Star Cast of Peepli Live: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Malaika Shenoy, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Vishal O. Sharma, Aamir Khan, Naseeruddin Shah
With films like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots, Aamir Khan has proved that he has tried to do something different and unpredictable both as an actor and as a director. With Peepli Live, which is a spoof on farmer suicide, politicians who always want votes and Television channels, who can do anything for their TRP ratings, he has proved that he is also a producer with a difference.
Whereas other makers would have made a very serious film while dealing with the issue of farmer suicide, producer Aamir Khan along with the director of Peepli Live have done a remarkable job and need to be congratulated for the way they have turned this rather gloomy and dull issue into a spoof and made it interesting by adding popular sentiments to it. By adding realism and Bollywood formulas to this dull story, Director Anusha Rizvi has made it a very impactful film on an issue that is very relevant in the present day context.
The subject of Peepli Live is a harsh reality that farmers across the country are committing suicide because they expect that government will pay their families compensation after their death and that money will be help in feeding their families. The film, which talks of the shining India and the industrial India, deals with a very serious subject in a very light-hearted manner.
The film talks of two kinds of people. First are the poorest of poor, who are always exploited and second those, who exploit them. The film is not only about those who exploit these poor farmers directly but also others like the politicians, bureaucrats and Television channels, who indirectly take advantage of their situation. Peepli Live also attacks the functioning of the media and shows how media persons and journalists don’t mind getting down to the most inhuman and insensitive practices, if it fulfills their personal motives and helps the channel.
Whereas one expects such a film to preach, the director has made sure that Peepli Live does not do so at any point, which is a very goods point about the film. Peepli Live is a film on unbar-rural divide and how bureaucracy works for the economically weakest people of the society. It only shows the state of affairs of poor farmer in rural India and how various people use them for their selfish interests.
Peepli Live is a story of a poor farmer of the Peepli village Natha [Omkar Das Manikpuri], who is likely to lose his land because he has no money to repay the government loan. Just then, he comes to know that government helps the families of the farmers, who commit suicide and to get this help for his family, he decides to end his life. His brother (Raghubir Yadav) encourages him to take this extreme step.
Since the local elections are round the corner, politicians try to use Natha for their personal gain and this becomes a big news in the media. One Television journalist, who is looking for a different side of the story, tries to find out what compelled Natha to take this extreme step and what he feels about it all, only to find out that no one really cares about Natha and he is being used by everyone for selfish motives.
One of the key features of Peepli Live, which touches a serious issue in a light-hearted and entertaining manner, is that it has been written remarkably well. Despite the fact that the characters shown and the issues raised in the film are quite real, the dramatic element in a film, which is so necessary to hold the attention of the viewer is not missing in the film in any way.
Peepli Live was a difficult film to make because such a film has not been made in Bollywood ever before. But debutant director Anusha Rizvi deserves full marks for handling this difficult subject with perfection. A totally new subject, which has been handled beautifully with an appropriate climax makes Peepli Live the most entertaining film to watch.
The music and the Dialogues of the film are excellent. The Cinematography is also appropriate.
Peepli Live can also boast of excellent performance by Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Malaika Shenoy, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Vishal Sharma and Naseeruddin Shah. Nawazuddin Siddiqui also looks good in his character.
On a whole, Peepli Live is an excellent film, which should have an international appeal.
