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Welcome to another episode of OTTplay Lost and Found, one podcast that talks about critically acclaimed films and shows but lesser-known. I'm your host Nikhil.Films where a vulnerable person or community is falsely accused of a certain crime or coloured inaccurately often end up as a social commentary, complete with a lot of rona-dhona. But there are those that give it a positive spin by drafting characters who refuse to accept their marginalized position and rise above their circumstances to make their mark. Today’s Lost and Found, the 2017 drama Anaarkali of Aarah is surely one such film.With a power-packed cast comprising Swara Bhaskar, Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjay Mishra, this one’s a compelling story of injustice set in the hinterland. When a nachnewali played by Bhaskar is violated by a local, we’re sensitized to the vulnerable position of dancers who’re hired to perform at weddings. Routinely attacked by perpetrators who feel entitled, these heinous acts are often overlooked as these dancers are often demonized by society and even denied their basic human rights. And while the film doesn’t attempt to paint them as sheep being sent to the slaughter, it does raise the pertinent issue that their consent is rarely sought by these perpetrators who believe that naachnewalis would invariably also function as sex workers.An area where this film scores has to be the fact that despite the milieu and subject being tackled, it doesn’t stray into vulgar territory and even while the situations and circumstances may seem unsettling to some, it doesn’t make the audience uncomfortable at any point. What it also manages well is to effectively translate the lead’s debilitating state across the screen. And while it doesn’t deliberately seek empathy, one can’t help but root for her through the film.This has to be Bhaskar’s most compelling turns and she slips into her Anarkali like a queen with no regrets, packing her acting chops with a punch and owning the character completely.Surely, a gem that slipped through the cracks.If you havent watched this film yet then do so streaming on Disney + HotstarWell that's the OTTplay Lost and Found for today’s episode, until the next podcast it's your host Nikhil signing out.Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poocho