Peepli Live-Movie Review

 Peepli [Live] is a Satire in Hindi written and directed by debutante Anusha Rizvi. Produced by Aamir Khan productions (Aamir Khan & Kiran Rao) and distributed by UTV movies, it stars Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Naseeruddin Shah and a host of other theatre artistes.

Satire is not a new concept in Indian films. My tryst with satires started with 'Cho' Ramaswamy's "Muhammad Bin Tughlak" a film that is relevant even in today's political scenario. Recently I happened to watch "Thamizh Padam" written and directed by C.S.Amudhan, a hilarious satire on the so called 'masala films' in Tamil.

Peepli Live takes a sarcastic look at the farmer suicides and the way the Indian media and politicians address it. Laced with loads of humour, the script follows the life of brothers Budhia and Natha in the village Peepli, who are in the verge of losing their land due to their inability to pay their dues. A solution to their woes can be the monetary aid provided by the Government to the family of farmers committing suicide.

 The scene in which the brothers decide on who will take the extreme step is one of the most hilarious sequences in the film. Natha (Omkar Das), though reluctant, is coaxed to commit suicide, a decision that turns the lives of the villagers topsy-turvy and that of Natha and family, forever. The film takes one on a hilarious roller coaster on how the media and the politicians take Natha and his family ride to further their causes.

Casting and performances are the high points of Peepli Live. Omkar, Raghubir Yadav, Shalini Vatsa (as Natha's wife), the old lady playing Natha's mother, Malaika Shenoy (the Journalist), Vishal Sharma (the Hindi news channel reporter)-each and every character (save for the cliched politicians) is brilliantly etched and portrayed that they stay with you long after you are finished with the film.

Cinematography is good and background score (Mathias Duplessy) is adequate. "Des Mera" by Indian Ocean suits the mood of the film quite well.

A little over an hour an half, the script is crisp and to the point. But where Anusha misses a trick or two is towards the end. What should have been a knock out punch ends up being a tame poke. The old lady who throughout the film voices her concerns in her inimitable style is muted at the end and could have been used to provide the thrust towards the end and to drive home the message.

Nevertheless, despite the tame end, Peepli Live is immensely watchable and engaging for its characters and the free flowing humour. Its unlike the senseless commercial potboilers that bollywood dishes out every other week. Anusha Rizvi deserves a bouquet for some fantastic writing and thanks to Aamir Khan productions for supporting this venture only because of which people like me ended up watching a really good flick.

Time well spent!

Music of Enthiran

Albeit a little late, here is my take on the music for the most anticipated movie of its time, Enthiran-The Robot.

I was personally looking forward to this album from Rahman, as this is his playground. He is known to experiment with new sounds and this sci-fi flick gives him enormous scope to score big time.

Of the 7 tracks, "Chitti dance showcase" is more instrumental and is an eclectic mix of Konnakol (performing percussion syllables vocally), percussions, guitars and a brief but beautiful western classical string passage.

'Pudhiya Manidha! Bhoomikku Vaa", the track introducing "Enthiran", starts off with SPB's & ARR's robotic voices before switching to the hypnotic voice of Khatija Rahman. Yes, the daughter of the academy award winner's voice sounds quite ethereal, as she sings "மாற்றம் கொண்டு வா..". SPB pitches in with super energy in the CharaNams, where the various attributes of the Robot are listed out. Vairamuthu dishes out some nice lines like "கருவில் பிறந்த எல்லாம் மரிக்கும், அறிவில் பிறந்தது மரிப்பதே இல்லை" and "பன்மொழிகள் கற்றாலும் தந்தை மொழி தமிழல்லவா!"


"Kaadhal ANukkaL" will see the scientist Rajni romancing Ash, in his super cool looks. The strumming guitar sets the tone for this breezy track. Vijay Prakash and Shreya Ghoshal glide through the lilting notes with utmost ease. The bagpipe like sound in the first interlude is nice. The loop in "Oh Baby" ensures that the song stays in loop. You are gonna hear this song a lot more in the days to come.


