Peepli Live Movie Reviews

taran_adarsh Watched 'Peepli Live'. BRILLIANT.

WOW it's a bit too early for a review nah? lol he must have really liked it. Isn't the film coming out this friday?

sigh* its not as if anyone trusts addy boy's reviews anyway...lets wait for all the other reviews to cum to really decide if the film is good or not. But i do expect a lot from an aamir khan production.

Well 3I reviews was out on monday and i think Ghajini as well(from Taran). I don't care about the reviews, they'll give at least 4 stars. Just waiting for Rediff reviews😆 And Khalid Mehmood. But i think it's going to be a good movie. As i was watching Avs yesterday and it said critics in america has love the movie and it's HILARIOUS!! I love the old lady where she says BEEDI😆 I think she is the most funny character by looking at the promos.

LOL yeah I don't trust Taran's reviews, but still it was an early review

SUPER-EXCITED FOR THIS ONE!


*sorry for all caps* 😳

Movie Reviews

By Taran Adarsh, August 10, 2010 - 10:45 IST


When Aamir Khan produces a film, or is associated with any film in the capacity of an actor, be prepared for the unpredictable. Films like TAARE ZAMEEN PAR and 3 IDIOTS took pot shots at the education system in India and PEEPLI [LIVE], directed by Anusha Rizvi, is a tongue-in-cheek satire on the farmers' suicides and the role of vote-hungry politicians and the over-enthusiastic, TRP-seeking desperate electronic media jostling for eyeballs.

Come to think of it, the concept [farmers' suicides] would instinctively translate into a serious, thought-provoking film. But PEEPLI [LIVE] takes a grim and solemn issue, turns it into a satire, garnishes it with populist sentiment and makes a far greater impact than a mere documentary, had it tackled the burning issue. In fact, like all Aamir Khan films, PEEPLI [LIVE] marries realism with a winning box-office formula most brilliantly.

Write your own movie review of PEEPLI [Live] A sad fact of our society is that bad news attracts instant attention. In PEEPLI [LIVE], an impoverished man offers to commit suicide so that his family can benefit from a government grant - a dark subject matter which is dealt with in a delightfully humorous manner. In fact, it's a terrific satire about a troubled India, the shining India, the industrialised India that's rarely depicted on the Hindi screen.


PEEPLI [LIVE] focuses on the poorest of the poor in India and it not only highlights the plight of a farmer in a tiny corner of a giant country, but also throws light on the varied people who exploit the situation to their advantage, right from the politicians to the bureaucrats to the television reporters to the local people. In fact, PEEPLI [LIVE] makes a scathing attack on the functioning of media in India and how media persons, depicted as vultures, generally stoop to the lowest levels to increase the ratings of their television channel/show.

The best part is that at no point does the film gets preachy or starts offering solutions to the grave issue. It's a mere tool that the makers have used to discuss bureaucracy, the rural and urban divide and lack of concern of the administration.

Final word? This tragi-comedy, a brilliant satire, is not to be missed.

Natha [Omkar Das Manikpuri], a poor farmer from Peepli village in the heart of rural India, is about to lose his plot of land due to an unpaid government loan. A quick fix to the problem is the government's program that aids the families of indebted farmers who have committed suicide. As a means of survival, Natha chooses to die. His brother [Raghubur Yadav] is happy to push him towards this unique honour.

Local elections are around the corner and what might've been another unnoticed event turns into a cause clbre, with everyone wanting a piece of the action. Political bigwigs, high-ranking bureaucrats, local henchmen and the ever-zealous media descend upon sleepy Peepli to stake their claim. Natha's mother [Farrukh Jaffer] screams at his wife [Shalini Vatsa], while his young son urges papa to go through with the suicide so he can use the money to become a policeman.

One TV journalist, in a desperate search for a new angle, tries to examine Natha's faeces to determine his emotional state. Nobody seems to care how Natha really feels.

PEEPLI [LIVE] tells the story of today: Rural society, the games politicians play, the bureaucracy and the manipulative electronic media. It's a well penned and well executed film that deals with a serious issue in a witty and entertaining manner. Although very real, it creates a world full of vivid characters and incidents and keeps the viewer engrossed throughout.

First-time director Anusha Rizvi handles the subject material like a veteran. Her script is tight and witty and her handling of a difficult subject deserves kudos. What really sets the film apart is that it is unlike a typical Bollywood film. In fact, you can't draw parallels with any film, past or present. And that's what goes in favour of this film, since virgin subjects handled with utmost sensitivity and maturity is the order of the day. Even the finale is most appropriate and absolutely befitting the content of the film. In a nutshell, Anusha scores a sixer in her debut.

The music, composed by multiple artists, is Indian to the core and borrows heavily from folk music. The hugely popular - 'Mehangayee Daayan' - is the pick of the lot, without doubt. Cinematography is appropriate. Dialogue, laced with expletives, are truly fantastic and most importantly, real.

