‘Pagglait’ movie review: An insightful tale of repression and tragedy, taking pride in its simplicity

Netflix’s focus on chronicling stories set in India’s small towns breaks new ground with Umesh Bisht’s film Pagglait. Its plot essentially revolves around the recently widowed Sandhya Giri, who grapples with the inability to mourn her husband’s death, even when people around her are bawling, following weird superstitions and engaging in outright farcical behaviour to express grief. Pagglait also displays the outlandish credulity of some of its characters without a pedantic view of the same, portraying effortlessly the powerful role that blind faith plays in Indian families when dealing with tragedy. Director: Umesh Bist Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Sayani Gupta, Ashutosh Rana, Shruti Sharma Duration: 1 hour 54 minutes Storyline: Widowed soon after marriage, a young woman grapples with an inability to grieve, a plethora of relatives, and a startling discovery about her late husband However, the main conflict in the tale emerges when family members are informed that Astik has left behind ₹50 lakh worth of insurance money for Sandhya alone and nothing for his parents who are in crippling debt. The dialogue: “ Jab ladki log ko akal aati hai na, toh sab unhe pagglait hi kehte hain!” not only sums up the emotionally riddled state of mind which Sandhya finds herself in, but also makes a scathing comment on the plight of young women in the not-so-progressive bastions of the country.