Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain (2014) User Reviews

An accurate portrayal of one of the worst industrial disasters in history.

[Anurag-Shetty · 8/10 · 10 December 2014]

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is a biopic about the Bhopal gas tragedy that occurred on December 2nd, 1984. The movie covers the events leading up to the gas tragedy & the actual tragedy itself. A journalist named Motwani(Kal Penn), wants to expose Union Carbide Corporation for building a chemical industrial plant right in the middle of Bhopal. He takes the help of American journalist Eva Gascon(Mischa Barton), to bring down Union Carbide & its CEO, Warren Anderson(Martin Sheen), before it's too late. The movie also revolves around Dilip(Rajpal Yadav), who works for Union Carbide.

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is a brilliant film! The first half of the movie is a little dragging. However, the second half of the movie more than makes up for it. The scenes of the film involving the gas leak & its effects are gut wrenching & heart breaking at the same time. I'm glad that director Ravi Kumar did not shy away from showing us what exactly happened on that fateful night. The performances are the highlight of the film. Kal Penn is spectacular as Motwani. Martin Sheen is outstanding as Warren Anderson. Mischa Barton is impressive as Eva Gascon. However, the standout performer of the film is without a doubt, Rajpal Yadav as Dilip. Yadav's character is the heart & soul of the film & can make us experience a whirlwind of emotions. Tannishtha Chatterjee is good as Leela. The supporting characters are great as well. Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is a must watch.

A Haunting Rush To The Past. ♦ 76%

[nairtejas · 8/10 · 13 December 2014]

I know better than to wholly trust what I see in a film. But Ravi Kumar's honest and haunting story of what really happened on December 1984 at the heart of India makes my view on the topic clear. The figures may never be accurately exacted, but the magnitude of the tragedy is explicit. Who's to be blamed? The film says what we want to hear.

Union Carbide is seen adopting poor working conditions from the beginning even when they were alerted of the disastrous effects of MIC (Methyl Isocyanate), the chemical the plant produced, in 1982. Giving the story a dramatic addition of a family, the film takes you on a gradual fact-finding trip as "pure negligence" is termed as the single, great cause of the whole tragedy. Negligence by everyone involved: the government, the UCC, and partially even the employees. Also, structural changes were made to the plant, and as the Carbide called it Indianization, which triggered the leak. The fact that journalism acted without effect puts us in a state of confusion: whether to believe it or not. Had journalism been paid heed like we do now in 2014, Bhopal Gas Tragedy COULD have easily been averted. Many things together caused the tragedy and the only way to right this wrong was to strictly regulate industrial operations, which is still a debatable topic. The compensation was like a honorarium.

The performances by Rajpal Yadav, Martin Sheen & Kal Penn is what drives the film into a suspense thriller. The only sadness we have as an audience is that we can't go back in time and try to delete the incident. A pre-credit montage of the aftermath is the silver lining of the film. It says that Union Carbide never apologized, which is even graver a fact.

BOTTOM LINE: One of the many pleasures while watching this historical drama is that Warren Anderson is dead as a dodo. Recommended!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Every Indian even every person should watch this one

[brij-raychanda · 8/10 · 19 December 2014]

Watched Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain

Before watching I was knowing very little about Bhopal gas tragedy but while watching this movie I felt that my heart was chocked up… And even after reading facts about the World's largest industrial disaster I felt very angry one our government and US Government. Really very touching movie and disturbing movie… Acting of everyone was simply superb, Specially of Rajpal Yadav. After long time I found him in life long character. Direction was splendid and the hidden meaning behind many scenes was superb. Some of my favorites: 1. In starting child were shown catching flying bug and in ending blind person was trying to catch flying bug. It shows the dangerous effect of gas leak. 2. In Starting and end, Horse was shown running without any rider which means that there is nothing left in Bhopal's life. Even those who were not dead their life is also blank. And many more… Every Indian even every person should watch this one.

A thriller which depicts the story of the Bhopal gas tragedy

[mrcoffeekhor · 23 October 2014]

How many of you know about Bhopal gas tragedy (a gas leak incident which is considered to be the world's worst industrial disaster) that took place on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals & killing as many as 10,000 people in one night. The toxic substance made its way in and around the shanty towns located near the plant. Many of us know & many still don't know what happened. Though there are many articles which lay the event on the whole tragedy.

"Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain" is a historical-drama movie from Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment which tells the real story of the same gas tragedy. The movie showcases the real shocking events revolving around the Union Carbide India Limited, its employees & the people residing around. It begins with the perspective of a young rickshaw driver who gets a job at Union Carbide which is a risky & tough job which required long working hours. It was noticed that the managers at the plant used to ignore the safety protocol always and still people who knew about it were holding on to their jobs as it was their only source of income. How this negligence took a disastrous turn which lead to post effect of the tragedy & how the political scene was pre & post tragedy, is the plot of the movie.

