Dir. Anusha Rizvi, India, 2009, 106 minutes
Peepli Live is a film about land ownership and suicide that makes you laugh. Anusha Rizvi entertains with a bawdy take on the rural class struggle as she examines a serious injustice in India today.
Scripted with raunchy wit and superbly acted, Peepli Live is likely to play on the international festival circuit before reaching art houses. While its widest exposure outside India is likely to remain the Indian diaspora, critics can be expected to spread the word about this new director.
Rizvi’s first film has a huge cast, but its story focuses on everyman Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri), a poor pot-smoking farmer in the village of Peepli who can’t pay back his government loan. Thousands of farmers in financial trouble commit suicide every year in India, and when Natha learns that the government will compensate suicide victims’ families with 100,000 rupees, he considers giving it a try.
When word gets out, the press and politicians turn his case into a frenzied spectacle, milking Natha’s dilemma for headlines and profit.
Rizvi, a television journalist, handles her subject like a veteran director. Her script comes to life in wise earthy dialogue among the most disadvantaged characters.
As Natha, Manikpuri offers the hopelessly honest observations of a bewildered man. Malaika Shenoy is shamelessly vain as a TV reporter who stumbles onto a career-making story. Production values are high. DP Shanker Raman’s camera takes the small village apart, much as the talented Ms. Rizvi has exposed the hypocrisy and humor of her society.
Production companies
UTV Motion Pictures
Aamir Khan Productions
International Sales
UTV
+ 1-310-496-5767
Producers
Aamir Khan
Kiran Rao
Co-director and casting director
Mahmood Farooqi
Screenplay
Anusha Rizvi
Cinematography
Shanker Raman
Editor
Hermanti Sarkar
Production design
Suman Roy Mahapatra
Main cast
Omkar Das Manikpuri
Raghubir Yadav
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Shalini Vatsa
Farrukh Jaffer
Malaika Shenoy
Vishal Sharma
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