POPCORN REVIEWSS

Written by Nikhil Sachan, Mitti really scores well with its characterization. While you are witness to Raghav slogging daily in his metro city life and being in a relationship with his girlfriend Stuti (Diksha Juneja), it is the character of his grandfather Sudarshan (Yogendra Tiku) that is used as a catalyst in the drama. As you continue to get acquainted with Raghav who has been aloof for the longest time with his grandparents, only to return on the occasion of the demise of his grandfather, you realise that this is the classic Baghban (2002) template that plays out from the other POV. It doesn’t necessarily villainize Raghav or his inability to receive calls from his grandfather, particularly after falling apart from a heartwarming bond that the duo once shared, while also acting as a streak of realisation for Raghav who has drifted far away from his village life and relations. In his words of his grandfather – Fruits grown in villages would often be sent to the cities, but the trees would be left behind!

In many ways, the farm of Raghav’s grandfather has an underdog story of its own. It is shown to barely be surviving despite a loan taken from a ‘Sahakari Bank’, that sees the origin of Girdhaari (Sharat Sonu) in Raghav’s life. In fact, the key conflict of the field is that of survival after having lost a ‘parent’ of its own. There is almost a parallel plot created that see the field and Raghav on the same pedestal, both having lost a person dear to them, both facing an uncertain future, and both having to deal with the atrocities of the fringes. And interestingly, both their fates are merged when Raghav decides to begin his tryst with modern farming, that sees them both on a journey of highs and lows.

Raghav at the center of things remains a conflicted character too. On one hand, it is his guilt of not making time for his grandparents followed by his late grandfather’s quest to pay off the loans only through the earnings from the farm, that forms an emotional core. On the other hand, his city life featuring his overtly reliant but impatient boss or his loving but accountable girlfriend Stuti, has him sitting on the fence. I liked how the demarcation of the core conflict wasn’t binary for Raghav, in fact it was grey. He didn’t wish to leave his job or his city life while wishing to stay committed to his farm life, unlike say Abhishek (Jitendra Kumar) from Panchayat that remained a victim of circumstances to begin with. In a sharp contrast, Raghav’s close aides and friends Mahoo (Piyush Kumar) and Baiju (Pranjal Pateriya) have a reverse arc to deal with – both have their aspirations to shift and settle in the city.

The classic underdog template kicks in when Raghav takes it upon himself to produce his own crop and pay off the loans through the technique of modern farming. It is almost like a love affair that he shares with his field – as both see are witness to several highs and lows from a Nilgai intrusion to the locust threat, from torrential rainfall to other difficulties along the way. The fleeting perception of rainfall in the highrises of the city and the grassrooted areas of the village, double up as a searing commentary, even as Raghav is showcased to be like a boxer who crops the blows but always finds a way to stand up. I also enjoyed the commentary on togetherness, a trait that is represented through a handful of characters around Raghav including the agricultural officer Kratika (Shruti Sharma) with whom Raghav shares a warm bond.

One of the reasons why the drama also works is because it aspires to break the imagery of a farmer, or for that matter even a modern Indian village that may be stuck in a time loop for most people. The extension of this theme while merging into entrepreneurship along with modern farming techniques is what the writing aims for, and to a large extent the drama works in this regard. You witness the hustle of Raghav, even while being determined to produce flower as a crop and selling it for a price, thereby forcing him to explore alternate options, making his journey inspirational. If anything, the events that didn’t work for me was the final act that felt abrupt and too convenient for my liking, even as the drama refused to offer a commentary on the politics of the village, a point that heavily remained sanitized. And the needless implied love story between Raghav and Kratika, that just marginally deviated from the core of the drama. But overall, the screenplay is committed to being rooted while being heartfelt in many ways.