The casting, screenplay & the treatment given to the movie is honest, genuine. The cast has given their best & the sincerity is reflected on-screen. As the events progresses, it really makes you sad to see so many human lives were affected after the leak. It also showcases the good work of the Doctors which tried every bit to save the affected even though they faced the difficulties. Its the first movie made on this tragedy & by this, now every person will know what went wrong, what were the post effects & whats going on with the case. As being the Citizen of India, you want to know about the whole tragedy, then this is not to be missed.

Director: Ravi Kumar Cast: Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, Fagun Thakrar, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Rajpal Yadav, Vineet Kumar, Lisa Dwan, Manoj Joshi Rating: 4.5/5

A Potpourri of Vestiges Review: A scathing attack on crony capitalism and social commentary on India of the 1980s

[murtaza_mma · 7/10 · 3 December 2014]

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain is a historical drama film directed by Indian filmmaker Ravi Kumar. Co-written by David Brooks and Kumar himself, the movie presents a highly dramatized version of the events that led to the Bhopal disaster, often referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, on the night of 2–3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. The disaster was caused by the accidental leakage of methyl isocyanate gas and other toxic chemicals which spread around the shanty towns located near the plant, threatening lives of lakhs and killing thousands. The movie stars Martin Sheen, Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, Rajpal Yadav, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Manoj Joshi and Joy Sengupta in the major roles. The movie is produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment and distributed by Revolver Entertainment. The movie is slotted to release on 5 December 2014 in theatres across India.

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain succeeds in capturing brilliantly, through its motley of interesting characters, the chaos that became associated with one of the greatest tragedies in modern history. The movie serves as a powerful social commentary that poignantly depicts the plight of the poor in Third World countries like India during the latter part of the 20th century. These countries generally suffered from lack of industrialization, extremely low per capita incomes, low literacy rates, high population growth, poor health and sanitation facilities, weak transport infrastructure, and overdependence on agriculture and allied activities. "Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain". The movie also launches a scathing attack on crony capitalism—a notorious brand of capitalism prevalent in Asian countries wherein success in business depends on the nexus between opportunistic businessmen and corrupt government officials.

Despite going down in the annals of history as one of the major disasters of the 20th century, Bhopal gas tragedy strangely enough hadn't hitherto managed to become the subject of any major motion picture. And, that's precisely what inspired Ravi Kumar to make a movie on the seemingly forbidden subject. Kumar explains: "To my surprise there was little interest from Bollywood or even UK film industry to make a dramatic thriller about a subject with tremendous potential about corporate greed, environment disaster and the spicy mix of politics and multinational giant's profit driven agenda." Kumar got the idea for the movie from Mr. Sanjoy Hazarika's book "Bhopal - Lessons Of A Gas Tragedy," which he had read in 2005. After reading the book, Kumar was bowled over by the thought of a making a major motion picture on the subject. Kumar asserts: "The reason for making this film is not to play the blame game, but learn from history so another tragedy can be avoided. We wanted to make an international feature film with major stars for the world audience who do not know about the tragedy."

Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain has come as a great respite at a time when the element of realism is on the wane in Indian cinema at large. The movie serves as a great example of how the power of cinema can be leveraged upon to bring important historical events back to life for the older generations to relive them and for the coming generations to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors. History as a genre is still quite new to the India cinema and a lot needs to be done before it starts getting treated like some of the more conventional genres. The movie is far from being a perfect adaptation of the Bhopal gas tragedy. While the movie captures the essence of the tragedy really well, the narrative, at times, seems to suffer from certain structural flaws. In the act of dramatizing the events so as to make the end product appear more palatable to the masala audiences, the movie, more often than not, appears to be digressing a bit from its central theme.

Overall, Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain can best be described as a brutal but honest attempt on the part of its makers to capture on the celluloid the chaos associated with the Bhopal gas tragedy. It's not great cinema but it's definitely thought-provoking. Despite commercial obligations, and, to its credit, the movie doesn't deviate much from propagating the hard facts pertaining to the mishap. As a social commentary on India of the 1980s, the movie packs a powerful punch. On the technical front, there isn't much to complain about: be it cinematography, sound, or editing. The acting is solid all around, thanks to the presence of an international ensemble cast led by the veteran American actor Martin Sheen and renowned Indian actor Rajpal Yadav. Both Sheen and Yadav are excellent in their respective roles, as are Mischa Barton, Kal Penn, and Tannishtha Chatterjee. The movie features some highly graphic sequences towards the end which may repulse the faint-hearted viewers. The movie is meant for serious filmgoers only; the casual viewers are advised to stay away from it. A must watch for those who admire realism in cinema!

(This review was originally published in my film blog "A Potpourri of Vestiges")

World's largest industrial disaster - after 30 years, the hurt remains, the story is out.

[enna_nguyen · 10/10 · 9 November 2014]

The director Ravi Kumar has created a timeless masterpiece. After 30 years, the facts remain and the story revisited. Bhopal a Prayer for Rain, is not only beautifully written but the filmography delivers the reality of the topic and experiences. Take yourself back 30 years and live the disaster, feel the laughter and the pain.

