Noyon Jyoti Parasara/ Sanskriti Media and Entertaiment Cast: Raghubir Yadav, Omkar Das Manikpuri, Malaika Shenoy, Vishal O Sharma, Naseeruddin Shah, Shalini Vatsa, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sitaram Panchal
Director: Anusha Rizvi
Producer: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao
Music: Indian Ocean, Brij Mandal
Rating: ***/12
Shyam Benegal brought us the first satire this year – ‘Well Done Abba’. Here’s the second one – Peepli [Live]. Apart from the timeliness, there is one other similarity between the two – reference to those eligible for the Below Poverty Line (BPL) certificate. That’s where the comparison ends. While ‘Well Done Abba’ takes hold of one issue and forces open the Pandora’s Box on corruption in government offices, ‘Peepli [Live]‘ delves into complex issues with subtlety.
Peepli [Live] has a remarkable story but it ends with one line which endorses the director’s vision and brings out one of the most unnoticed and overlooked phenomenon in the country – the migration of villagers to cities in search of a better life.
The film reveals that 80 lakh farmers quit farming between 1991 and 2001 – a grim statistic for a country whose economic well-being is based on agriculture. Director Anusha Rizvi zeroes in on the alarming fact that in India, farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain themselves through farming.
As you would have guessed by now, ‘Peepli [Live]‘ is the story of a farmer – Natha. He is on the verge of losing his land because he has not been able to repay the loan against it. The loan was taken for his mother’s medical treatment. As Natha (Omkar Das) and his brother Budhia (Raghubir Yadav) ponder how to save their ancestral land, a local neta suggests that they could commit suicide as the government usually compensates the deceased family. Natha decides to die and this is carried by a local newspaper.
The story is picked up by national TV channels and hurled into prime time news. What ensues is a battle between news channels to get the first piece of news. Live coverage of the issue rocks the political stage.
‘Peepli [Live]‘ cleverly and beautifully unearths the loopholes in government policies and the media slugfest which breaks out in the name of breaking news. The screenplay is beautifully done to fit authentic details. Despite being a first time director, Anusha Rizvi stays clear of any temptations to adding regular masala such as the ubiquitous item number. The director gets one more thumbs up for absolute detailing รข€“ right up to names on a carton of a TV set and bottles of packaged drinking water. There is meticulous attention to dialogues and cinematography. The camera works to add absolute authenticity to each frame.
What makes ‘Peepli [Live]‘ an absolute delight are the performances from the completely fresh cast. They bring life to rural India where they no longer remain in a frame of cinema, but transcend into reality.
A few references could be drawn to the Amitabh Bachchan film ‘Main Azaad Hoon’ which also dealt with a suicide which became an event.
The only drawback – the slightly slow pace of the first half and the ending – which is akin to real life – leaves you wanting for justice to the grand build up.
No gaping holes, this one stands clean. ‘Peepli [Live]‘ is a class act and director Anusha Rizvi and producer Aamir Khan could take a bow for working this into reality.
Courtesy : yahoo
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