Jana Yudh (People's War, Nepal)

Jana Yudh was one of the three films produced by Maoists of Nepal in around year 2007 as they paused, gaining significant political ground, after waging a more than decade-long civil war against the Nepalese Royalty and its functionaries. The other two films, with equally liberating names, were Lal Salaam (Red Salute) and Awaaz (Voice). [Check news link for more info. here]
The film  is kind of a tribute to the Maoist fighters. It is a propaganda film, that is obvious, but it does offers us an interesting take on the State, revolution and bad cinema.

Let us not bother with the story it is the same old rap: State and its men wreck havoc on citizenry, they kill, maim, rape, laugh they horrible laughter and then citizens take up guns, train in forest, they kill back, maim, hold public trials and shed tears over the innocent dead.

We will look at what the two sides, the State and the Maoists, do in a film produced by Maoist.

State tries to pound grains of the humble chest of citizenry 

Maoists play Hard Boiled a la  Chow yun-fat 

Once rescued, babies are handed over to the women cadre 

Woman also do the cooking. Not much of a liberation for women, you think. But...

they also get to do some fine chopping...

 Of heads of tyrants and their goons.

And they get to look cool

and high-command packs in gruel

They deliberate on esoteric  issues in open air

sometimes using high-tech sat-phones with silvery antennas 

while comrades keep cover

they talk to another one with the same red bandanna 

Under their flag

carrying their school bags

they have their own secret salute. It almost an Army now. People's Army.  On with people's war

They attack police stations that are guarded by lazy no good men

While Maoists know how to hold that gun. Like Suniel Shetty. 

They kill the bloody tyrants who attack their women

They free the innocents 

and then everybody gathers at the camp and 

there is much singing and dancing and general merry

And the state. Plans.

They come down hard on the Maoist party with their 303s

But brilliant Maoists dig their way out of the state's venomous grip

And the state is caught sticking a gun to a simple citizen's nose

Kill them all. In situations like this that is all they say.

Little children, teachers, poor peasants, suspects, brave and children who love graffiti . All are target of state's  wrath

And the state offers a special treatment to women. Somehow the sickle is always comfortingly around.

And then the Maoist camera gets distracted by female cleavage

Back to war. More men pick up gun against the state

They let go a round or two in the air. Just to let everyone know. It is on.

Their retribution is quick and very public. Bullet to agents of  unjust.

while children look on  

and women clap. Oddly enough,  once in power they were to ban capital punishment.

These men have dreams in their heart. And they sing them out loudly, on a sad tune, when under custody

their feet are kept warm by a pair of electric heaters burning red 

And their bodies, still hanging on, are used as punching bag

Media tries to shed some light on the situation by focusing on the state head

Mao don't like it. Not one bit. As bad news pours in, it only strengthens their resolve

But not before they shed a tear or two for their comrades.

And on it goes. You get the point.

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When China added a rifle to Communist symbol.

From The Indian Express dated September 25, 1970

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