Everyone should be educated and acknowledge by this film because the fact of Bhopal industrial disaster still live in many lives today not only in memories but especially those with physical and mental defects, this film will strike you to your core and bring out your tears, a definitely must see.

Bhopal : Breathing through the gas

[ahwaan_padhee · 7/10 · 9 December 2014]

"BHOPAL : A Prayer for Rain" is a heart-rending revisit to the most horrific industrial catastrophe in our country that claimed over 10000 lives in December 1984.It forms a precursor to the massive tragedy in the form of connected events that transpired around the infamous Union Carbide plant which spew the lethal MIC gas wiping off almost an entire civilization. Such was the impact that even today, people are born with deformities.

Unfolding like a docu-drama providing glimpses of the social milieu,the narrative breathes life with the insertion of certain fictitious and dramatic elements, in the form of a rickshaw puller , Deepak ( Rajpal Yadav)who forms the lifeline of the film.An illiterate who can hardly afford a square meal to his family with an unmarried sister, he finds the new ray of hope in the Carbide plant when he substitutes his friend, a worker out there , after he falls prey into an accidental factory mishap. The plant is a dormant volcano waiting to erupt, a hibernating monster because of the highly risky pesticide production under loose and overlooked safety conditions.Yet many of the workers fail to raise their voice as they have to feed their families at the end of the day.There is a wave of crusade through vigilant journalism by a hard-nosed news reporter, Motwani(Kal Penn) who even seeks the help of another American journo(Mischa Barton) to expose the diplomatic CEO of Carbide,Warren Anderson(Martin Sheen) but all in vain.

Ravi Kumar tries to portray the corporate chicanery adopted by Anderson who looked at India as a cheaper proposition, with utmost sincerity.The unflinching look at the bureaucracy and the callousness of our political leaders also flashes at the level of corruption that was rotting our society three decades back.There is a deafening silence towards the finale in the screams of the dying people and the haplessness in the eyes of the local doctor(Manoj Joshi).There are moments of poignancy that leave you numb, but had there been a more solid and polished execution , it would have lingered in our psyche.The film falters with a hurried approach in the ending reels by juxtaposing the tragedy with a wedding proceeding and also for some over- dramatic treatment like the one between Barton and Anderson inside his car.

All said and done, Bhopal is a praise-worthy attempt by director Ravi Kumar,also credited fir the film's story, for bringing this tragic incident onto celluloid after almost 5 years of research.The narrative forges a strong emotional connect with its rooted characters,specially Rajpal Yadav and Tannistha Chatterjee who render genuinely moving performances.Yadav blends his innocence, warmth and talent uniformly to bring out the predicament of the impoverished Deepak.Kal Penn, with his outlandish attire,is a character with an arc but doesn't do complete justice to his mixed accent.It is Marteen Sheen who fits into the role of Anderson perfectly,and bringing out the humanistic nuances effectively.

Films like Bhopal are a rarity in today's age of massy entertainers.They are highly insightful but do not hold a strong commercial proposition.It is as ironical as the fact that Carbide is not proved fully guilty of the causing this disaster.This one is highly recommended for those with inclination to real-life, meaningful cinema.

Rating 3/5

One of the best films I have ever seen

[svaghar · 10/10 · 5 January 2015]

One of the best films I have ever watched. Bhopal wasn't just an industrial disaster; it was a human one. It reflects the failure of design, implementation, and a neglect for the inherent humanity found in all of us. These actors brought this story to life and made it human. Rajpal Yadav shows us as the protagonist the difficult position community members were placed in- likely unaware of the extraordinary risk they were taking in working for Union Carbide. Mischa Barton and Kal Penn reflect what more journalists must stand for - pursuit of the truth. These three actors brought characters to life that show the good in people- and what we are all fighting for. In doing so, they have created an emotionally charged film that forces us all to reflect on what kind of world we want to live in. Bhpoal: A Prayer for Rain is a must watch.

Realistic depiction of a scary chapter of our history which is more about HUMAN GREED than NEGLIGENCE.

[bobbysing · 6/10 · 5 January 2015]

Probably I was expecting much hard hitting and revealing stuff from BHOPAL A PRAYER FOR RAIN, a film made on one of the most tragic industrial accidents of the world ruining thousands of life in the year 1984. Nevertheless, the appreciable attempt can still be rated as a simple yet mature take on the shocking event of the last century with some fine performances, excellent cinematography and an apt soundtrack/background score enhancing the overall impact.

