Aug 31, 2010 03:10 PM
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The film “Peepli Live” is produced by Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao. Written & directed by Anusha Rizvi with Omkar Das Manikpuri(Natha), Raghubir Yadav(Budhia), Nawazuddin Siddiqui(Rakesh), Shalini Vatsa(Daniya), Farrukh Jaffer(Amma) and Malaika Shenoy(Nandita) in lead roles.
The story reminds the old 1989 Amitabh starrer movie “Main Aazaad Hoo” in which a newspaper reporter exploits an ordinary man for few rupees to pose as a man who is fighting against the corrupt politicians and that he is going to end his life fighting corruption. A similar story is Peepli Live.
What do you do if you are a debt-ridden farmer about to lose your land? If you are the brothers Naatha(Omkar Das Manikpuri) and Budhia(Raghubir Yadav), you opt to take a politician’s advice. The politician advised that one of them — Budhia chooses Naatha — should commit suicide, which will guarantee the family a government subsidy. That is the premise of “Peepli Live, ” a fitfully amusing comedy that touched on a hot-button topic — the farmer’s suicide. It shows the callous attitude of bureaucracy and the news channels that swoop into the village of Peepli to be the first channel to capture Naatha’s death live.
The film has been shot efficiently. All credits to the Director.
“Peepli” has no stars, though it has been produced by Aamir Khan. Still, Omkar Das Manikpuri and Raghubir Yadav ably fill that void as Naatha and Budhia. Amma(Farrukh Jaffer) and Daniya(Shalini Vatsa) also excelled in their performances which were no less important.
Peepli Live is different from other movies and is a genuine attempt to bring focus to some of the most important issues in today’s India. The film has also highlighted the vast difference between the rural and urban India, shamelessly apathetic politician, bureaucrats and the media. The good point is that it is done with a dose of quality humour for which Aamir is famous for.
Overall, a must watch movie.
…. Pradeep Ratnaparkhi
