Peepli Live
Encyclopedia
Peepli Live is a 2010 Indian comic satire
that explores the topic of "farmer suicides
" and the subsequent media and political response. It is written and directed by Anusha Rizvi
in her directorial debut, and produced by Aamir Khan Productions
. The film stars Naya Theatre company member Omkar Das Manikpuri
as well as Naseeruddin Shah
, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
, Shalini Vatsa and Malaika Shenoy along with a number of newcomers. Peepli Live, distributed by UTV Motion Pictures
, was released on 13 August 2010.
Peepli Live was India's official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards
Best Foreign Film category, however it didn't make the final shortlist.
), better known as Natha, is a poor farmer from the village of Peepli in "Mukhya Pradesh", who struggles to farm enough money for his family made up of his elder brother, Budhia Das Manikpuri (Raghubir Yadav), his wife, Dhaniya (Shalini Vatsa) and his ailing mother, Amma (Farookh Zafar), who spends most of her time lying down and screaming at Natha and Dhaniya. Natha and Budhia often pretend to go out farming when actually they save up whatever money they have to buy alcohol. This has left the whole family famished and now the banks are demanding repayment of loans or else the family will be stripped off their land and house. In the meantime, the Mukhya Pradesh Government have called a by-election due to continuous criticism of their blind eye towards the desperate poverty that surrounds India's largest state. The opposition Apna Dal
Party believe they have a chance to form the government in this election as the people have lost faith in the long-serving Sammaan Party and its Chief Minister, Ram Babu Yadav (Vishal O. Sharma) who, along with Federal Agriculture Minister, Saleem Kidwai (Naseeruddin Shah
), believes in the industrialization of rural areas.
To save his land and to save his family from becoming homeless, Natha, encouraged by his brother, decides to commit suicide after he attends a session with the rural headmen for help and they suggest him that committing suicide is a good way to get money waived off, after which his family will receive heavy compensation for his death. While Natha and his brother are discussing the same at a local tea stall, this news gets reported by Rakesh, a local reporter from Peepli. This report then gets picked up and highlighted by the national English news channels and reaches the Chief Minister. The media starts surrounding Peepli sensing the possibility of a sensational suicide story. One ITVN journalist particularly keen on filming the event of Natha's death is Daytime Presenter, Nandita Malik (Malaika Shenoy). She joins the local reporter Rakesh Kapoor (Nawazuddin Siddiqui
) and takes desperate measures to interview Natha and his family on the subject of Natha's suicide. However things get more tricky when rival Hindi news channel, "Bharat Live" finds out about Natha and Peepli. The news channel clashes with ITVN and each try to film Natha's death in their own manner. The Sammaan Party also soon discover Natha's plans and try to buy off Natha with sops to prevent him from committing suicide. Opposition Parties like the Apna Dal and the CPI
also get involved and plan to use Natha as a path to power in the elections. Peepli soon becomes the centre of attention across Mukhya Pradesh.
Nandita's frantic attempts to interview Natha get worse when Rakesh does not find Natha or anyone else in Peepli to interview. She seems unimpressed with Rakesh's compassionate stand towards Natha and believes that as reporters their duty lies in reporting and following the news and nothing else. On the other hand, "Bharat Live" continues to be successful in their attempts to interview. Yet as time goes on, Natha does not die. Meanwhile the Sammaan Party realize that if Natha commits suicide, they will lose the elections. The rural headmen secretly kidnap Natha and hold to ransom for money from the opposition. Yet their plans are foiled when Rakesh discovers Deepak and his men holding Natha hostage at a Peepli barn. A rush occurs when people from Apna Dal, the CPI, ITVN, Bharat Live and Peepli villagers all rush to find Natha. In the confusion, a spillage accident from a Petromax
lamp sets fire to the barn, which explodes and Rakesh is killed. The Government officials mistake Rakesh for Natha and refuse to pay Natha's family the compensation money due to the death being an accident. Meanwhile Natha is in fact alive and flees to Gurgaon
and is seen working as a daily laborer in the construction industry.
