Amar Maibam Highways of Life (2020)

Movie Corner *

A scene from 'Highways of Life' :: Pix - TSE

Highways of Life (2018)
Director: Amar Maibam
MitSna's Rating: 8.4/10

Reviewed by: Micheal Atom

When the privilege of living a good life has been narrowed down to supply line of only two National highways, life is not so easy in the region. The value of the people responsible for transportation in these lifelines are eminent. In this landlocked state of Manipur, however, the status and fate of the transport drivers seems to be alternated by the prevalent situations.

Often valuable objects are considered as pressure points by pressure groups to negotiate and demand their objectives from the government. Manipur has experienced this issue for decades and the national highways act as these pressure points.

Economic blockades were very frequent and the transport drivers were halted along the way often. Their life along the journey remained unseen and side-lined in the larger picture. That is what people like Arunjit our main character in the film and drivers like him must have faced.

The film is very raw, intense, and realistic in every moment. The entire film being an unscripted documentary, filmmaker Amar mentioned it took out many sacrifices spanning five years of making the film toiling with the drivers from day and night in innumerable trips along the highways.

Every journey was a live risking journey and for whom? the stomach and blood of people of the state and for a mere livelihood. Being stranded in the highway among the unknown hills for months, being taxed illegally and sub-legally. At the same time, the under constructed roads and collapsed bridges just added on to the misfortunes.

Life of a transportation drivers have suffered enough being the middle man in the multi faced storm of power. Being underappreciated and negligence nature of different sections are seen in the film itself.

-Not all superheroes wear cap, but some wear shades at night.

That is how our Ananjit try to make some peace in his life simply pretending to unsee the things folding before him.

History and life of our truck drivers being preserved through the visual art of film, the filmmaker has done a wonderful job in making these raw stories and sufferings opened to the rest of the people who are not aware earlier.

This film is a much recommended if you want to understand yourself and your society !!!