Manikpuri is brilliant as Natha. Raghubir Yadav shines as the opportunist brother. Malaika Shenoy [as the television reporter] is exceptional. Shalini Vatsa [as Natha's wife] is outstanding. Ditto for Farrukh Jaffer [Natha's bed-ridden mother]. In fact, the constant tu-tu-main-main between the saas-bahu is thoroughly enjoyable. Nawazuddin Siddiqui [as Rakesh, the local journalist] is natural. Vishal Sharma [as Kumar Deepak, the rival journalist] is top notch. Naseeruddin Shah is first-rate as the conniving, shrewd politician. The remaining cast - there're lots of actors in the film - pitch in believable performances.

On the whole, PEEPLI [LIVE] is sure to ride initially on the strength and credibility of its iconic actor/producer Aamir Khan and once that is achieved, the powerful content is sure to speak for itself. PEEPLI [LIVE] is a film that would not only appeal to Indians, but is sure to reach out to audiences beyond India. Simply brilliant!

4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5 wow...highest rating from taran? lol

More Sundance reviews

PARK CITY -- Anyone who has ever seen a Frank Capra movie would recognize the comic strategy employed by first-time Indian filmmaker Anusha Rizvi in "Peepli Live." Take a serious social problem, subject it to satirical scrutiny, appeal to populist sentiment and enjoy a greater impact than making a solemn documentary on the subject. Both funny and sobering, this film, produced by Bollywood icon Aamir Khan (the Oscar-nominated "Lagaan"), aims beyond Indian audiences. It should certainly make headway in festivals -- Berlin is next after Sundance -- but it's unlikely to penetrate North American cinemas other than those dedicated to Indian films unless a plucky distributor takes a chance.

Rizvi's subject is this: As India moves to an industrialized economy, farmers are committing suicide by tens of thousands. Self-serving politicians at all government levels -- federal, state and local -- have been unwilling or unable to do anything about this.



So in a story that imitates Capra's own "Meet John Doe" -- although the filmmaker may never have heard of that 1941 film -- a poor farming family faces the loss of their land due to an unpaid loan. A local politician could care less so he derisively suggests that one of the brothers commit suicide to take advantage of a government program to pay surviving family members.

Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri) takes the jest seriously and volunteers. His brother Budhia (Raghubir Yadav) all too easily agrees. A reporter (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) happens to overhear enough of the conversation to turn it into a news story. A glamorous TV reporter and presenter (Malaika Shenoy) rushes to the scene and soon the whole country is caught up in the saga of the farmer who vows to kill himself.

This, of course, upsets various politicos all the way to a top minister, whose blanket response to all policy questions is that "we must wait for High Court orders." An election is about to take place so the news story threatens the ruling party's lead in the polls.

Local and state politicians fall out, resulting in one trying to save Natha while others threaten the brother if Natha doesn't kill himself. One even delivers a new water pump to the family. No one installs it, mind you, but it makes a nice decoration in the family compound.

Soon an army of journalists surrounds Natha's modest home in the village of Peepli. His addled mother (Farrukh Jaffer) screams at his shrewish wife (Shalini Vatsa) while his young son urges papa to go through with the suicide so he can use the money to become a policeman. One TV journalist, in a desperate search for a new angle, tries to examine Natha's feces to determine his emotional state.

In every situation and scene, Rizvi, who wrote and directed, firmly skewers the limited perspective of government officials and the media along public gullibility. For instance, a poll shows that at least a certain percentage of the population is willing to blame Natha's predicament on Muslim terrorists.

Interestingly, Capra never solved the problem of how to end a story about a threatened suicide -- he reportedly shot five endings -- and neither does Rizvi. She goes for an open ending, which was probably her only choice. But the important thing is she creates much laughter out of a desperate social crisis and brings wider attention to problems in India's rural communities.

The cast is largely drawn from a troupe of rural folk actors although Shenoy has worked as a TV presenter, just like her character, and is part of the English theater movement in Mumbai. Most of the actors are stage rather than film actors so accents, idioms and attitudes ring true to Indian audiences.

Manikpuri is perfect as a hapless everyman, a figure to whom bad things just seem to happen. Even the family goat bothers him while he tries to rest. It's a great comic performance, akin to silent-movie acting since he is a man of few words and infinite number of expressions to portray dismay and misery.

Yadav, as the elder brother, is quite funny in his matter-of-fact reactions to the potential upside of his sibling's impending suicide. Other actors tend to hit the same character notes over and over, although in the case of Jaffer as the mother this only becomes increasingly hilarious as most of her scorn settles on her daughter-in-law.

The production is fairly large --- with many actors, extras and locations as the media firestorm takes on a life of its own -- but things go smoothly for the first-time moviemaker. Situations build credibly and laughs mount as absurdity takes hold.

All aspects to the production from the mobile 35mm camera to the realistic sets and costumes make 'Peepli Live" a satisfying comic gem.