His family loses their land to the bank.
journalist Anusha Rizvi called The Fallen. In 2004 Rizvi asked Aamir Khan to read her script and, although he initially refused as he was preoccupied with shooting Mangal Pandey: The Rising
, he eventually decided to finance the film after she described the plot to him. In an interview, Khan explains the meaning of the movie title: "When we were looking for the right title before we began the publicity and promotions of the film, we came up with Peepli Live. Peepli is the village that film is set in, the "live" part is meant to indicate: here is a story that is happening in Peepli that the filmmaker is bringing to you live. That's why it's Peepli Live." Peepli Live was filmed on various locations in Madhya Pradesh
such as Bhopal, Indore
, Tikamgarh
, Khurai
as well as in New Delhi
. According to Aamir Khan, many of the actors are Adivasi
s from the sub-urban area of Bhopal, Bhadwai in Madhya Pradesh
. Other cast members are from playwright Habib Tanvir
's theatre troupe Naya Theatre.
, the first film from India to achieve this feat. It received an 'A' adult certificate
in India for language use. The movie was picked up by specialty German distribution company Rapid Eye Movies for a special screening at the Berlin International Film Festival
. It was also named the Best First Feature Film at the 31st Durban International Film Festival
in South Africa. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on 24 September. Peepli Live reportedly recovered its cost before its release itself.
of the Times of India gave the film three and a half out of five stars stating," How smart can Indian cinema get? Exhilarating answer: Very smart. And that's the bottomline of Peepli Live, a small little film, that showcases the real India without glossing over the contradictions of our fumbling-bumbling democracy or getting overtly sentimental about garibi and the attendant grime that goes with it. Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
wrote "Peepli Live demands to be absorbed and not just watched over the weekend" and praised the director Anusha Rizvi - "she has the gift of the dark humour satire ala Shyam Benegal and in her uncompromised shooting style, she shows the fire of Mira Nair". Taran Adarsh
of Bollywood Hungama
gave it four and a half out of five stars and argues that "the concept [farmers' suicides] would instinctively translate into a serious, thought-provoking film. But Peepli [Live] takes a grim and solemn issue, turns it into a satire, garnishes it with populist sentiment and makes a far greater impact than a mere documentary, had it tackled the burning issue. In fact, like all Aamir Khan films, Peepli [Live] marries realism with a winning box-office formula most brilliantly." Mayank Shekhar of The Hindustan Times
gave the film four out of five stars arguing that "the satire is irresistible; the subtext, compelling. And yet neither shows itself up in any form of self-seriousness. The comic writing is immaculately inspired". Noyon Jyoti Parasara of Yahoo gave the film 3.5 out of five and said, "Peepli [Live] is a class act and director Anusha Rizvi and producer Aamir Khan could take a bow for working this into reality". Rajeev Masand
of CNN-IBN also gave it three and a half out of five stars, calling it "a scathing satire on the country's apathy towards the rural class, and specifically towards farmers, Peepli Live employs a comic tone to tell a serious story. The witty script turns Natha into something of a local celebrity, who draws out the true character and motivations of all those who cross his path." Mathures Paul
of The Statesman
gave the film 4 out of 5 stars noting that, "Anusha Rizvi demolishes successfully whatever little faith we had in the political process. Peepli (Live) is entertaining and inspiring".
As of October 2, 2010, Peepli Live has received an overall rating of 83% from all critics (19 fresh and 4 rotten reviews) and a 100% rating from Top Critics (5 fresh reviews) at Rotten Tomatoes
. On Metacritic
, the film had an average score of 69 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "Generally Favorable" reviews.
Won
6th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards
Won
Nominated
2011 Zee Cine Awards
Nominated
, an Indian band and Ram Sampath
.
In addition, according to the Hindustan Times
, "folk singer Rama Joshi alleges that a song Chola Mati Ke Ram, which has been used in the film, does not give credit to Gangaram Siwar, a celebrated folk singer of Chhattisgarh and the original lyricist of the folk song." In response, Nageen Tanwir, who sang the song in the film, stated: "The song, Chola Maati Ke Ram, has been composed by Gangaram Siwar in Chattisgarh, but the Habib Tanvir theatre group has officially purchased rights for the song. So I don't understand why people from Chattisgarh are asking for their due again."
Also, according to John Travolta
, Peepli Live was inspired by 1997 English film Mad City
. In an interview with The Hindu
, he stated that he was astonished to learn that India's official entry for the Oscars this year, Peepli Live, was inspired by Mad City, his best film as an actor.
The film's storyline also shares similarity to Malayalam film Pakal
. Its director M. A. Nishad says: "The storyline of the Bollywood movie Peepli Live has a similar theme to Pakal, which was released much before the Hindi film. The difference was in the narrative style."
