Placebo (I) (2014) User Reviews

One of the most important films of all time, from one brave filmmaker.

[achyuthsankar · 10/10 · 5 November 2015]

At 6:30pm today, in a house full screening at MAMI, I gave 90 minutes of my life to that cherished thing which I can't live without, cinema. It was a documentary called Placebo. It's about the one of the most prestigious colleges in India (not any IIT, I'd rather not get into any more specifics), where the filmmaker's brother is studying. The brother gets into a serious accident, and during his recovery, the filmmaker decides to stay in his brother's hostel and document the lives being led there, in an attempt to understand what led to that accident (I won't be referring to it as an accident any more, it was a self inflicted hurt, severe hurt). He follows the lives of four people in the said hostel, seemingly without any greater aim. Sometimes, a story chooses its storyteller, especially when it's a story that needs to be told, and that is what happens to the filmmaker here. The lives he begins to document shape up to be a small, but essential picture about the lives of students who have chosen the path of the elite by joining there. People are pressurized, or they're not. Sometimes, they stumble into the doorstep of a revered institution with lofty dreams, but to many of them, simply making it there summarizes their dream. What does one do after that? What does one do when they have no idea where to go? What guidance does one get? I was contemplating, while driving back home, why do most of the absolute greats of cinema talk about serious things like depression, disconnect, alienation, fear. Why not happiness? The question has come up many times before, but no answer till today. It is because.. when things are good, when we are happy, we are already ready to share. But when things are going down the s**t hole, not even a handful of us can talk about it and admit "Hey, I'm f****d up and I need help". That's why it is so much more potent, when a film talks about things that nobody likes to, wants to or knows how to talk about. Suddenly, we feel a resonance within that isolated corner of our mind. That's what Placebo is. That slight resonance, which reminds us of the importance of our own feelings. But more than that, it talks about something a lot more. It's a documentary, with the filmmaker going to a college to understand why his brother hurt himself as badly. But a story that needs to be told chooses its own storyteller, and this college, and the stories of all the students who've lived there, chose this filmmaker. One shocking suicide after another, and it's no longer just about a personal exploration, it's about all of us. All of us who've studied, who've felt pressurized. All of us who, I dare say, can't even begin to imagine the true extent of desperation. There is one particular part in the film, where a character says something along the lines of "We are all isolated. You're here talking to me, but I'm isolated inside and you're isolated inside. My words aren't my exact thoughts. But only I understand my isolation. You know the f****d up part? You think you understand, but you don't." Placebo is truly a story that begs to be told. You can see it evolve in itself. The original intent of the filmmaker wasn't to talk about student suicides or the casual indifference of college management or depression. It was merely an investigation, a very personal one at that. But as the story begins to tell itself through the storyteller, you won't care about the change of course. Because the story needs to be told, and we all need to let it. Romanticism aside, it took (in the filmmaker's own words) a 1000 hours of footage and constant questioning of intent to bring out this 90 minute long story. 1000 hours, vs 90 minutes. To look for that story which has revealed itself to you, and to do it justice, that's no easy task. Because it's not something you've concocted in your head, it's all there. It's all already there. The loss of aim, loss of hope and dreams, the crisis of faith and loss of ideals, the pressure, loneliness and depression that we students face. It's all there. We don't know how to talk about it. We were just shown how to. There was approximately a 3 minute standing ovation at the end of the film, followed by a Q&A session. In it, someone asked the filmmaker about how personal the subject was, and how he could keep filming while everything was so close, especially since his own brother was severely hurt. The filmmaker said that whether we like it or not, when we hold a camera, it will create a barrier. That's the price one has to pay for the story. You're in it, you're affected by it, but you're still separated by that invisible inch. Abhay Kumar is that filmmaker, and he stayed in the hostel of that college for two whole years, filming as much as he could. He and his partner in crime (his own words, not mine), Archana Phadke then spent another year finding the needle in the haystack, and all the other needles too, in order to tell this hard hitting story. If there is one thing, and absolutely one thing I can learn from this, it's "Get a camera and go make a f*****g movie. It takes a lot of effort, but what's stopping you?". Abhay, you're honestly one of the best filmmakers out there at the moment. I haven't made a single piece of cinema, I don't know how it's done, I'm no authority. But films mean a lot to me, you've just made it mean more. Thank you so much.