Venue: Sundance Film Festival

Production companies: UTV Motion Pictures presents an Aamir Khan production
Cast: Omkar Das, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raghubir Yadav, Malaika Shenoy, Shalini Vatsa, Farukh Jaffer
Director/screenwriter: Anusha Rizvi
Producers: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao
Executive producer: B. Shrinivas Raophy
Director of photography: Shankar Raman
Production designer: Suman Roy Mahapatra
Music: Mathias Duplessy
Song composer: Indian Ocean
Costume designer: Maxima Basu
Editor: Hemanti Sarkar
Sales: Match Factory
No rating, 104 minutes

When Aamir Khan produces a film, or is associated with any film in the capacity of an actor, be prepared for the unpredictable. Films like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots took pot shots at the education system in India and Peepli [Live], directed by Anusha Rizvi, is a tongue-in-cheek satire on the farmers' suicides and the role of vote-hungry politicians and the over-enthusiastic, TRP-seeking desperate electronic media jostling for eyeballs.

Come to think of it, the concept [farmers' suicides] would instinctively translate into a serious, thought-provoking film. But PEEPLI [LIVE] takes a grim and solemn issue, turns it into a satire, garnishes it with populist sentiment and makes a far greater impact than a mere documentary, had it tackled the burning issue. In fact, like all Aamir Khan films, PEEPLI [LIVE] marries realism with a winning box-office formula most brilliantly.

A sad fact of our society is that bad news attracts instant attention. In Peepli [Live], an impoverished man offers to commit suicide so that his family can benefit from a government grant - a dark subject matter which is dealt with in a delightfully humorous manner. In fact, it's a terrific satire about a troubled India, the shining India, the industrialised India that's rarely depicted on the Hindi screen.

Peepli [Live] focuses on the poorest of the poor in India and it not only highlights the plight of a farmer in a tiny corner of a giant country, but also throws light on the varied people who exploit the situation to their advantage, right from the politicians to the bureaucrats to the television reporters to the local people. In fact, Peepli [Live] makes a scathing attack on the functioning of media in India and how media persons, depicted as vultures, generally stoop to the lowest levels to increase the ratings of their television channel/show.

The best part is that at no point does the film gets preachy or starts offering solutions to the grave issue. It's a mere tool that the makers have used to discuss bureaucracy, the rural and urban divide and lack of concern of the administration.

Final word? This tragi-comedy, a brilliant satire, is not to be missed.

Natha [Omkar Das Manikpuri], a poor farmer from Peepli village in the heart of rural India, is about to lose his plot of land due to an unpaid government loan. A quick fix to the problem is the government's program that aids the families of indebted farmers who have committed suicide. As a means of survival, Natha chooses to die. His brother [Raghubur Yadav] is happy to push him towards this unique honour.

Local elections are around the corner and what might've been another unnoticed event turns into a cause clbre, with everyone wanting a piece of the action. Political bigwigs, high-ranking bureaucrats, local henchmen and the ever-zealous media descend upon sleepy Peepli to stake their claim. Natha's mother [Farrukh Jaffer] screams at his wife [Shalini Vatsa], while his young son urges papa to go through with the suicide so he can use the money to become a policeman.

One TV journalist, in a desperate search for a new angle, tries to examine Natha's faeces to determine his emotional state. Nobody seems to care how Natha really feels.

First-time director Anusha Rizvi handles the subject material like a veteran. Her script is tight and witty and her handling of a difficult subject deserves kudos. What really sets the film apart is that it is unlike a typical Bollywood film. In fact, you can't draw parallels with any film, past or present. And that's what goes in favour of this film, since virgin subjects handled with utmost sensitivity and maturity is the order of the day. Even the finale is most appropriate and absolutely befitting the content of the film. In a nutshell, Anusha scores a sixer in her debut.

The music, composed by multiple artists, is Indian to the core and borrows heavily from folk music. The hugely popular - 'Mehangayee Daayan' - is the pick of the lot, without doubt. Cinematography is appropriate. Dialogue, laced with expletives, are truly fantastic and most importantly, real.

Manikpuri is brilliant as Natha. Raghubir Yadav shines as the opportunist brother. Malaika Shenoy [as the television reporter] is exceptional. Shalini Vatsa [as Natha's wife] is outstanding. Ditto for Farrukh Jaffer [Natha's bed-ridden mother]. In fact, the constant tu-tu-main-main between the saas-bahu is thoroughly enjoyable. Nawazuddin Siddiqui [as Rakesh, the local journalist] is natural. Vishal Sharma [as Kumar Deepak, the rival journalist] is top notch. Naseeruddin Shah is first-rate as the conniving, shrewd politician. The remaining cast - there're lots of actors in the film - pitch in believable performances.

On the whole, Peepli [Live] is sure to ride initially on the strength and credibility of its iconic actor/producer Aamir Khan and once that is achieved, the powerful content is sure to speak for itself. Peepli [Live] is a film that would not only appeal to Indians, but is sure to reach out to audiences beyond India. Simply brilliant