'Babita Singh Reporting' movie review: Murder, with patriarchy in frame

Rashmi VasudevaMurder, with patriarchy in frameWhat happens when a woman finds herself in a job that demands spunk and aggression, but she has spent years being accommodating? That is the real whodunnit in this murder mystery, which is less interested in solving a murder than in examining this contradiction.Directed by Ambiecka Pandit, the film follows Babita (Nimisha Sajayan), who returns to her sasural for a family function after a professional setback that’s no fault of hers. The suspicious death of her childhood friend Bansi (Barun Sobti) compels her to investigate, despite her own misgivings and the many forms of hostility she encounters.The real story here is how misogyny, gaslighting and micro-aggressions, words that are easily bandied about today, stem not from cartoonish villains but from well-meaning relatives, husbands and mothers-in-law who know little beyond the conditioning they have been marinated in. At her workplace, a police station, patriarchy is neither in-your-face nor scorching. It is simply everyday, casual. As her superior tells her, “unnis-bees hoti rehti hain” — in other words, stop fretting, be agreeable, accept and move on.What a talent Sajayan is. Her self-doubt, insecurity and courage (which astonishes even her) feel so lived-in that they register not just in her eyes but in every small movement. Anshumaan Pushkar is compelling as the kind husband who is organically chauvinistic. Sunita Rajwar plays a mother-in-law who believes barbs are simply par for the course, while Barun Sobti makes an impression despite his limited screen time.It has been a while since a film this genuinely layered has arrived, one that trusts its audience enough to show rather than tell. The only quibble is that the murder mystery itself is unremarkable, and the final stretch feels rushed and somewhat pat. Still, go watch.

Source: Deccan Herald