Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Rating:3.5 Stars (Out Of 5)
During the 60s and 70s, dacoits were featured very prominently in the Indian cinema. The dreaded Gabbar Singh from 'Sholay' is the most iconic villains of all times and 'Bandit Queen' (1994) is considered as one of the classics. After the 80s, the bandit culture started vanishing from the movies. 'Paan Singh Tomar' (2010) was one of the recent movies recently that brilliantly featured a rebel from the ravine.
Shot in the dense landscape of the Chambal valley, this film explores the world that we don't intimately understand.
The movie focusses its story on three keys characters - Maan Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey) and Lakhna (Sushant Singh Rajput).
At some point in the story, Indumati (Bhumi Pednekar) joins them. She is playing a woman on the run along with a young rape survivor.
You shouldn't expect the dramatic portrayal of dacoits you have seen in 'Sholay' from the 70s. The makers are not trying to gain our sympathy by portraying them as Robin Hood who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. At times, these goons are righteous rebels and other times they are blindly shooting people for their benefit. Even though it was fun to explore the rustic side of India and to look at the caste system through the lens of guns, the movie is not entirely engaging and exciting.
The actors at Chaubey's disposal - the known ones (Manoj Bajpayee, Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, Ranvir Shorey) and the not-so-known ones (Jatin Sarna, Harish Khanna, Sanjay Shrivastava, seasoned theatre actors all) - merge themselves so seamlessly with the milieu of this shot-on-actual-locations saga that they do not seem to be performing for the camera but actually living and breathing the parts.
The title of the film stems from the name of a 12-year-old Dalit girl who has been brutally violated and whose well-being becomes a mission for Lakhan and a woman fleeing domestic abuse, Indumati Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar), with her husband and teenage son on her trail.
Sonchiriya Story: Set in the ravines of 1970’s Chambal, the film follows a bunch of dacoits led by Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) as they battle with the cops and their own conscience.
Sonchiriya Review: Under its rugged exterior, Sonchiriya is a spiritual puzzle on redemption, remorse and salvation, backed by stellar performances, captivating cinematography and provocative dialogue.
Though centred around dacoits, cops, gun battle, ambush and dangerous confrontations in the dark of the night, the film isn’t really about crime but the aftermath of it and the curse that follows the perpetrators of violence.
The provocative film addresses the laws of nature… snakes prey on mice and vultures prey on snakes. Those who kill, will be killed eventually. What’s also hard-hitting is its social commentary. Caste divide, gender discrimination, toxic patriarchy, deep rooted superstitions and why revenge shouldn’t be confused with justice.
Even in a special appearance, Manoj Bajpayee proves once again what a terrific actor he is. Sushant Singh Rajput brings a certain honesty to the characters he portrays and he plays Lakhna with a lot of heart. Ranvir Shorey immerses himself in his role beautifully and Bhumi Pednekar plays a courageous female character effectively. Ashutosh Rana makes for a strong anti-hero who is actually in the right.
Sonchiriya' is a different film, and it requires your complete attention. If you are a bit patient with these characters, you will enjoy their quest for inner peace and freedom.
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