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Its report brought out heinous crimes of a purported NGO owner who ran this shelter home, financed by the Social Welfare Department of Bihar. 

Brajesh Thakur and eighteen other prisoners were condemned to life in jail without the possibility of parole in this case, which lingered in the collective consciousness of the country.

The intense performance by Bhumi Pednekar as Vaishali Singh, a fictitious local TV journalist, is based on the real-life experiences of social activist Nivedita Jha, who eventually petitioned the Supreme Court to hold the responsible authorities accountable for their criminal neglect of duty.

Here are some reasons for why users who enjoy movies yet have social concerns should watch this movie. 

Authentic recreation of this gory episode

"Bhakshak" is a potent and influential movie that tackles significant societal themes. The positive reviews for the writing, language, and acting—especially for Aditya Shrivastava's unexpectedly harsh portrayal of a character—highlight the ensemble's depth and range. The film's emphasis on highlighting the injustices experienced by young people who are raped, sexually abused, or murdered highlights how important it is to bring attention to these urgent social concerns. 

An ensemble cast

Amazing performance by Aditya Srivastava, Sanjay Mishra, and Bhumi Pednekar. The movie's heartbeat is Bhumi, and Sanjay Mishra makes a fantastic antagonist. Aditya Srivastava assumed the guise of the malevolent incarnate. The gloomy mood was really created by Durgesh Kumar (famous from Panchayat season 2), Surya Sharma, Sai Tamhankar, and all the young and teenage ladies.

The real-time local touch

Viewing the entire episode through the eyes of a struggling local TV journalist Vaishali Singh (Bhumi), gives the entire movie a very authentic, small-town feel and flavour of small-time India. It also highlights the difficult paths that a resourceless local TV journalist must take in her determined pursuit of justice and the truth, with her only source of strength being the fire in her belly.

A slice of women empowerment

Vaishali's struggles to achieve her professional goals, her daily struggles as a working woman facing patriarchal stereotypes, and her strong personal convictions to fight against a tyrannical network of socially influential class members influencing state politics and local administration are all addressed.

Vaishali's soul-stirring speech "दूसरों के दुःख में दुखी होना बंद कर दिया है क्या आपने." makes you reflect a great deal. The movie serves as a wakeup call for all of us to muster the courage to speak out for the weaker members of society who require our help.