Peepli Live is creating ripples of enthusiasm in the world of Hindi cinema! It is one of the most awaited films lined up for release in the year 2010. It talks about the innumerable farmer suicide cases happening in rural India. Peepli Live has generated a lot of curiosity among the critics as well as the audience alike. As this is produced by one of the finest actors of Bollywood, Aamir Khan, many expectations are riding on this venture. The movie sounds really interesting. It is a fresh and intelligent satire spun on the real life sad events of farmer suicides which have plagued rural India in the last decade. One of the most astonishing facts is that majority of the actors who have acted in this movie are not professional actors. They are real villagers from the village in which the the movie was shot. The movie is directed by the film maker couple, Anusha Rizvi and Mahmood Farooqui. Along with Aamir, Ronnie Screwwala and Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan’s wife, have produced this venture. This is Kiran Rao’s first foray into the world of Bollywood.
The screenplay is written by Anusha Rizvi, who is also making her maiden venture as a director. The music is scored by Mathias Duplessy. The cast of the film boasts of seasoned thespians like Naseeruddin Shah, Raghuvir Yadav as well as lesser known artists such as Omkar Das, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffar, Malaika Shenoy and Vishal Shama amongst others. The film was shot in various locales of Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi.
The Sensational Plot
The story revolves around two poor farmers, Budhia and Natha, from an Indian village of Peepli. On the eve of the national elections, these two face the predicament of losing their land over an unpaid government loan. To make amends, they desperately seek help from a ruthless local politician, who advises them to commit suicide. This will help them to gain benefits from a government program that intends to aid the families of deceased indebted farmers.
A journalist overhears Budhia as he urges Natha to commit suicide for their families’ sake. This creates a media frenzy about whether or not Natha will commit suicide. Everyone awaits eagerly for the action to take place. The ever-zealous media, local henchmen, high-ranking bureaucrats and political bigwigs land in the sleepy village of Peepli to stake their individual claims for publicity and their hidden interests.
Everybody is anxious to know “Will Natha finally commit suicide or won’t?” What will be the fate of the unfortunate farmer Natha as the mania escalates to a frenzy. Nobody really seems to care how he feels?
Anusha Rizvi infuses a sense of buoyancy and humor with a deft hand in portraying this tragic occurrence and illuminates the true colors of Indian society.