A rare expression of reality, Placebo truly exploits the craft of documentary filmmaking.

[sushantchaudhary · 10/10 · 21 May 2016]

Today, at a small venue, a local jam-pad to be precise, I experienced an interplay of sound and visuals bound together in a narrative that felt unreal, as much as it was true.

Placebo, is a 96 minute long documentary soon to hit your screens on Netflix Worldwide. And I happen to be a proud 'early-bird' viewer to share the filmmaker's ordeal-like, yet patiently fruitful venture of 4 years as an audience member.

Without a single moment of bullshitting, Abhay Kumar gets right into it. After his brother severely damages his right hand in an accident on a college fest night, Abhay decides to stay back at AIIMS, India's premiere institute of medical sciences. What follows is a real tell-tale that reasons with some of the most profound emotions a human can experience. The drivers of this are his 'real-life people' that are more well- rounded than film characters.

The film teases and explores a wide range of themes, yet what stuck with me the most was an artist's dilemma, that comes with a sacrificial decision most people will relate to after watching the film. Its carefully put together narrative grips you tight with its locked jaw, and by the time you finish watching, the real-life drama wouldn't hold any less than its fictional counterparts.

It's brave and in-your-face. It has moments that are an absolute treat to watch, while others are horrific, being emotionally provoking at the same time. It's a film that definitely exploits the true form of documentary filmmaking. And I'm proud it came from someone from my hometown.

Can't wait for more from the Director and his crew. Till then, I'll let this one grow on me further. After all, it's a bittersweet pleasure to have been one of the hand-picked people at that private screening today, from where people dispersed like at a funeral.

Gripping,realistic,and a true image of the education in India!!

[abbievas · 10/10 · 23 September 2016]

Right from the beginning of watching this documentary i was half expecting what i saw. Having studied in India till my SSC i knew the pressures that existed and then moving to England made me observe the differences between the two educational scenarios. I am of the opinion that an education like medicine doesn't only require knowledge but also a much deeper understanding of what it is to be selfless at all times and at all costs!You can receive knowledge from anywhere, but knowledge without understanding and experiences is worthless. This is the key issue highlighted by this documentary how some of the so called "brightest minds" are so vulnerable to suicide, an issue that can be solved with the right approach and understanding. Hats off to the maker of the documentary for this idea and bringing it out with such purity. Brilliant work!!!

Compelling, hard to watch but harder to look away.

[apaton-54575 · 10/10 · 21 February 2021]

This is a deeply genuine look at the lives of some of India's smartest students. The way they live, play, study, and unfortunately die. It's a sharp look at the failure of the administration to offer mental health assistance to students struggling with some of India's most difficult curriculum. I was outrage and saddened by the end, but most horrifically I was not surprised. Please watch, I promise it's worth sticking with it past the first third.

Nocebo

[hewasherejustnow · 1/10 · 8 September 2016]

Please don't dismiss me as a Masala movie watcher since I haven't seen a full length commercial movie for years now. I was teased to watch this feature on Netflix after going through some discussions on an Indian news portal. I watched it of all of 21 minutes patiently hoping that it would get interesting at some point in time. All I saw here was bunch of medical grad students who, well can't be called humble by any stretch of imagination. Considering, that they belong to a cohort which is tested by one of the most brutal assessment system in the world, they came across as medics with quite ordinary communication skills (even on matters related to medicine).

I am sure it might have gotten better after 21 minutes, but after wasting those minutes of my life I couldn't risk it further.