Beginning calmly taking the viewer into the personal lives of few individuals and their poor families, BHOPAL is short in duration mainly due to the crisp editing and has a docu-drama feel in its narration that turns it into a more realistic and closer to life film right from the initial moments. However may be due to the shorter length and not so powerful writing depicting the harsh truth, the film lacks that emotional connect and the much needed depth in its characterizations on the screen, putting it honestly. As a result it has less intensity than expected, many quick half baked story progressions and not as engaging description as found in the hugely famous book on the tragedy by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro titled Five Past Midnight in Bhopal. Majorly saved by its remarkable performances, BHOPAL has Rajpal Yadav playing the innocent 'riksha puller' brilliantly, Martin Sheen as Warren Anderson, Chief of the company Union Carbide presented in a highly believable manner and Kal Penn as the newspaper editor with a fine pinch of humour investigating the seriously dangerous matter, running his own newspaper. Tannishtha Chatterjee doesn't get much to do in her few scenes enacted well, Mischa Barton is just fine in her cameo of a foreign journalist and Joy Sengupta is good in his small role of an engineer. But what really stays in your mind even after the film gets over are the 'silently killing expressive' eyes of Fagun Thakrar playing the victim widow. Her eyes really convey the seriousness of the issue much better and the girl could have been used in a different way in order to add more power into the narration as I strongly felt.

In all, BHOPAL isn't an exceptionally great film made on one of the most controversial and disastrous incidents of our Indian history (rather world history). Yet it no doubt remains an important worth watching film for its thought provoking subject, particularly for the younger generation born after the mid 80s, who might not have a clear idea of what really happened and how serious it was in those unfortunate times. The film also makes you think about the mysterious conclusions presented by various schools of thoughts about the event's basic cause in the later years. And further surprises you as hell that despite all prior information of the dangers and known serious impact of the chemical on human life, it was still allowed to be stored in such a huge quantity by both the authorities and the political parties together, simply interested in their own personal benefits ignoring the society as a whole as always.

Moving ahead on an introspective note, as I feel the BHOPAL Gas Tragedy is actually one of those prominent scary incidents of the last century that is more about GREED than Human NEGLIGENCE or IGNORANCE. In fact a 'Collective Greed' with contributions coming in from everyone involved, ranging from the owners, politicians and journalists to the workers employed in the factory too, witnessing the poisonous chemical stored in an alarming quantity right in front of their eyes, waiting to explode/leak any moment causing a major disaster.

In other words, it was not a sudden and unexpected event at all. Many around the venue, including the journalists and the working engineers apart from the owners very well knew about the probable serious consequences of the lethal storage and yet decided to let it continue for their own personal reasons evidently. In specific terms, where the owners/politicians had the money and power as their greed, the investigative journalists had the shocking front page stories in their thinking minds and the poor employees had their secured job and incoming monthly pay essentially required to run their families becoming their unavoidable greed, forcing them to ignore everything else around, even at the stake of their own lives.

Therefore it was this various forms of GREED playing as the main culprit behind the avoidable failure and the fact rightly proves the reason why GREED finds its 3rd important place in the list of five basic evils found in our human psyche namely Kaam (Sex), Krodh (Anger), Lobh (Greed), Moh (Love/Affection) and Ahankaar (Ego) as stated in our ancient scriptures.

Coming back to the language of cinema, there was another film made on the subject back in 1999 titled BHOPAL EXPRESS featuring Kay Kay Menon, Naseeruddin Shah, Zeenat Aman, Vijay Raaz, Nethra Raghuraman and more. Sadly the film is not known to many and was also a more melodramatic take on the issue with an interesting soundtrack including the names of Jagjit Singh, Lucky Ali, Ila Arun and even Amitabh Bachchan giving his powerful voice over. Arguably it was not a great interpretation on the screen but was certainly a well intentioned attempt from the makers ignoring any commercial aspects of film-making looking for some quick returns.

Now comparatively BHOPAL A PRAYER FOR RAIN is surely many steps ahead than the 1999 film to be precise. But if you are really interested in knowing and experiencing more about this sad, unfortunate catastrophe, the city of Bhopal had to face in that ugly night of December 1984, then do watch both these movies and then essentially read Five Past Midnight in Bhopal by Dominique Lapierre and Javier Moro too as a must, in order to get a more realistic and hard hitting, larger picture of this unforgettable tragedy, still affecting life forms in that particular region, even after three long decades of painful sufferings.

This is still a hot subject for Dow Chemicals (Union Carbide) in 2012

[david-161-28390 · 10/10 · 6 February 2015]

A great film in every way.....a real must-see.

Martin Sheen plays BSing C.E.O. Warren Anderson brilliantly - but for me the start was Rajpal Yadav who played the part of Dilip, the entry-level worker who spent his life in dept, struggled to take responsibility for his poor family and then died trying to take responsibility for the chemical disaster so his family could continue to enjoy the wedding that night.

The avoidance of financial compensation was a great finishing "scene".

1984 might seem like a long time back... It's three decades since Union Carbide (since taken over by Dow Chemicals) released enough methyl isocyanate into the environment to kill about 12,000 people overnight and leave water in the region 500 times over WHO recommended limits for benzene hexachloride and mercury*. But here is the interesting thing...Dow Chemicals pay spying agency Strategic Forecasting, Inc. to spy on activists who are doing anything constructive such as bring public attention to the problem or helping people directly there on the ground.

