'Anaarkali of Aarah': Swara shines in this hard-hitting drama

How a nautch girl, Anaarkali (Swara Bhaskar), in Araj, Bihar, who has received singing and dancing from her mother in legacy, keeps away the advances of debauched Vice Chancellor Dharmendra Chauhan (Sanjai Mishra), and copes with this humiliation, fighting to preserve her dignity forms the crux of this simple but strong film. The message of respecting a woman's right to physicality resonates strongly, albeit in a small town setting reminiscent of the recently released film "Pink". Performing regularly at weddings, functions and local events, luring her audience with her innuendoes-laden songs, Anaarkali is the heart-throb of many but catches the fancy of the Vice Chancellor who is smitten with her to the extent that he gets drunk one night at a function and misbehaves with her in public. The film boasts of a simple story but well-written screenplay, astutely handled by debutant director Avinash Das. There are no unnecessary Bollywood-esque meanderings or deviations. He remains true to the story and engrosses you completely in Anaarkali's life.