The Foul Truth captures and taps into the evil truth of mankind

Sangita Atom *

The Foul Truth: Amakpa Achumba, directed by Priyakanta Laishram, is every bit a game changer. After ages, this 2019 Manipuri film captures and taps into the evil truth of mankind, which leaves the cine-goers both inspired and infuriated after the movie. It is a human story and one of those rare jewels that stays with you even after the movie ends.

Being the first flick from North East India to accentuate the untouched subject of 'male rape', the Priyakanta Laishram directorial venture revolves around the narrative of a boy who has been continuously sexually abused as a child by his family member and the trauma he goes through as a result of that in every phase of his life.

The film succeeds in depicting insight into what's going on inside a victim's mind: their misery, agitation, loneliness, despair, and anger. It acknowledges the human spirit of a teen boy, who endures unimaginable brutalities and yet dares to live.

In India, the rate of male sexual assault is higher than that of females. Eight men are sexually assaulted every hour. Because our society fails to see that men can be victims, men often have a difficult time accepting their victimization and delay seeking help and support.

With The Foul Truth writer-director Priyakanta Laishram makes us take a closer look at reality, which is gritty, gruesome, atmospheric, and hard to fathom. Laishram's unnerving execution almost suffocates us, yet we can't deny the fact that the film has an honest voice and opinion.

Laishram, as the protagonist, manages to do a deep dive into the main plot and gives us many moments where we just want to go in and comfort him. He gives a solid performance as the sexual assault survivor 'Thoithoiba' and brilliantly brings out the nuances to deliver a compelling act. He succeeds in spreading his stamp all over the film.

When asked about what the film means to him, Laishram answered, "The Foul Truth for me is a challenge and mission as an actor, a director, and as a human being. I am carrying a very big responsibility with this. Whether it is accepted by the people or not, it is a fact. Men and boys are raped every day.

Male sexual abuse has profound consequences on those who encounter it and can deeply affect their mental health and relationships. Anyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical strength, can be raped anywhere, anytime."

Over the last few years, Priyakanta Laishram has quickly established himself as one of the most influential filmmakers in Manipuri cinema, both for his tense and carefully crafted scripts and for the virtuosity of his realism in acting and directing. Picking up a topic that is considered too taboo to talk about in today's world is brave.

Male victims experience similar effects of sexual violence as female victims such as shame, grief, anger, and fear. Male victims may also have issues surrounding their sexual and/or gender identity after a sexual assault.

Issues of reporting and talking about their experiences, challenges for all victims of sexual violence, may be especially difficult for male victims because of gender socialization issues. For our society to acknowledge that men are raped, we must first recognize and acknowledge that men can be vulnerable.

The Foul Truth - Amakpa Achumba, is a very sad and jarring film about some of the most atrocious behavior of humankind. It stands out from the rest with a non-dramatized version of reality. Overall, it is an excellent cinema with top-notch direction, dialogue, performances, and sound design.

Starring Priyakanta Laishram, Rojesh Saikhom, and Harry Tourangbam in pivotal roles, the film is written, edited, produced, and directed by Priyakanta under his production house, Priyakanta Productions.