Thoughts on Jagat

So the wife and I went out to watch a Tamil movie entitled Jagat just now.

It’s a story about the vicious cycle everyday people are in, and however much they want to break free from that cycle, life always seems to find a way of keeping them in it. That being said, it doesn’t stop the characters from trying, and it is this portrayal of hope that one finds endearing. The story centres around some main characters, namely a boy who’s very good in arts but does poorly in maths; his father who works hard, stays sober but struggles to find money to support his family and is abusive towards his son; the man’s brother who gets involved with a group of gangsters; and some other supporting characters.

The wife and I both pretty much agreed that amongst the movies we’ve seen throughout our lives, it definitely wasn’t one of the better ones. We felt like the story-telling was jumpy and a lot of things seemed to come out of nowhere and ended for no particular reason. The acting left much to be desired and the script seemed too skema for our liking (but these are of course based on the subtitles because we both don’t speak Tamil).

But I definitely find the underlying efforts of the movie admirable. The movie tries to tell the story of the little guy, the ones that have a hard time having their voices heard and highlights their concerns and struggles on the big screen. It’s very obvious that the makers of this movie wanted to contribute something positive in this world, and, personally, I think they have succeeded to that end. 

I appreciate that the movie trusted its audience to take away from the movie what they were trying to say without blatantly telling its audience exactly what to think, and for that again I commend it. They set out to tell a story, and tell a story they did.

Sure it isn’t great, but it is refreshing, because I get to see how a group of people I have very little contact with sees the world, what they go through on a daily basis, what their struggles are, what they value in life, and by doing that, hopefully increases my understanding of my fellow human beings, and hopefully try to be a little kinder to others too. And for that, I appreciate the movie.

If you’re a casual movie watcher, then I don’t think it’s for you. But if you would like a different perspective on what it means to be a person living in Malaysia, then you could probably try watching Jagat. It may not please your senses so much, but it could be the start of something bigger and better. Who knows, right?