Sonchiriya Review and box office

Story: Set in the ravines of 1970's Chambal, the film follows a bunch of dacoits led by Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) as they battle with the cops and their own conscience.

Review: You can run away from people but how do you escape yourself? You can silence the detractors but how do you silence your conscience? Under its rugged exterior, Sonchiriya is a spiritual puzzle on redemption, remorse and salvation, backed by stellar performances, captivating cinematography and provocative dialogue.

Staying true to his style, Abhishek Chaubey gets into the heartlands of India to take a closer, gritty look at those who think they have sinned. What lies beyond their rebellious deeds and what goes on in their minds as they stare death in the face, forms the story.

Outlaws can have morals and principles, while the so called righteous people can be devils in disguise. Whom do you trust?

Spectacularly shot across the barren valleys of Madhya Pradesh, Chaubey tries to get a perspective on what defines good and bad through his protagonists Man Singh and his men, Vakil (Ranvir Shorey) and Lakhna (Sushant Singh Rajput). They are God fearing bandits, who question their sense of purpose and existence.

Though centred around dacoits, cops, gun battle, ambush and dangerous confrontations in the dark of the night, the film isn't really about crime but the aftermath of it and the curse that follows the perpetrators of violence. Can they silence their inner demons or do they get consumed by it?

The provocative film addresses the laws of nature... snakes prey on mice and vultures prey on snakes. Those who kill, will be killed eventually. What's also hard-hitting is its social commentary. Caste divide, gender discrimination, toxic patriarchy, deep rooted superstitions and why revenge shouldn't be confused with justice.

Vishal Bhardwaj's music and Rekha Bhardwaj's vocals signify the characters' inner turmoil and the empathy you feel for their need to fight a losing battle against Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana as an unforgiving cop).

Even in a special appearance, Manoj Bajpayee proves once again what a terrific actor he is. Sushant Singh Rajput brings a certain honesty to the characters he portrays and he plays Lakhna with a lot of heart. Ranvir Shorey immerses himself in his role beautifully and Bhumi Pednekar plays a courageous female character effectively. Ashutosh Rana makes for a strong anti-hero who is actually in the right.

Do note, the Bundelkhand dialect is not everyone's cup of tea so you will be forced to look at the English subtitles and that can be a tad distracting. However, the language gets easier to comprehend with time.

Gripping, tense and unpredictable, despite being a slow-burn western, Chaubey's period thriller makes for a riveting watch. It manages to engage, suspect, shock and transport you to a world where people yearn for salvation over survival.

times of india https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/sonchiriya/movie-review/68165844.cms

rating 3.5/5

Khaleej times

During the 60s and 70s, dacoits were featured very prominently in the Indian cinema. The dreaded Gabbar Singh from 'Sholay' is the most iconic villains of all times and 'Bandit Queen' (1994) is considered as one of the classics. After the 80s, the bandit culture started vanishing from the movies. 'Paan Singh Tomar' (2010) was one of the recent movies recently that brilliantly featured a rebel from the ravine.

Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar starrer 'Sonchiriya' is set in the 70s and talks about a bunch of fugitives, who take law in their own hands.'

Shot in the dense landscape of the Chambal valley, this film explores the world that we don't intimately understand.

Abhishek Chaubey's directorial showcases a different side to the rebels - they are more humane. These are the dreaded dacoits who once terrorised the Indian heartlands. The movie focusses its story on three keys characters - Maan Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey) and Lakhna (Sushant Singh Rajput).

At some point in the story, Indumati (Bhumi Pednekar) joins them. She is playing a woman on the run along with a young rape survivor. The one common factor that unites all the characters is their dark past and their search for a new meaning in their lives. The film features some of the most famous real-life dacoits, Maan Singh and Phoolan Devi. Even till today, grandmothers from the northern part of India narrate stories of these dreaded goons to the young ones. But 'Sonchiriya' is not your typical daredevil story of the dacoits; over here they are always on the run and are desperately trying to survive. This social drama focuses a lot on the caste system, patriarchy and the untouchables.

