Peepli (Live) (2010)

An impoverished farmer's threat to end his life invites attention from politicians and media.

Directors:

Anusha Rizvi, Mahmood Farooqui

Writers:

Bhadwai (lyrics), Swanand Kirkire (lyrics),

Stars:

Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghuvir Yadav, Shalini Vatsa

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Omkar Das Manikpuri	...	Nathadas Manikpuri
Raghuvir Yadav	...	Budhia Manikpuri
Shalini Vatsa	...	Dhaniya N. Manikpuri
Farrukh Jaffar	...	Mrs. Manikpuri / Amma
Malaika Shenoy	...	Nandita Malik
Vishal Sharma	...	Kumar Deepak
Nawazuddin Siddiqui	...	Rakesh
Sitaram Panchal	...	Bhai Thakur
Naseeruddin Shah	...	Salim Kidwai - Agricultural Minister
Aamir Bashir	...	Vivek
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Masood Akhtar	...	Editor
Maxima Basu	...	Lady Reporter
Avijit Dutt	...	Boss of English TV Channel
Dan Husain	...	Vijay Ranjan Prasad
Yugal Kishore	...	Ram Yadav - Chief Minister

Storyline

In the lead up to state elections in the Indian village of Peepli, two poor farmers, Natha and Budhia, face losing their land over an unpaid bank loan. Desperate, they seek help from an apathetic local politician, who scornfully suggests they commit suicide to benefit from a government program that aids the families of indebted deceased farmers. When a journalist overhears Budhia urge Natha to "do what needs to be done" for the sake of their families, a media frenzy ignites around whether or not Natha will commit suicide.

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Plot Keywords:

farmer | media | politician | bank | mother | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi English

Release Date:

13 August 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Live aus Peepli - Irgendwo in Indien

Filming Locations:

Madhya Pradesh, India

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$350,054 (USA) (13 August 2010)

Gross:

$754,836 (USA) (3 September 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aamir Khan Productions, UTV Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Deepak: lf you look closely you 'll see Natha's footprints. Whether escape or abduction, here's where Natha perched himself for the last time. And here's the fruit of his toil, his faeces, commonly known as shit. Take a close look. Do not cringe at the sight, for, as long as we live, we will continue to shit. Psychiatrists claim that faeces reflect our mental state. The complexion of our shit is a window to the inner self. But here we see a mixture of hues. Therefore, before reaching any conclusions we...

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Connections

Featured in The Wright Stuff: Episode #14.35 (2010)

User Reviews

Peepli Live - Pithy satire clad in slick script

Anusha Rizvi has a story to tell and she does it all too un-preachily. No sermons. No grandstands. Her narrative, taking care of every nuance, puts the point right across, and manages to move you. She takes a light- hearted approach to a serious issue. The satire, directed at the media and the government, tends to go tad bit overboard, but is hard-hitting and convincing, for most part. Laudable performances by theatre artists Omkar Das Manikpuri as Natha and Raghubir Yadav as Budhia, (Natha's elder brother). A first timer in the Hindi film industry, Omkar Das is sure to take you by surprise. You may not take to him instantly but his childlike vulnerability and subtle ways, win you over, as the story progresses. Be it his tripping in the gobar, or his confiding in Budhia that he doesn't want to suicide, or the tenderness with which he pats the goat, even as he lies cowering from his own set of woes. (Titbit - Apparently, Rizvi spotted Omkar Das at a play in Bhopal. Until then, Amir was suppose to play Natha) Raghubir Yadav is born to act. He emotes flawlessly. One such scene is where he is arguing with Natha over who should suicide. Within a second, he solemnly vows to suicide, all teary-eyed, in the next, he takes a 'relieved' drag off his beedi, having managed to convince innocent Natha to sacrifice his life ;) From the grouchy (yet entertaining) amma (Farookh Zafar), to Natha's nagging wife Dhaniya (Shalini Vatsa); from the B-grade Hindi news channel correspondent Deepak, to the stoic English news channel reporter Nandita (Malaika Shenoy), it's a perfect cast all the way. The film gets drab and predictable in parts but manages to leave an impact, nevertheless!