Sagina Mahato: The Bitter Brew of Labour Struggles

The essay on Sagina Mahato is well written and is likely to create interest in this generation of viewers who can hardly imagine the time gone by. Therefore it would introduce them to the sociopolitical scenario of that period.
Sagina Mahato represents an era when revolutionary ideas were cherished to struggle for humanity without even worrying about suffering of working class at the micro level. The workmen suffered as they lost jobs due to closure of establishments. Myopic vision did more harm than good to workmen. The viewers of new generation may not be able to imagine the social upheaval in the name of class trouble.

But worker leaders like Sagina did exist who demanded welfare of those who invested their hard work in an organization that was their capital without worrying about any idealism to change the fate of humanity. Sagina emerges as a role model for the working class without nurturing any idealism for mass movement or political philosophy of that era. The model itself threatened the political aspirations of many.

We were very happy to read the story by Gour Kishore Ghosh as young people and praised him for being able to portray a character that challenged darker side of movement. It was a bold step considering sociopolitical scenario. To transfer the story on celluloid was even more difficult as that could challenge faith followed by some. It was a bold step to project Sagina who was visible as an honest leader rooted to the soil.

It was in the awareness of the filmmaker that establishment of such a truth may not be welcome by many. The essence of Sagina’s struggle is how he emerges as triumphant even when he was forced to change the path of his struggle but finally returned.

There was every possibility of melodrama during trial in Kangaroo court. The details of the court were well crafted as it happens in reality where all sorts of aberrations surface without caring for legal aspects of trial even failing to bring the charge while announcing the punishment. It might appear a dramatic sequence but it was so in reality and it betrayed the confidence of masses. So it was a great eye opener.

Sagina successfully emerges as a model who is driven by conscience, transparency, boldness and was ready to face any consequences for his objective of life and struggle. The model itself was a challenge to those who in the real world tried to wear the hat of Sagina.

While the story has many areas of entertainment including excellent songs composed by Sinha, everything was successfully integrated so that our attention is not deviated from the main character Sagina Mahato.

There was every possibility to cross the boundary but to keep everything within it is the magic wand Tapan Sinha used to contain it as far as Bengali version of the film is concerned.

It was an eye opener for many who were trying to follow the movement helplessly.

It is important to convey that the film was honoured in an International film festival in Moscow.