I think we can all agree that documents, especially government documents are important for any citizen of the country. You need at least some kind of identity proof to avail of the services that the government is willing to provide you but does a piece of paper always tell the truth. Zee 5’s kaagaz takes us on a journey where Lal Bihari Mritak (played by Pankaj Tripathi) had to fight a long battle to prove that he is alive.
Kaagaz is a satirical comedy that looks to highlight the flaws of the system in a manner that will make you laugh and question the state of affairs at the same time. I’m sure you must have already heard but for those who haven’t Zee 5’s Kaagaz is based on the true story of Lal Bihari who later added ‘Mritak’ in front of his name.
There are always bound to be some or the other complications when handling the paperwork of the largest democracy in the world but pronouncing a hale and hearty person as dead despite the person pleading his case can be something that very few people imagine.
People have always tried to figure out loopholes in this system and many have done this for their gains either so that they can claim a hefty insurance claim or settle land disputes but Zee 5’s Kaagaz gives ‘Fighting for your own survival’ a totally different dimension.
Lines such as “Aap kaagaz ki sunege kya insaan ki?” in the trailer puts across the point of this movie eloquently.
While for most people stories such as these may seem stranger than fiction this wasn’t just an anomaly or rare glitch in the system. Lal Bihari Mritak made an entire organization of people who were declared as dead even though they were alive and fought for their rights. Kaagaz will premiere on Zee 5 on 7th January.