Just by bring this to your attention, Dow Chemicals have me on their watch-list. A few minutes of your time and a search-engine and you can check this!

Nice work by all and very good direction

[tuduashok · 7/10 · 29 April 2015]

"Bhopal: A prayer for rain" is a true event that happened in Bhopal, a CAPITAL city in MADHYA PRADESH state located in India.

This is the second movie regarding this event, only but this one more focused over what this is all about.

It may lead you to think, if your neighborhood is safe, if you are in a industrialized area. And if you know something sort of that then you are a educated fool, if the Government is corrupt and the facility is in gross negligence.

What's use of that knowledge if you can't do anything when you already know it. In this movie, I think ignorance killed all the people.

GENERAL AWARENESS....IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, YOU GET POISONED.

Pleasantly Surprised!

[CarmaChan · 9/10 · 17 January 2015]

Last night we went to a free screening of a film titled "Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain" written and directed by Ravi Kumar, whom I expect to become quite a well known name in the next decade or two because this movie demonstrates a natural gift for the art of visual storytelling. I did not expect to like this movie. We went because we were invited by potential investors for my husband's project (Cerebus). It was in San Francisco. I did not know the subject matter of the film until I looked up the title as we drove south on Highway 101. (It was a gorgeous drive through rolling green hills dressed in mist and dusk. I love Napa Valley!) I have to say I was disappointed when I discovered that "A Prayer for Rain" was related to the 1984 poison gas disaster in Bhopal that was caused by Union Carbide, a chemical factory that was built in the middle of nowhere, but after ten years, a community had grown around it. My expectation was a heavy-handed, melodramatic Bollywood type of amateurish first attempt, more on the documentary side, and certainly boring. Of course I felt a little guilty for being so disinterested in the story beneath the tragic headline.

I was completely surprised! Ravi Kumar wrote and directed a beautiful movie! Yes, the subject matter was catastrophic and real people by the thousands were killed and tormented by the deceivers who created and managed the plant, nonetheless it was an engaging, good-humored, balanced revelation told in a way that is universal. It is a movie I will recommend to others because it is a good movie. From the editing, soundtrack, direction, casting and performances, it is a world class film. I was more than a little impressed. This film moved, enlightened, and entertained me all at the same time, and that, my friends, is exactly the way it should be when telling a true tale of such importance.

Well done, but misses some key parts

[bhatianeeraj · 7/10 · 19 March 2015]

The movie is well made. It weaves the larger tragedy very well with the life of a worker in the factory. Thanks to a great script, screenplay, and direction, you can feel the tension increase as things start going wrong in the factory. The impact of the gas leak is also captured very well - it's stark, it seems very real, yet it avoids unnecessary gore.

Yet, there are some misses. Some key points of the tragedy are not part of the film at all (though they find mention in text towards the end.) For example, Warren Anderson has a very small role in the film. There was a lot of wrangling over his role and reactions to the tragedy. Then there was the incompetence and corruption in the Indian government, which led to a lot of deaths and resulted in a paltry 470 million settlement.

Despite these misses, the movie does a great job at capturing the tragedy that the world forgot.

Could have been better

[abhisingh02 · 4/10 · 17 February 2021]

If watched Dark Waters or Chernobyl then you will be disappointed with this one. I mean incident is one of the worst in human history, still you ain't gonna attach to the characters or the movie.

Choosing of characters is too bad that you will lost interest since the starting.

All I I love about this movie is the INTENTION. Atleast somebody showed this world about what happened to Bhopal and the people.

I wish somebody remade this movie with all the key aspects.

A heart-wrenching tragedy.

[rannynm · 20 April 2015]

This documentary drama is about something everyone should know about and make sure the human race should not repeat. What happened 30 years ago should have never happened and it is truly sad this film is based on this true story. Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain is not only a reminder of what happened, but a story we must remember, so we do not repeat it.

This film is a documentary, but is also a story and a drama. There is no comedic relief. There is strong messages and lessons to be learned.

The story begins when a multinational company, Union Carbide India opens a chemical factory which contains the number one most dangerous chemical to humans in the world. The company responsible for the factory is sadly not making much money and, as a result, they cut their safety regulations. This does not end up as a good idea for, in 1984, the factory had a major leak and the deadly chemical called MIC quickly shot into the air, and into the surrounding air which covered a major town called Bhopal. Thousands die while hundreds of thousands are injured and even today, 30 years later, are still ill.

This film truly shows this event well and shows how many people were effected by it and what the company who caused it did to help the victims. Nothing. Warren Anderson (Martin Sheen) not only doesn't help them, but the India court accuses him of mass murder and the "corporate shield" protects him so he is not affected whatsoever. Martin Sheen plays this role with true conviction.