You shouldn't expect the dramatic portrayal of dacoits you have seen in 'Sholay' from the 70s. The makers are not trying to gain our sympathy by portraying them as Robin Hood who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. At times, these goons are righteous rebels and other times they are blindly shooting people for their benefit. Even though it was fun to explore the rustic side of India and to look at the caste system through the lens of guns, the movie is not entirely engaging and exciting.

Sushant Singh shines amidst the stellar cast of Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Ranvir Shorey. He is good as a quiet, brooding rebel who is good at heart and often dreams of leading a normal life.

Most of the characters are interesting, but they are one tone. There is hardly any graph to their stories even though we keep going to their haunting flashbacks.

We wish females had more to do in the movie. Bhumi's track is fascinating, but it was only towards the end that we get to understand why she is the way she is. It also seems like the character of the fascinating Phoolan Devi was written in a rush. Phoolan is considered as one of the most dangerous dacoits from India, but in the movie, she is portrayed as a female who is only thirsty for blood, angry and full of revenge.

There is a lot of gun violence and blood in the movie, but it never gets overindulgent.

'Sonchiriya' is a different film, and it requires your complete attention. If you are a bit patient with these characters, you will enjoy their quest for inner peace and freedom.

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey

Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Ratings: 2.5/5

https://www.masala.com/sonchiriya-movie-review-this-dacoit-drama-is-layered-but-offers-a-bumpy-ride-277052.html

Rating: 2/5

Two gangs of uniformed men, while rushing to take a position in an ongoing battle, walk straight into each other. They immediately scramble and hide behind large rocks, just so they can engage in an erringly relaxed banter to establish which side of the war they are on. At another instance, a man wonders aloud whether mutton curry would be served in prison, and why it'd be crucial to help him clock 14 years behind bars.

These are rare moments when you sense director Abhishek Chaubey's incredible ability to deploy humour to defuse the escalating tension around his main men. Set in the rustic maze in the Chambal valley, Sonchiriya uncovers the journey of a handful of men as they struggle to make sense of their world that suddenly crumbles when their leader is taken down. They begin to question their loyalties, and whether the path they've chosen is right.

Outlaws are good guys too, a battered woman announces multiple times, almost establishing the tone that Chaubey, working from a script he co-wrote with Sudip Sharma, is aiming for.

It's how the ghosts of their past come back to haunt them, leaving them fighting for redemption. It's deeply layered and packed with some sufficiently compelling performances, but the narrative, at two hours and 30 minutes, suffers due to some bumpy sketches.

It's also heavily manipulative with scenes stacked to tug at our heartstrings. A little girl, battered and bruised at the hands of the rich and powerful, turns catalyst for the armed gang. And her caste just adds to the complication. While Chaubey doesn't play out her violations to drill home the point, he leaves her crushed soul as proof of the brutality. She's called Sonchiriya to echo the elusive golden bird that the men are chasing after. Yet, her story appears dressed up.

Anuj Rakesh Dhawan's frames, while capturing the terrain delightfully also influences our emotions. A little girl is captured standing by a window, minutes after a bloody massacre, yet the swift movement of the camera is studied and hence, loses impact. There's another conflict that involves a young boy who is unafraid to take down his mother, even though her morals appear intact. Yet, the showdown is unfortunately calculating.

The inglorious Bandit Queen also steps into the battlefront but Chaubey's rendition lacks the power and depth that Shekhar Kapoor crafted in his magnum opus.
The dialect, while adding authenticity to the warfare, also slows things down. Manoj Bajpayee propels the film with his vibrant performance, but his limited screen time is damaging. Sushant Singh Rajput and Ranvir Shorey are both exceedingly impactful as his loyal aides, and manage to grasp their vulnerabilities with aplomb. You sense their pain, and their desire to find meaning and purpose to their crusade.

Ashutosh Rana is another stellar performer, who lends menace and grit to the man on the right side of the law. Bhumi Pednekar manages to hold her own, despite being restrained by gender politics.

Chaubey's larger canvas, however, is reserved for caste - where no matter which side of the war you are on, it drags everyone into a vicious cycle of doom.