Despite knowing the basis of the story, PEEPLI [Live] took me off guard. I knew that it was about a very serious subject (farmer suicides), but trailers made it seem like the movie was a satirical take on the matter & how the entire country hops on the band wagon right at election time.a strong message delivered with a light spirit. I must say that message was sent home strong and hard. Although there is the odd laugh during the movie, it's not a hearty laugh. It's more of a strained laugh that eases the tension of the movie.
This movie is about Natha(Omkar Das) & Budhia(Raghuvir Yadav) , two brothers, farmers in a small village called "Peepli". They are on the verge of loosing their land to the bank because of loans they cannot repay. They are told that they only way they can get any money now (you find out how.. when you watch the movie) is by committing suicide. The government will pay a lakh of rupees to the farmers family. Both of them discuss this and decide that Natha would be the one to sacrifice himself for the family. In a drunken stupor they discuss this with others in the village when a reporter hears them and breaks the story. This results in a hurricane of events with every conceivable news channel and politician descending on this little village with their own agendas. Although there may be a few exaggerations in the behavior of some of the journalists it's not by much. One trying to top the other, in a bid to get the next sound byte or breaking story. These poor men stuck in the middle, the entire country watching asking the question, "Will Natha commit suicide?"
This is a movie, but I find myself very unsure of how to review it. From start to finish, you see the things that touch you, make you feel for these people. You also feel that this film has portrayed India in a true light. There are extremes in the country, between the rich and the poor. The politicians who care about the next elections, the journalists who just want the next scoop & the poor farmer who wonders how he will provide for his family. None of you who are reading this blog can say any different. We have a lot to be thankful for, we are but one side of the coin, lest we forget the other. I don't know if I'm just full of words of if I will ever be able to do anything to help. I'll be honest about that. But these are the facts that we live with.
Some of the characters in the movie are so beautifully portrayed, especially Natha's wife, Dhaniya(Shalini Vatsa) who shows her love, frustration & desperation to support her family & his mother(Farrukh Jaffar) who through her constant taunting, shows both her pain and provides the occasional comic relief. The other performance of note is of the journalist who broke the story, Rakesh(Nowaz) who goes through the movie understanding the plight of the farmers and the ruthlessness of the world around him.
Watch the movie, because it's beautifully made. I know it's a sad story and you might come out pondering but it might be worth it.
Ok.. I'll say just because the movie could have been cut short here and there.. 4.2/5
Rahul
