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Newton Kumar, a rookie government clerk on reserve is sent on election duty to a Naxal-controlled town in the conflict-ridden jungles of ...
Newton Kumar, a rookie government clerk on reserve is sent on election duty to a Naxal-controlled town in the conflict-ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh, India, when one of the main duty officers is found to be facing heart problems. Faced with the apathy of war-torn security forces and the looming fear of guerrilla attacks by communist rebels, he tries his best to conduct free and fair voting despite the odds stacked against him. He is disappointed when the voters do not turn up for the election. Later when a foreign reporter turns up at the polling station the security forces force the villagers from the constituency to turn up to cast their votes. When one of them enters the polling booth, he becomes bewildered with the voting machine and its operation. After talking to the lot, soon Newton realizes that they have no idea what the election is about. Some thought they would earn money from this, while others asked hopelessly about getting paid sufficiently for their work. He desperately tries to educate them but to no avail. Taking the lead, the frustrated security head pushes him aside and shames the villagers by telling them that these officers have risked their lives for their vote, and they should not turn them away, and that the voting machine is a toy; there are symbols of elephants, cycles, etc. and they could press any symbol they like (leaving them uneducated about the fact that those symbols represent respective political parties). So while they vote their favourite symbol, instead of politicians they have never heard about, the foreign reporter gets a good news report about India's democracy. Newton wants to sit at the polling booth for the stipulated time but is forced to flee due to a Naxal ambush which he realises later was staged by the forces. On gaining such knowledge, he tried to outrun his escort team back to the polling booth, but gets caught on both sides, and is forcefully taken back to safety. On the way back Newton decides to collect votes of four villagers who suddenly turn up from deep inside the forest. The Chief of Security is reluctant to let them do so. It is here where the film gives the viewer the conundrum of the situation in war torn areas, through two men without any rivalry, bent on their duty, yet a stark difference, exposing the conundrum of truth. Taking his duty very seriously, Newton steals the Chief's gun and holds the officer at gunpoint till the villagers cast their votes. The chief comments out of frustration that it was not his wish to conduct such polling here in an area secured 6 months ago, having more landmines than men. He tells that he doesn't want to lose more brave boys like they already have anymore, even when the government cannot even supply them night vision goggles they have been asking for 2 years. Newton keeps him at gunpoint even after the voting for the remaining two minutes of his official duty (till 3pm). The security forces then beat him up out of frustration.
The movie concludes with a shot of the area 6 months later, showing mining activity going on. The Chief of Security is shown shopping and indulging his wife and daughter over a bottle of olive oil, possibly suspended and facing tough financial situation.[9] Newton is shown in his office keeping up with his old ways. He is visited by the local election officer Malko and they agree to have tea, but after 5 minutes in lunch time, as per rules followed by Newton.https://en.wikipedia.org
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