Database
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
that explores the topic of "farmer suicides
Farmers' suicides in India
India is an Agrarian country with around 60% of its people directly or indirectly depend upon Agriculture. Agriculture in India is often attributed as gambling with Monsoon because of its almost exclusive dependency on Monsoons...
" and the subsequent media and political response. It is written and directed by Anusha Rizvi
Anusha Rizvi
Anusha Rizvi is an Indian film director and Screenwriter. Her directorial debut is Peepli Live. The movie won the Best First Film award at the Durban film festival.-Career:...
in her directorial debut, and produced by Aamir Khan Productions
Aamir Khan Productions
Aamir Khan Productions is an Indian motion picture production and distribution company, based in Mumbai. The company was founded in 2001 by actor Aamir Khan. The company has produced six films so far, all of which five succeeded commercially and critically.B...
. The film stars Naya Theatre company member Omkar Das Manikpuri
Omkar Das Manikpuri
Omkar Das Manikpuri is an India stage and film actor, native of Brindanagar in Bhilai, of Chhattisgarh state, in Central India, who has been a member of folk-theatre doyen Habib Tanvir's, the Naya Theatre company for several years...
as well as Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his role as Zilgai in Kabir Khan's 2009 film, New York.-Selected filmography:*Munna Bhai MBBS - As a pick pocket at railway station*The Bypass-*Elephant Boy-Baggar Master...
, Shalini Vatsa and Malaika Shenoy along with a number of newcomers. Peepli Live, distributed by UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures Plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Software Communications Ltd. , based in London media and entertainment production company...
, was released on 13 August 2010.
Peepli Live was India's official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
Best Foreign Film category, however it didn't make the final shortlist.
Plot
Natha Das ManikPuri (Omkar Das ManikpuriOmkar Das Manikpuri
Omkar Das Manikpuri is an India stage and film actor, native of Brindanagar in Bhilai, of Chhattisgarh state, in Central India, who has been a member of folk-theatre doyen Habib Tanvir's, the Naya Theatre company for several years...
), better known as Natha, is a poor farmer from the village of Peepli in "Mukhya Pradesh", who struggles to farm enough money for his family made up of his elder brother, Budhia Das Manikpuri (Raghubir Yadav), his wife, Dhaniya (Shalini Vatsa) and his ailing mother, Amma (Farookh Zafar), who spends most of her time lying down and screaming at Natha and Dhaniya. Natha and Budhia often pretend to go out farming when actually they save up whatever money they have to buy alcohol. This has left the whole family famished and now the banks are demanding repayment of loans or else the family will be stripped off their land and house. In the meantime, the Mukhya Pradesh Government have called a by-election due to continuous criticism of their blind eye towards the desperate poverty that surrounds India's largest state. The opposition Apna Dal
Apna Dal
Apna Dal, a political party in India. It is based amongst the Kurmi caste. Its main base is in central Uttar Pradesh. Apna Dal was founded by Sone Lal Patel....
Party believe they have a chance to form the government in this election as the people have lost faith in the long-serving Sammaan Party and its Chief Minister, Ram Babu Yadav (Vishal O. Sharma) who, along with Federal Agriculture Minister, Saleem Kidwai (Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
), believes in the industrialization of rural areas.
To save his land and to save his family from becoming homeless, Natha, encouraged by his brother, decides to commit suicide after he attends a session with the rural headmen for help and they suggest him that committing suicide is a good way to get money waived off, after which his family will receive heavy compensation for his death. While Natha and his brother are discussing the same at a local tea stall, this news gets reported by Rakesh, a local reporter from Peepli. This report then gets picked up and highlighted by the national English news channels and reaches the Chief Minister. The media starts surrounding Peepli sensing the possibility of a sensational suicide story. One ITVN journalist particularly keen on filming the event of Natha's death is Daytime Presenter, Nandita Malik (Malaika Shenoy). She joins the local reporter Rakesh Kapoor (Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his role as Zilgai in Kabir Khan's 2009 film, New York.-Selected filmography:*Munna Bhai MBBS - As a pick pocket at railway station*The Bypass-*Elephant Boy-Baggar Master...
) and takes desperate measures to interview Natha and his family on the subject of Natha's suicide. However things get more tricky when rival Hindi news channel, "Bharat Live" finds out about Natha and Peepli. The news channel clashes with ITVN and each try to film Natha's death in their own manner. The Sammaan Party also soon discover Natha's plans and try to buy off Natha with sops to prevent him from committing suicide. Opposition Parties like the Apna Dal and the CPI
CPI
A consumer price index is a measure of the average price of consumer goods and services purchased by householdsCPI may also stand for:*Central Port Injection, see fuel injection...
also get involved and plan to use Natha as a path to power in the elections. Peepli soon becomes the centre of attention across Mukhya Pradesh.
