A few years ago, there was a satire by the name of ‘Welcome to Sajjanpur’ that seeked to tackle a host of issues and was set in a distinctly village focused scenario. That movie failed to evoke my emotions as I thought it was perhaps a little too subtle in its approach and the main plot itself wasn’t very engrossing. Peepli LIVE, though, set in a similar setting, doesn’t have any of those flaws
Hats off to Anusha Rizwi to be able to present such a grim and serious issue, as farmer suicide in such a fresh and convincing manner. While the movie starts off with the lives of the two main characters, Natha and his brother, it soon snowballs to such epic levels wherein they are reduced to mere pawns in a larger and murkier game involving media, politicians and what nots. Irony is practically engraved into every frame of this movie and each scene gives you the opportunity to dig deeper and realize what the director truly wants you to see
However, before I continue praising Peepli LIVE, its important to understand and accept one fact. The movie isn’t commercial by any standards. Its not an out n out entertainer and there isn’t one scene that can be regarded as slapstick. Realism is at the very core of this flick and all the subtle humor is generated from stuff that is very much believable and practical. So if you are looking for a brainless comedy, go watch some of the other offerings this week. What you need to keep in mind while watching Peepli Live is the message the director attempts to portray and the way she manages to bring across contemporary issues with both a touch of humor and loads of irony.
Another interesting trick is the use or rather the lack of use of background score and sound effects during dialogue delivery. Rather, the focus is on the actual sounds - the chatter amongst the media, the clanging of utensils which only adds to the realism of the frames
To add to the experience, the movie is supported by a stellar performance by the entire star cast - each doing complete justice to the character they portray.
There is so much to this movie that one would want to discuss and ponder over but I guess that’ll have to wait as it would mean giving away too much of the plot of this wonderful satire. Suffice it to say that you shouldn’t miss it. While there isn’t too much ‘hall-worthy’ in this flick in the conventional sense (no mindblowing action, no special effects, no exotic locales etc), I don’t think you would get the appropriate effect of what the movie tries to convey, unless you watch the drama that unfolds at Peepli - 'LIVE' ,in the theater, so go book your show right away..
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