"Irumbile Oru Idhayam" sung by Rahman in the company of Lady Kash n' Krissy (this Tamil rapper duo from Singapore had also lent their voices to the song composed by ARR for the World Classical Tamil Conference) is my pick of this album. The song is the Robot's proposal to the heroine. Watch out for some super imaginative lyrics by (Madan) Karky (s/o of Vairamuthu). Sample this.

"உன் நீலக் கண்ணோரம் மின்சாரம் பறிப்பேன்,
என் நீலப் பல்லாலே உன்னோடு சிரிப்பேன்"
or
"தொட்டு பேசும் போது shock அடிக்கக் கூடும்
காதல் செய்யும் நேரம் motor வேகம் கூடும்
இரவில், நடுவில் battery தான் தீரும்!

The rap at the end is quite infectious. Robotic..Hypnotic..Hypnotic..Supersonic..

"Arima Arima" begins with trumpets and a march past like rhythm. The lyrics eulogize Enthiran in this mandatory hero worship track (இவன் பேர் சொன்னதும், பெருமை சொன்னதும் கடலும் கை தட்டும்!!). Hariharan and Sadhna Sargam are apt. Wait for the movie to release to see the impact this song is gonna have! One for the music channels!

"KiLimaanjaaro" is for me the weak link in the album. Paa. Vijay's lyrics are mostly quite pedestrian in comparison with the other songs in the album. We have heard such descriptions of the heroine atleast once in some context in the past. Nothing new! Again, lets wait and see if Shankar can work his magic with the visuals.

"Boom Boom Robo da" sung by Keerthi Sagathia, Swetha Mohan, Tanvi Shah and Yogi B (yeah! Kajah Balm!) is a passable track with lyrics that sound repetitive after listening to all the other songs in the album.

Rahman manages to strike a neat balance between the tastes of both his fans and those of the Superstar leaving enough and more space for Shankar's imaginative visuals.

I am ready to welcome Enthiran-the Robot!

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai-Movie Review

"Once upon a time in Mumbaai" (No, its not a spelling mistake..that's how the title rolls out!) directed by Milan Luthria starring Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai and Randeep Hooda among others, is a plot (yet another!) based on the Mumbai underworld activities and the thirst for power.

A lot has been said and written about the film in the last week or so, thanks to the controversies surrounding the plot and its inspirations. The disclaimer makes it even more obvious as to whose life this film/plot is based on.

Most reviews I read have been going gaga over the film and have drawn comparisons to films with similar plots in the past.

First things first. If you have seen gangster films based on the Mumbai underworld, the likes of Company or Satya, "Once upon a time..." pales in comparison. Its a tad too long and the slow narrative doesn't help much. It can easily do with atleast half hour of trimming.

Every character speaks cliched, long winding, phrase-laden dialogues. Maybe its the Ekta Kapoor connection!

Ajay Devgn is good as Sultan Mirza, the smuggler, who is head over heels in love with the Bollywood actress Rehana (Kangana Ranaut in a role that lacks any scope).

Emraan Hashmi is the films biggest let down. As Shoaib Khan, he plays the ambitious petty thief who idolizes Sultan Mirza and wants to emulate him. At most places, the expressions fall flat and with them the ambitions of the character too. The scene where Shoaib and his friends go to a pub and start dancing is risible stuff. Prachi Desai does not have much to do either, except looking pleasing to the eyes, which she does with aplomb. I am not sure how much such roles are gonna help Randeep Hooda's career in B-town.

The songs, except Pee Loon and Tum Jo Aaye, do not make any sense in the narrative and could easily have been done away with. The background score is good at most places and is one reason why you sit through most parts of this snail paced film. The guitar theme is quite catchy.

Cinematography is good and easy on the eyes. It also helps that there aren't any violent or gory scenes in the film, which is generally the case with most gangster flicks. Milan Luthria deserves a pat for this.

In my opinion, its a pretty average film that is benefiting from the hype and controversy around it. Watch it, if you don't have a better option.