This film is an incredibly sad story, I cannot choose a favorite scene. My least favorite is when the accident comes to the attention to Warren for the first time. Anyone would expect that he would be in shock or cry or just try to help them. What he does is blame the workers because he gave them an opportunity and they "ruined it." Then, he flees the country when he sees all the dead bodies and is accused of mass murder. I do not like this scene for I believe he should have at the least go to jail for the rest of his life.

This film is very mature so I recommend it for ages 13 to 18. I also give it 5 out of 5 stars for they did a wonderful job retelling this horrid event. This film is playing in select theaters now and is available for digital downloads and streaming.

Reviewed by Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, go to kidsfirst dot org.

Sickening ...

[peterp-450-298716 · 6/10 · 5 February 2015]

"We are Union Carbide, united in our efforts to build a better future for everyone."

Despite the fact it's already indicated at the beginning that they have incorporated certain facts in a different way, just to increase the dramatic effect of the film, I was stunned and shocked after watching this docudrama. Frankly, I had never heard of this industrial disaster that took place in Bhopal in 1984. A human tragedy that could have been avoided. But greed and indifference were the main causes leading to this human tragedy. Martin Sheen plays Warren Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide, and is perfectly casted for this movie. He manages to portray Anderson as a man with some human feelings, while on the other hand his business instincts prevail again and he asks casually why an amount of pesticide isn't sold. However his contribution is outplayed by the typically Indian actors. Bollywood movies are unknown territory to me and I guess they usually aren't the epitome of superb performances or a stunning footage, but I'm convinced that the message of this movie was much more important.

December 1984, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In a Union Carbide pesticide plant, a chemical reaction of water with Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) ensure that a deadly toxic gas cloud spreads over the surrounding slum. The next day there are around 2,000 casualties and hundreds of thousands of residents affected by the toxic cloud. Soon after another 8,000 victims would die because of that. 30 years later, there are still problems and casualties caused by this disaster. The combination of inadequate security, human errors and mismanagement caused this terrible disaster. Had the slip-blind plates been placed so water wouldn't mix with the chemical substance, if only the scrubbers were functioning (but they were under repair), had the refrigeration worked and was the torch installation not taken out of service, this could have been prevented.

A terrible topic about the disastrous consequences caused by human negligence and greed, which is played in a fair way by Indian actors. Especially by Rajpal Yadav as Dipil. A person who's lovable and sometimes comical at the same time. A rickshaw-puller whose vehicle was recreated into pleated iron after transporting a corpulent passenger, who's desperately looking for some work, so he can support his family, pay for the impending wedding of his sister and mainly keep his wife satisfied. He sees a chance to work in the factory as an ordinary handyman. Afterwards he's offered a better paid job (after the previous person dies because a drop of Methyl Isocyanate dripped on his arm, which subsequently is indicated as a typical accident because of an irresponsible act of the concerned person). Essentially he's technically incompetent for this job. But finally it's a dead simple task : he has to keep an eye on a pressure gauge and let someone know when it falls below a certain level. A beautiful rendition and a character that arouses pity every time. Motwani (Kal Penn) is a local reporter who fills his own newspaper with rumors and allegations against Union Carbide. In retrospect, he proved to be an important character in reality. These two together with Martin Sheen, are the key players in this drama. Mischa Barton is presented as the American journalist Eva Gascon, but soon she vanishes from the scene and you wonder what importance her part was anyway.

The known outcome is visualized in a simple yet effective way. Thousands of dying victims, coughing up blood and suffocating. Children looking around apathetically. Helpless doctors trying to save victims with the insufficient available resources. And while this drama unfolds, the chairmen of Union Carbide are trying to find a way out so they can put the blame on anybody but themselves. The fact that there's a description in the contracts about the slip-blind plates, is sufficient enough to conclude it's the factory managers fault. The final settlement made with Union Carbide was a compensation for damages of a lousy 470 million dollars. It shows once again what a human life is worth for such industrial giants. Sickening.

More reviews at http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be

Must watch by every human.

[manavkum · 10/10 · 25 July 2017]

Movie depicts the tale of real life industrial accident - humanity crisis tragedy in 1985 Bhopal, India that killed more than 15000 civilians almost overnight and affected more than half million suffering with dangerous diseases like cancer , asthma and so.

Movie captures major events that unfolded, also shows CEO Anderson's visit before accident, carelessness of Union carbide corporation to place such a dangerous industry in middle of fully populated city, and greed or hunger by local governmental body to pass this project to commission.

It will inspire viewer to drill down Wikipedia to explore what happened and how affected people got compensated, and who were ever punished or not. It will also make you think about mindless expansion of dangerous industries, third world helplessness and greed and shams by the first world corporations.

A true story of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the world's biggest industrial disaster.

[santoshnathchouhan · 8/10 · 16 March 2022]

A true story of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, the world's biggest industrial disaster.

The Union Carbide factory ruin is till in the still which is like haunted place and looks scary.

