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!
3 comments:
I have not watched the movie, but have look at old hindi movie Do Biga Zamin...this is alson the same line.
Thanks Vinodh! I have heard about Do Bigha Zameen. Will check it out. But the best thing about this movie is the way it has handled a serious subject in a comical way.
Watched this movie today.. i was really hoping for the whole movie to kinda summarize towards the climax but it totally failed my expectations :( Started well.. comedy is good.. but i only enjoyed it in bits and pieces.. few scenes were just like fillers and it diluted the strength of the script.. dont know.. me is disappointed.. :(
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