there’s a lot to like about Nishikant Kamat’s Dombivali Fast (2005). even the very setting alternating between Dombivali and CST is so iconically Bombay that it becomes an engaging watch. it’s difficult to write stories about entirely normal people, because their lives are quite boring. while socially oriented films of the time like Lagaan and a Rang De Basanti situate themselves on opposing ends of the class spectrum, here is a film whose characters are neither in destitution nor post-scarcity, but a silent financial dissatisfaction in between.

it is very easy to read protagonist Madhav Apte’s actions as simply moral. fighting corruption on the road, tearing down drug scandals, stopping corrupt politicians; these are things we would all consider as “moral” without much further thought. and this is where many readings of the film stop. it is seen as a tragic thriller about a man who was simply too right for society, and was culled by the police force for stepping out of line.

and yet, that entirely misses the point (at least how i perceive it). what Apte performs might be “right” according to some vague moral code, and yet there are no such Aptes to be seen around us. why is it this way? Dombivali Fast is not just a showcase of an aberration of the human psyche, but an inquiry into its nature. what creates an Apte? what is the nature of this character? why is this an aberration? and more importantly why him? there are many violations of moral codes in life around us, but only one man takes up arms. you can say that the others are suppressed by fears of the systems around them, but why isn’t he?

what should we search for to diagnose Apte? should we be looking at mental disorders, perhaps some kind of scrupulosity? should we look at alienation? should we look for the specific moment that incited neurosis? should we think about what he may have been overthinking or overreading? should we look at the financial tensions disturbing his family life? i don’t have a good answer, but the movie is at it best when analysed in this direction.

a moral reading misses the more interesting talking points of the story. in fact, the first half of the movie is surprisingly ambiguous about whether Apte should be read as a good or evil character. the question of good or evil is less important than just a display of his anger. i love when films have extended shots of The Gaze as tonal elements. as a side note, this is where the movie stops being American Psycho. there are some sensible comparisons, as they’re both character investigations of troubled white collar workers who take to violence to satisfy their psychological conditions. and yet, the latter is more inclined towards moral ambiguity.

i don’t have any great answers on how you should read Apte. but when you read Dombivali Fast you should read Apte. every other socio-political slop can write about how corruption is bad. this film is not a grand social drama a la Dibakar Banerjee’s Shanghai as much as it is a character inquiry.