Dombivli Fast (2005) Nishikant Kamat, Sandeep Kulkarni, Audumber Aphale, Ashwini Apte

June 30, 2023

Dombivli Fast captures India’s “functioning anarchy” on celluloid. Madhav Apte, the protagonist is a middle class citizen who is struggling to make the ends meet. We see a slow mental breakdown of this individual as he decides to counter the injustices, first by simple questioning and later, as he loses the mental balance, through violence. As India gears towards becoming a developed nation, it still battles with the age-old feudal mindset. The corruption and inflation make it difficult for a middle class person to make living with dignity. It is not just the judiciary or the corporate greed that is the question here, but a lack of basic amenities such as potable water, that really get to the protagonist. The film ends on a pessimistic note which in a way does reflect the reality. The pace of the film develops at a natural pace and gains momentum as it progresses.