Peepli [Live] | 2010
Genre: Drama /Comedy
Author : Srivathsa
Synopsis: Peepli [Live] is a well taken satire, but then the structure sounds familiar.
Lot has been said about India and its poverty. Every year there is a handful of
films that actually depict India’s bucolic living (which is unlike the Bollywood’s
extravagant dance number). This year it is “Peepli [Live]”’s turn. The movie doesn’t
have big stars; the only name that we recognize is Aamir Khan, who stays behind
the screen as the producer of this movie. First timer Anusha Rizvi is the director
of the political satire, “Peepli [Live]”.
The movie circles around the happenings of farmer suicides in Indian villages. Peepli
is the village in picture and when its dweller and the movie’s central character,
Natha, a farmer, plans to commit suicide, things happen to roll on. This constitutes
a fabulous, yet sad ‘tramedy’. The movie doesn’t feature out of the world characters,
but focuses on the devilish and prevailing media hype along with down the drainage,
Indian politics. It’s all we know and what we’ve seen, but bringing it on screen,
Rizvi does a nice job.
The rustic, folksy tunes and the back ground score does add up to the not so sparkling
movie (particularly at the beginning). The state of the world in Indian villages
is aptly captured. But yet, it is pretty much a straight forward narration and the
“already seen somewhere” reaction does skulk up in places. But, there are moments,
where you are never sure, whether to chuckle or sob and it was thoroughly deliberate.
There are very well etched characters and superficial characters alike. Characters
like the farmer digging the well and Rajesh, the aspiring correspondent are skillfully
written. But then it becomes more of a familiar script formation, every now and
then.
Peepli [Live] is a satire that is a little audacious, moving and subtly witty, but
not often does it come out of the circle, to focus on the subject, it thinks it
handles. Rizvi has made a mark, but this mark, might not stand the sands of time.