Nandita's frantic attempts to interview Natha get worse when Rakesh does not find Natha or anyone else in Peepli to interview. She seems unimpressed with Rakesh's compassionate stand towards Natha and believes that as reporters their duty lies in reporting and following the news and nothing else. On the other hand, "Bharat Live" continues to be successful in their attempts to interview. Yet as time goes on, Natha does not die. Meanwhile the Sammaan Party realize that if Natha commits suicide, they will lose the elections. The rural headmen secretly kidnap Natha and hold to ransom for money from the opposition. Yet their plans are foiled when Rakesh discovers Deepak and his men holding Natha hostage at a Peepli barn. A rush occurs when people from Apna Dal, the CPI, ITVN, Bharat Live and Peepli villagers all rush to find Natha. In the confusion, a spillage accident from a Petromax
Petromax
Petromax is a brand name, for paraffin lamps that use a mantle, they are as synonymous with the paraffin lamp on the continent as Tilley lamps in the UK and Coleman in the US....
lamp sets fire to the barn, which explodes and Rakesh is killed. The Government officials mistake Rakesh for Natha and refuse to pay Natha's family the compensation money due to the death being an accident. Meanwhile Natha is in fact alive and flees to Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
and is seen working as a daily laborer in the construction industry.
His family loses their land to the bank.
Cast
- Omkar Das ManikpuriOmkar Das ManikpuriOmkar Das Manikpuri is an India stage and film actor, native of Brindanagar in Bhilai, of Chhattisgarh state, in Central India, who has been a member of folk-theatre doyen Habib Tanvir's, the Naya Theatre company for several years...
as Natha - Raghubir Yadav as Budhia
- Malaika Shenoy as Nandita Malik
- Nawazuddin SiddiquiNawazuddin SiddiquiNawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his role as Zilgai in Kabir Khan's 2009 film, New York.-Selected filmography:*Munna Bhai MBBS - As a pick pocket at railway station*The Bypass-*Elephant Boy-Baggar Master...
as Rakesh - Shalini Vatsa as Dhaniya
- Farookh Zafar as Amma
- Vishal O. Sharma as Kumar Deepak
- Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
as Saleem Kidwai, the Agriculture Minister - Sitaram Panchal as Bhai Thakur
- Aamir BashirAamir Bashir-Background:Bashir was born and raised in Kashmir, the son of the retired Chief Justice of Jammu High Court. He is a graduate of St. Stephen's College University of Delhi.- Career :...
as Vivek - Anoop TrevediAnoop TrevediAnoop Trevedi is an actor engaged with the theatre since 1991. His Guru is Habib Tanvir. Presently he is associated with National School Of Drama Repertory Co. New Delhi,India. He received Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar'07 by Sangeet Natak Academy for the contribution in theatre...
as Thanedar Jugan
Production
Peepli Live began as a script written by NDTVNDTV
NDTV is an Indian commercial broadcasting television network founded in 1988. It was founded by Prannoy Roy, an eminent journalist and current chairman and director of NDTV Group. NDTV currently has more than 1,000 employees producing news from over twenty locations in India...
journalist Anusha Rizvi called The Fallen. In 2004 Rizvi asked Aamir Khan to read her script and, although he initially refused as he was preoccupied with shooting Mangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising
Mangal Pandey: The Rising or The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey is an Indian movie based on the life of Mangal Pandey, an Indian soldier who is known for his role in the Indian Mutiny of 1857. It is directed by Ketan Mehta, produced by Bobby Bedi, and with a screenplay by Farrukh Dhondy...
, he eventually decided to finance the film after she described the plot to him. In an interview, Khan explains the meaning of the movie title: "When we were looking for the right title before we began the publicity and promotions of the film, we came up with Peepli Live. Peepli is the village that film is set in, the "live" part is meant to indicate: here is a story that is happening in Peepli that the filmmaker is bringing to you live. That's why it's Peepli Live." Peepli Live was filmed on various locations in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
such as Bhopal, Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
, Tikamgarh
Tikamgarh
Tikamgarh is a city and a tehsil, in Tikamgarh district, Madhya Pradesh, it also the district headquarter. The earlier name of the town was 'Tehri' consisting of three hamlets, forming a rough triangle. In the Tikamgarh town there is muhalla still known as 'Purani Tehri'...
