Buddha in a Traffic Jam is a 2014 Indian socio-political drama film written and directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Its ensemble cast include Arunoday Singh, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, Mahie Gill, Anchal Dwivedi, Indal Singh and Gopal K Singh. The film narrates the story of a professor who advocates his business students about the need of a revolution in India and the world at large, also sampling themes like corruption, naxalism, campus politics, moral policing, and crony capitalism.
The film premiered at IIT Bombay on 6 April 2016. It was released nationwide on 13 May 2016.
Video Buddha in a Traffic Jam
Plot
Vikram Pandit (Arunoday Singh) is a happy-go-lucky management student from a business school in India. He becomes an overnight sensation after a successful social media campaign against the radical fundamentalism of moral policing in India. Little did Vikram know that he was about to become a part of a plot that would risk his life and the nation. He gets entangled between two facets of India - Socialism and Capitalism, both of which are deeply rooted in isolated corners of the country.
Somewhere deep within the jungles, flagrant conspirators were gearing up to maim the Country. They had established links with the patrician society. Vikram's internet campaign pulls him into a very deep web of conspiracy.
The film revolves around Vikram's survival in the sinister designs of establishment. It resolves the age long conflict between Capitalism and Socialism and defines the much-needed revolution for the contemporary India.
Maps Buddha in a Traffic Jam
Cast
- Arunoday Singh as Vikram Pandit
- Mahi Gill as Charu Siddhu
- Anupam Kher as Professor Ranjan Batki
- Pallavi Joshi as Sheetal Batki
- Vivek Vaswani
- Anchal Dwivedi
- Gopal K Singh as Naxal chief
- Indal Singh as Nanhe Singh-political leader
Development
The film uses a real life incident of moral policing in Mangalore where young girls were beaten up in a pub for "western cultural activities." The group later protested against the police under an impromptu 'Pink Chaddi' campaign. In the film it's called Pink Bra Campaign, which highlights the atrocity of moral policing in India. Film also sheds light on the theme of exploitation of young bright students by some teachers, to advance their own political agenda
Release
The film was released on 13 May 2016.
Controversies
In May 2016, the film was scheduled to be screened for students at Jawaharlal Nehru University. It was denied by the university's administration due to the unstable political atmosphere within the campus
Urban Naxals
Urban Naxals: The Making of Buddha in a Traffic Jam is a book written by Bollywood film director, scriptwriter and producer Vivek Agnihotri, about the making of his film Buddha in a Traffic Jam. In the book, Agnihotri writes about his experiences of making the film, which according to one review "exposed a nexus between an India-wide Maoist terror movement across red corridor in India and their supporters in urban centers, specially in academic institutions, print media, television media, administration, and non governmental organisation." According to Agnihotri, Naxalites are waging war on India with details plans for an overthrow of the State.
In the forward of the book Prof. Makarand R. Paranjape (of JNU) writes 'We all fail in our lives. But few of us actually recover to tell the story. Vivek is one of them'. It is this story of struggle and perseverance in all odds - where one stand head on with established institutions of academics, media, film distributor, film producers, civil society who create and present broader narrative to nation as suit there interest.
References
External links
- Buddha in a Traffic Jam on IMDb
- Buddha in a Traffic Jam at Bollywood Hungama
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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