Life without debt appears sombre

Love and Marriage have been likened to suicide but nothing would come closer than debt and loan sharks who drive them.

Recession, redundancy and cash flow problems have nothing to do with farmers in India, for they live in perennial debt with the proverbial paucity of finance. Their miseries are endless, unless of course, they decide to end it all with a noose around their neck or a bullet in their temple.

Producer-Director-Actor Aamir Khan has handled a delicate issue with humor – not to laugh at the plight of indebted peasants but to drive home the point that suicide just ends life, not problem.

The story of Peepli Live begins and ends in Peepli, a village in Central India, where debt and death are the only concomitants of the farmers.

Omkar Das Manikpuri as Natha is about to be killed – agriculturally and financially as his land is about to be confiscated by the authorities. He contemplates suicide since his family can be entitled to compensation from the same lawmakers who are in Government. Irony plays its part as the media gets involved. You would have to wait until the last reel to find out if Natha is saved and handed back his land.

Meanwhile, plenty of things happen to the little village, as politicians, bureaucrats and everyone good in meddling in everyone else’s affairs descend on the scene. Whether you want to cry is up to you.

According to the members of the International Jury at the Durban International Film Festival last month, Peepli Live is an ambitious and well-realised film that deals with serious political issues in a witty and entertaining manner.

“It creates an enchanting world of colourful characters, images and music that engrosses viewers throughout.”

Raghubir Yadav (as Budhia), Malaika Shenoy (Nandita Mallik), Shalini Vatsa (Dhaniya) and Farrukh Jaffer (Amma) and Naseeruddin Shah (Agriculture Minister) have reportedly given a convincing performance.

Anusha Rizvi has scripted and directed a movie that was so forceful that Aamir Khan did not waste time in bringing it under his production banner.

The film also entered the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, the first film from India to achieve this feat.

A month later, specialty German film company Rapid Eye selected Peepli Live for a special screening at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Photo :

Raghubir Yadav, Omkar Das Manikpuri and Shalini Vasta with others in a scene from the film.