Review: Peepli [Live]


Cast: Raghuvir Yadav, Omkar Das Manikpuri, Naseeruddin Shah, Malaika Shenoy, Farrukh Jaffer, Vishal Sharma

Director: Anusha Rizvi

Debutante director Anusha Rizvi should teach directors a lesson or two about making political satires. There are a few films that entertain you and leave you a poignant message at the same time. You might laugh for most of the film but the end leaves you a little disturbed about the state of affairs in our country.

The plot deals with an omnipresent crisis that rears its head every now and then and especially during the elections – farmer suicides. Omkar Das and Raghuvir Yadav, the two main leads, are encumbered by an unsettled loan and the fear that their land will be auctioned off since they are in no position to repay. After numerous failed attempts to salvage their land, the only option seems to be suicide that will ensure that the family will get the mandatory Rs 1 lakh compensation from the government.

A local journalist does this story for a regional paper but it’s soon taken up by the national media and gets immense traction. The protagonist’s story is soon being played on national television as “live suicide coverage”. Journalists want their TRPs, the politicians do their bit to gain mileage from the issue just before the elections and the “media-event” is a good business proposition for the local community. Caught in the midst is the hapless family, a mere spectator in the ensuing media circus.

A compelling story doesn’t need big names, the nondescript cast packs in some of the most memorable performances ever. Whether it is the gullible Natha, the feisty Dhaniya, the abusive Amma or the conflicted Rakesh, each of them stand out. For media insiders the characters of the mainstream journalists are a treat to watch. Vishal Sharma as Kumar Deepak is a natural as the Hindi media journalist; his PTCs (piece-to-camera) are hilarious.


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