, Khurai
Khurai
Khurai ) is a city in Sagar District and a municipality in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is located on the north east region of Madhya Pradesh.-Geography:...
as well as in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. According to Aamir Khan, many of the actors are Adivasi
Adivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
s from the sub-urban area of Bhopal, Bhadwai in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. Other cast members are from playwright Habib Tanvir
Habib Tanvir
Habib Tanvir was one of the most popular Indian Urdu, Hindi playwrights, a theatre director, poet and actor. He is the writer of plays such as, Agra Bazar and Charandas Chor...
's theatre troupe Naya Theatre.
Release
Peepli Live competed in the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, the first film from India to achieve this feat. It received an 'A' adult certificate
Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification is a Government of India regulatory body and censorship board of India controlled by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It reviews, rates and censors motion pictures, television shows, television ads, and promotional material...
in India for language use. The movie was picked up by specialty German distribution company Rapid Eye Movies for a special screening at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
. It was also named the Best First Feature Film at the 31st Durban International Film Festival
Durban International Film Festival
The Durban International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. It is one of the oldest and largest film festival in Southern African and presents over 200 screenings celebrating the best in South African, African and...
in South Africa. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on 24 September. Peepli Live reportedly recovered its cost before its release itself.
Critical response
Peepli Live received a number of positive reviews. Subhash K. Jha, film critic and author of The Essential Guide to Bollywood, describes Peepli Live as "a work of damning ramifications." He further states that, "To most of us out here sitting in the auditorium, farmers' suicide is just a headline. Read, regretted and then put to bed. Peeply (Live) is that savagely raw and hurtful wake-up call for the conscience which does not mince words." Nikhat KazmiNikhat Kazmi
Nikhat Kazmi is a senior correspondent and well-known film critic from India, who has been writing for The Times of India, since 1987.-Books:* If Shakespeare was a gun: a play. Writers Workshop, 1984....
of the Times of India gave the film three and a half out of five stars stating," How smart can Indian cinema get? Exhilarating answer: Very smart. And that's the bottomline of Peepli Live, a small little film, that showcases the real India without glossing over the contradictions of our fumbling-bumbling democracy or getting overtly sentimental about garibi and the attendant grime that goes with it. Pratim D. Gupta of The Telegraph
The Telegraph (Kolkata)
The Telegraph is an Indian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Kolkata since 1982. It is published by the ABP Group and the newspaper vies with the Times of India for the position of having the widest widest circulation of any newspaper in Eastern India.According to the Audit...
wrote "Peepli Live demands to be absorbed and not just watched over the weekend" and praised the director Anusha Rizvi - "she has the gift of the dark humour satire ala Shyam Benegal and in her uncompromised shooting style, she shows the fire of Mira Nair". Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....
gave it four and a half out of five stars and argues that "the concept [farmers' suicides] would instinctively translate into a serious, thought-provoking film. But Peepli [Live] takes a grim and solemn issue, turns it into a satire, garnishes it with populist sentiment and makes a far greater impact than a mere documentary, had it tackled the burning issue. In fact, like all Aamir Khan films, Peepli [Live] marries realism with a winning box-office formula most brilliantly." Mayank Shekhar of The Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
gave the film four out of five stars arguing that "the satire is irresistible; the subtext, compelling. And yet neither shows itself up in any form of self-seriousness. The comic writing is immaculately inspired". Noyon Jyoti Parasara of Yahoo gave the film 3.5 out of five and said, "Peepli [Live] is a class act and director Anusha Rizvi and producer Aamir Khan could take a bow for working this into reality". Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
of CNN-IBN also gave it three and a half out of five stars, calling it "a scathing satire on the country's apathy towards the rural class, and specifically towards farmers, Peepli Live employs a comic tone to tell a serious story. The witty script turns Natha into something of a local celebrity, who draws out the true character and motivations of all those who cross his path." Mathures Paul
Mathures Paul
Mathures Paul is a journalist working with The Statesman newspaper in India. With articles spread over a wide range of subjects—films, music, information & technology, photography, dance and books—he is also the newspaper's film and music critic...
of The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
gave the film 4 out of 5 stars noting that, "Anusha Rizvi demolishes successfully whatever little faith we had in the political process. Peepli (Live) is entertaining and inspiring".
