Film: Peepli [Live]
Release date: 31st January 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 107 mins
Director: Anusha Rizvi
Starring: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD
Country: India
Suicide; it gets attention. Not least for the hero of Peepli [Live], a directing debut from newcomers Anusha Rizvi and Mahmood Farooqui. In a surprisingly upbeat drama, they build a solid foundation for what may well turn into a lucrative career in film.
Natha and Budhia are a pair of mild-mannered brothers living in rural India; like the rest of their village, they make their living from farming. But when the local authorities threaten to repossess their land, it is left to them to come up with a solution.
With national elections pending, politicians are currying favour. Recognising the hardship of farming, a scheme has been implemented that does offer rural families an aid, but also betrays the materialism of India’s rich and powerful. 100,000 rupees is the price put on any farmer’s life, should he resort to taking his own life. Like countless others, the brothers have realised that it is with this programme that their answer lies. Worth more dead than alive, Natha decides to join the growing trend for suicide and vows to end his life.
Unexpected pressure comes crashing down upon the protagonist when the press, naïve and ignorant of their neighbours’ strife, catch wind of his plight and see dollar signs. Suddenly the unsuspecting farmer, who has never even seen a camera, finds himself in the midst of a savage media frenzy. Overwhelmed, the humble farmer determines to make a getaway...
Modest and unassuming, the directors acknowledge their country’s situation in a pleasingly refreshing way. They are well aware that the world’s woes have been explored in countless other films, books, plays and paintings, and they neatly avoid falling into the trap of exhaustion. Peepli [Live] is simply an admission of India’s tragic poverty and does not seek to make an original statement or find an answer, and for this, viewers will surely be grateful.
Just as Natha becomes the vehicle for the predatory journalists and exploitative politicians amongst India’s cosmopolitan classes, he also provides an outlet for his creators to express their cynicism at the industry into which they are breaking. Again, Rizvi and Farooqui touch upon the ruthless greed of the media without reiterating opinions that we have all heard and probably share. After all, what’s the use in preaching to the converted?
A pleasingly upbeat film, Peepli [Live] is full of the fresh energy that its directors bring. Rather than dwelling on the bleak side, the protagonists and their peers are not victims in this story. India is in fact commemorated: music penetrates the narrative, for example. Whether through its joyful soundtrack or characters mumbling lyrics and humming tunes to themselves, faith is admirably conveyed through music. Verses recognise the country’s poverty and inequality, but also celebrate its vibrant aspirations. Despite the unjust privation experienced by its poor, India’s population is strong and appreciative. For audiences, Peepli [Live] is not only a brief lesson in socio-economics, but also about themselves, for Rizvi and Farooqui even encourage a little personal reflection.
A well-made film, this debut is impressively slick and seamless. There is little to challenge audiences other than their own reaction to the facts presented, and because of this, Peepli [Live] has a liberating sense of freedom about it. Natha’s adventure is carried out almost light-heartedly, and there are undeniable moments of unanticipated comic relief. It is difficult not to enjoy one of India’s latest offerings to cinema, for it is truly accessible to all.
Peepli [Live] is ultimately a tale of tragedy, set against what is really quite a harrowing backdrop. But rather than moping in misery, Rizvi and Farooqui take an unusually optimistic approach - although humour isn’t forced and they don’t fall into the realms of satire. Instead, their collaboration is a gentle taste of the reality faced by thousands. More than a socio-political commentary, though, Peepli [Live] is a story in its own right, which everyone can appreciate. RS
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