When the promos of Peepli Live hit the screens, they failed to really impress, but with Aamir Khan's association, the project ends up burdening a lot of expectations. A motley crew of relatively unknown actors with a greenhorn director, does this one deserve a watch?
Definitely, this is one beautifully crafted satire.
Two poor farmer brothers, Natha(Omkar Das) and Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) have a debt on their heads. They face loosing their land to the banks and go to the local leader for help. He suggests that one of them commit suicide so as to avail the governments Rs.1 Lac compensation for the family. Natha decides to bear the sacrifice and soon the media catches wind of the news. What then transpires is the classic overplay of the media coupled with political vendettas & games. Does Natha die? You have to watch the film to find out.
The splendor of Peepli Live lies in its light approach to such a heavy topic. While it touches all bases, it does not get preachy. Very well written and handled, it has doses of laughter and entertains. The film has an earthy flavour with its fair share of expletives and is well captured by lensman Shanker Raman.
The starcast, mostly unknown is stellar. There is not one name we can single out. Main protagonists Raghuvir Yadav and Omkar Das are great, Farrukh Jaffar as Amma is outstanding and has some hilarious scenes which leave a mark. Malaika Shenoy and Vishal Sharma as journalists are exceptional.
First timer writer-director Anusha Rizvi scores a winner on many fronts. Not only does this film entertain but it passes on a subtle message of farmer suicides without annoying you. Crisp and to the point, it works.
To sum it up, Aamir Khan shines as a producer yet again, picking an art-house apple and packaging it for the commercial market. He can do no wrong can he?
I strongly recommend this tragicomedy for an engaging weekend watch.
Rating: 3.5/5
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