Brutal facts, well-fitted elements, plain-sailing flow. A MUST watch

[samabc-31952 · 9/10 · 26 July 2021]

"One of the most positive developments for any country is when they have increased their capacity to coordinate and respond to disasters in humanitarian affairs. We as an evolved race need to work towards saving human lives and reduce human suffering. As Justice delayed is justice denied." Year 1984 when most Indians were still celebrating the historic victory in World Cup cricket, the worst chemical disaster was just about to happen.

Union Carbide is the company that had helped build the first atomic bomb. It started its operations in Bhopal plant in 1970 with a motto - working to build a better future. It was in a business of making pesticide with MIC- one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man! This time in the business of making time bomb!!!!! And little grease for the cog of democracy viz home-grown corruption!!! The disaster that shook the world and torn the fabric of our culture that teaches us to welcome all and trust all left some 15,000 killed and more than half a million injured. To this day, Union Carbide has not apologized for the tragedy. It wound up paying some $470 million in compensation that actually amounts to a mere $2,000 per victim!!!! It still has not paid a single cent to almost 470,000 people who were affected because they were not included in the settlement, signed in 1989 and overseen by the Supreme Court of India!!!! Brutal facts, aftermath that caused more outrage abd pain and left many questions unanswered.. justice delayed, justice didn't not prevail to its apogee!

Kal Penn, Martin Sheen and Rajpal Yadav shine, good editing and facts-based true story with well-fitted fictionalized elements make the flow a plain sailing.. even though movie can not really do a justice to the severity of the issue, it is a Must watch ..

Perfect for basic information about the disaster!

[devesh2027 · 8/10 · 18 December 2014]

Well, to just start it, Ravi Kumar has done a really good job creating this film to remind of the worst industrial disaster of the world. And it actually generates a feeling of guilt among the watchers of the film of not being able to see the disaster or do anything about the disaster and the lost lives of the innocent people. It reflects how mismanagement led to the disaster, but it fails to show how Warren Anderson was actually responsible for the disaster and why people wanted him, reduce 1 star for that. And it also fails to express how Union Carbide International too had any responsibility for it as well as what happened after the disaster, reduce another star for that, but after all, it's a memory that one would want to forget but at the same time, take it as a role model for all the things we've got here in Bhopal today and feel lucky for them.

What Happens at a Pesticide Plant when the Workers and Community are Viewed as the Pests?

[in1984 · 9/10 · 20 May 2015]

9 of 10. It's definitely a serious subject, but the characters and actors provide enough levity, affection, and humanity to make it far more than a documentary of tragedy. Based on actual history if not a specific true story, this creates a virtual reality for you to step into and experience what it would have been to live in Bhopal, India with the Union Carbide plant.

The story is smoothly told with minimal imposed/artificial melodrama or cliché. It's a film that could have benefited from another 5 minutes to provide more context and follow-up history without resorting to putting it in words on the screen before the end credits roll.

It's also a learning experience into the chemicals behind the production of pesticides and how corporations deal with safety issues and operations losing money. Worth seeing in a theater or studying closely from within a classroom.

Amazing Portrayal of a Heartbreaking Incident

[tkhemani · 12 December 2014]

The amazing portrayal of characters blends perfectly to bring out the impact of this devastating tragedy.

The script describes the events that make this disaster imminent and carefully avoids the actual cause of the incident, as it's not clear in real life as well.

The movie is a well balanced mixture of documentary and drama.

Providing glimpses of the social milieu,the narrative breathes life with the insertion of certain fictitious and dramatic elements

It's a well balanced portrayal with many powerful characters.

Must watch...

The dark side of Industrial revolution portrayed well in Bhopal's ill-fated past

[patelbinny-62778 · 9/10 · 13 December 2017]

A very apt representation of desperate independent India welcoming a greedy western pesticide conglomerate who's only aim was monopoly over the pesticide sector in developing India. All this, at the cost of the health of the people who reside in the vicinity of the city of Bhopal. Some sleek character representation without any over the top character portrayals make this a very canny depiction of this infamous event in modern India. Martin Sheen does a very good job at being a self-centered yet cunning CEO who wants Union Carbide to prosper even if its at the cost of the lives of the residents. Kal Penn is on point in playing the role of the only journalist who is audacious enough to raise his voice against the misdemeanor the factory was posing on the people. Rajpal Yadav for me steals the show for picturing a shrewd illiterate worker who wants to earn the livelihood of his family and help his sister get married which was troublesome in those days due to dowry demands. Mischa barton, playing the role of Eva Gascon is an audacious reporter from the Paris match who comes for some other trivial reason but is baffled knowing what was going on in the city. The perception of the authorities has been highlighted well and there have been subtle references to how the west found the third world poverty driven countries like India to be a mere supplier of unqualified masses.With a good score and well executed climax a very highly recommended movie that gives a good insight on the flaws of industrial revolution and how it affected the developing nations.

