In the Belly of a Tiger: A Berlinale Title That Makes You Wince at Farmers' Plight

As much as the title In The Belly Of A Tiger may sound dramatic, there is nothing of this in the feature film, at least for an Indian viewer. The film was premiered at the 74th Berlinale recently. An Indo-US-Chinese co-production helmed by Siddartha Jatla (The Artist), the feature revisits a very old problem in India: farmer suicides. A decade ago, this made headlines in the media that probed why they were resorting to this extreme step. It was widely reported that farmers were driven to this step due to excruciating poverty and cruel loan sharks. They were in a hopeless situation.

It was also said that some of them saw the money their deaths could bring in. There was compensation from the Government. Jatla, who also co-wrote the script along with Amanda Mooney, arrives at a narrative that shows us how impoverished farmers offered themselves as prey to tigers. Such a death also brought in handsome monetary compensation to their families.

Jatla presents one such painful story. Caught between a man-eater on the prowl and a low-paying brick factory that exploited farmers-turned-factory workers to the hilt, Bhagole (Lawrence Francis), an old man, with the concurrence of his wife, Prabhata (Prabhata), decides to spend the night in the tiger-infested forest.

As both wait it out reminiscing about their past, a lyrical quality wafts across the expanse, and this contrasts with the idea of how deliverance would help families exploited by capitalism in its most hideous form.

Yet, Bhagole and his son, Saharsh (Sorabh Jaiswar), do not sink into despair; they seek the little joys of life that hinge mostly on Saharsh’s young daughters. There are a couple of telling images. One of them pictures the granddaughter and the grandfather walking along a vegetable market. They take in the sights, sounds, and smells, but have no money to buy anything. Extremely poignant and captured with a lot of heartrending emotion.

However, if one were to hope for some drama having been led on by the title, In The Belly Of A Tiger can be disappointing. It is placid and flows along with hardly any ripples. Excellent as art-house fare. It can run the festival circuit. But a commercial release may be difficult.