Bhopal - Prayer for Rain is a must watch for anyone, who has not lived and read the newspapers in 1984. The youth of today, was not born or were children when this mishap occurred and this movie recreated the events as it happened from an independent journalist and critic's point of view.
This movie points out various chilling facts:
- A rickshaw puller gets a job as a labourer in the plant and is later promoted to operate machinery in the plant despite lack of sufficient training to do so.
- The corrupt government allowed a hazardous plant to operate in an area surrounded by slums because closure of the plant would have meant massive job loss leading to loss of votes
- The plant is running at a loss because of low demand for pesticides and Indian management disregards safety procedures to reduce cost overheads such as air-conditioning and even safety warnings by their own employees. Even a safety siren in the plant is sabotaged by an official, which could have saved hundreds of lives.
- MIC, a key chemical used in pesticide production when mixed with water becomes a poisonous cyanide, which leads to death. Prior to the tragedy, a worker had died of cyanide poisoning, however, factory management attributed it to the worker's irresponsible behaviour rather than the danger posed by the chemicals.
The movie portrays these beautifully through the eyes of a local rickshaw puller, Dilip, played by Rajpal Yadav. Interesting is the scene wherein his daughter is getting married on the day of the leak and there is a sense of disbelief among the motley crowd in the news that there has been a gas leak as Rajpal asks them to continue with the dinner feast.
What is missing are the events that happened post this gas leak - the ensuing legal battles and the impact left behind that has now transgressed a full generation.
A must watch. Four stars to the movie.
This movie points out various chilling facts:
- A rickshaw puller gets a job as a labourer in the plant and is later promoted to operate machinery in the plant despite lack of sufficient training to do so.
- The corrupt government allowed a hazardous plant to operate in an area surrounded by slums because closure of the plant would have meant massive job loss leading to loss of votes
- The plant is running at a loss because of low demand for pesticides and Indian management disregards safety procedures to reduce cost overheads such as air-conditioning and even safety warnings by their own employees. Even a safety siren in the plant is sabotaged by an official, which could have saved hundreds of lives.
- MIC, a key chemical used in pesticide production when mixed with water becomes a poisonous cyanide, which leads to death. Prior to the tragedy, a worker had died of cyanide poisoning, however, factory management attributed it to the worker's irresponsible behaviour rather than the danger posed by the chemicals.
The movie portrays these beautifully through the eyes of a local rickshaw puller, Dilip, played by Rajpal Yadav. Interesting is the scene wherein his daughter is getting married on the day of the leak and there is a sense of disbelief among the motley crowd in the news that there has been a gas leak as Rajpal asks them to continue with the dinner feast.
What is missing are the events that happened post this gas leak - the ensuing legal battles and the impact left behind that has now transgressed a full generation.
A must watch. Four stars to the movie.
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