Highly recommended

[TheNonSmoker · 10/10 · 18 August 2020]

As far as the cinematography and casting is concerned, this movie is a gem. Moreover, this is more than a movie. It's a reflection of the circumstances that happened 40+ years ago which left a deep impact on the fabric of our country's culture. It's a lesson that the world has learned and has given the greedy people that there's more important than the so called 'monetary' benefit.

My review about this movie

[svprakash · 9/10 · 21 April 2015]

Special by Sudha Prakash Katherine "Kat" Kramer, Founder of Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World is presenting three socially significant films as part of her Seventh Annual Film Series. She founded Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World to showcase movies that raise awareness about important social issues. She started with Barbra Streisand's Yentl in 2009 and has presented six socially conscious movies and documentaries so far. On April 10th, the annual event kicked off with the film, Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain at the Canon USA Inc., Screening Room, adjacent to the Stanley Kramer Screening Room located on the Sunset-Gower Studios. This year's screening was a moving and vivid depiction of the world's worst industrial disaster in history at Bhopal, India in December 1984 and the colossal destruction of life and the environment. Also this year she established the First Annual Kat Kramer's Films that Change the world, 'Hunt for Humanity Award' which will be presented annually. The first recipient of the award was none other than the legendary 97 Year old actress/ social activist from Hollywood's Golden age, Marsha Hunt. The award was presented by Ken Howard, President of SAG-AFTRA who called her a 'tough cookie' and said it is a privilege to present the award to the incomparable, incandescent, the strong, the brave and the bold Marsha Hunt. The event commenced with the Red Carpet arrival at 5:30 PM followed by the Introductions, Award Presentation and Keynote speeches. The event was attended by Film's Stars Martin Sheen & Mischa Barton, Director and Co-Writer Ravi Kumar, Executive Producers Terrance Sweeney and Leszek Burzynski and Director of Photography Charlie Wuppermann and various other Industry celebrities. Kal Penn who also stars in this film but could not attend, sent a special message which was read by Mischa Barton. The Keynote address was given by Tim Edwards; Executive Trustee of the Bhopal Medical Appeal who spoke about the way the survivors rose up in the face of the Government's apathy to help their community by establishing their own free clinics Chingari and Sambhavna where adults and children are treated with a combination of Western and Eastern medicine. Martin Sheen who plays Warren Anderson , Chairman of Union Carbide spoke about how he could not but say 'yes' to the role. He said that Warren Anderson who lived for thirty years after the tragedy did not want to speak to him or the film makers. So, he stayed truthful to the script and played him as a man who may have had good intentions initially but in the face of the tragedy did not live up to his responsibilities. Martin feels that the subject of the movie is timeless and is a reminder to the mankind and especially to the children that environmental issues are everybody's business and we should be always vigilant against the destruction of our air, water and soil in the name of progress. He said that shooting in India was a great experience and the spirit of India had a tremendous personal impact on him and rekindled his own faith in religion and his return to his catholic roots and spirituality. Bhopal: Praying for Rain is a drama highlighting the terrible events leading up to the poisonous gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticide factory at Bhopal, India. Ravi Kumar, the film director deftly weaves the apocalyptic real life events leading to the disaster through the eyes of Dilip an impoverished rickshaw puller turned untrained Union Carbide worker played brilliantly by Rajpal Yadav. Thannishtha Chatterjee ably plays the role of his wife who is happy about her husband's a job in the factory and the steady income and joyfully arranges the marriage of his sister. Kal Penn plays the activist local journalist Motwani who doggedly tries to expose the corporate greed and the local government's ineptitude by publishing several articles about the gross safety violations in the factory. Warren Anderson played remarkably by Martin Sheen flies to Bhopal in the aftermath of the tragedy but fled the country as a warrant is issued for his arrest. He never apologizes nor does anything to alleviate the sufferings of the masses for which his company was clearly responsible. Mischa Barton as a life style journalist who is roped in by Motwani to ask tough questions of Mr. Anderson is quite adequate in her brief role. The drama is intensified at the end of the movie when the deadly gas wafts through the surroundings on a wintry night interspersed with scenes of the wedding guests singing, dancing and feasting only to die horribly along with thousands of others a few hours later. The film is produced by Sahara Movie Studios and Rising Star Entertainment and distributed by Revolver Entertainment. After the screening, Kat Kramer moderated the panel discussion that included the film director, executive producers and the directory of photography. During the discussion, director Ravi Kumar told the audience that he grew up in a city not far from Bhopal and this incident had a profound effect on him. He was surprised that no filmmakers of Bollywood and Hollywood wanted to make a dramatic movie despite this being the major environmental disaster of the 20th century. So he took on the responsibility of making a feature film to re-tell the events leading to the catastrophe and the survivor's indomitable spirit in rising above their bleak circumstances. This was echoed by Tim Edwards who quoted his friend Indra Sinha who wrote that "a great catastrophe, followed by years of illness, poverty and injustice can overwhelm and crush the human spirit or it can enable ordinary people to become extraordinary with the realization that they are not weak or powerless but have the power to bring about great political change, to do good in their community and in the world".