As of October 2, 2010, Peepli Live has received an overall rating of 83% from all critics (19 fresh and 4 rotten reviews) and a 100% rating from Top Critics (5 fresh reviews) at Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 69 out of 100, based on 12 reviews, indicating "Generally Favorable" reviews.
Box office
According to Box office India, Peepli Live opened "decently" and did a business of on its first day. However, it took a jump on Saturday and Sunday and grossed at the end of the weekend. The film collected by the end of its third week and was declared a semi hit. Overseas, the film opened to a limited release at 64 places in the U.S, and was ranked third, grossing $350,054 in the domestic market and $700,000 worldwide in its opening weekend.Awards and nominations
2011 Star Screen AwardsStar Screen Awards
The Star Screen Awards is an annual awards ceremony in India honoring professional excellence in film. The nomination and award selection is done by a panel of distinguished professional from the industry itself.- History :...
Won
- Star Screen Award for Best Ensemble Cast
6th Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards
Won
- Apsara Award for Best Story - Anusha Rizvi
Nominated
- Apsara Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role - Omkar Das Manikpuri
- Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) - Raghubir Yadav
- Apsara Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female) - Farukh Jaffer
2011 Zee Cine Awards
Zee Cine Awards
The Zee Cine Awards or "ZCA" for short is an awards ceremony for the Hindi film industry. It was first held in 1998 in Mumbai. Since then, it has gained substantial popularity as a notable awards ceremony to the Indian population as well as to the viewers of Zee Network.In 2004, the ZCA went...
Nominated
- Best Film
- Best ComedianZee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Comic RoleThe Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Comic Role is chosen by a jury organized by Zee Entertainment Enterprises, and the winner is announced at the ceremony.The winners are listed below:-...
- Omkar Das Manikpuri
Soundtrack
The music is composed by Indian OceanIndian Ocean (band)
Indian Ocean are an Indian rock band formed in New Delhi in 1990. They are considered to be the pioneers of fusion rock genre in India. Susmit Sen, Asheem Chakravarty, Rahul Ram and Amit Kilam formed the most stable and successful line-up in the band's timeline. This line-up lasted till Asheem's...
, an Indian band and Ram Sampath
Ram Sampath
Ram Sampath is a composer, producer and musician, working mainly in the Mumbai advertising circuit. He has also helped promote local bands and talent.-Songs and Background Score:*Rock The Shaadi *Delhi Belly *Luv Ka The End...
.
Track listing
Controversies
Peepli Live is the subject of a few controversies. VJAS (Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti), the Nagpur-based farmer's advocacy group, asked the Maharashtra government to ban the film due to its depiction of farmer suicides.Kishor Tiwari, the president of VJAS, stated: "TV serial 'Bairi Piya' has shown that debt-trapped Vidarbha farmers are selling daughters to clear their debt, while 'Peepli Live' is far from reality and an insult to poor farmers of Vidarbha who have been victims of globalization and wrong policies of the state."In addition, according to the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
, "folk singer Rama Joshi alleges that a song Chola Mati Ke Ram, which has been used in the film, does not give credit to Gangaram Siwar, a celebrated folk singer of Chhattisgarh and the original lyricist of the folk song." In response, Nageen Tanwir, who sang the song in the film, stated: "The song, Chola Maati Ke Ram, has been composed by Gangaram Siwar in Chattisgarh, but the Habib Tanvir theatre group has officially purchased rights for the song. So I don't understand why people from Chattisgarh are asking for their due again."
Also, according to John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
, Peepli Live was inspired by 1997 English film Mad City
Mad City (film)
Mad City is a 1997 drama film and thriller film written by Tom Matthews and Eric Williams, directed by Costa-Gavras, and starring Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Blythe Danner, Ted Levine, Raymond J. Barry, and Larry King.-Plot:...
. In an interview with The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
, he stated that he was astonished to learn that India's official entry for the Oscars this year, Peepli Live, was inspired by Mad City, his best film as an actor.
The film's storyline also shares similarity to Malayalam film Pakal
Pakal (film)
Pakal is a 2006 Malayalam film directed by M. A. Nishad, starring Prithviraj and Jyothirmayi in the lead role.- Plot :Pakal takes us into the world of farmers, of the high ranges of Wayanad District of Kerala, who are forced to commit suicide following financial problems...
. Its director M. A. Nishad says: "The storyline of the Bollywood movie Peepli Live has a similar theme to Pakal, which was released much before the Hindi film. The difference was in the narrative style."
See also
- List of submissions to the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
External links
OfficialDatabase