Abhishek Chaubey has a niche
audience to cater to; one which is not quite looking for over-the-top action
and dialogue punches but for an authentically accurate atmosphere. You may not
relate to it by watching through a glass of realism but you do accommodate into
his world for entire film’s duration. He can promise you a good time; good time
here doesn’t necessarily mean a comfortable time. The opening shot in
Sonchiriya of a cut-open animal carcass with insects humming around is a proof
of the fact that Chaubey is least interested in creating a comfortable setting.
It is a dusty and abrasive world of rebels, ravines, guns, blood and gore set
in 1975 Emergency. Sonchiriya is a film based on Chambal bandits who fight for
a cause; something which the film does not spell out in crystal clear words.
However, their actions quite tell you what a baaghi dharma is. Chaubey’s last
film Udta Punjab showed parallel
storylines about four characters who were associated with drugs in some way or
the other. However, Sonchiriya gives you a quite different perspective. It does
change the stereotypical thought that bandits
are wicked by making us believe that bandits are simply debilitated by
rigid social structures
Manoj Bajpayee is Maan Singh,
the leader of the dacoits and also a humane person. He is quite antithetical to
what normally we think of a bandit. When he loots a wedding ceremony, he is
adamant on not touching the jewellery the bride is wearing. Infact he also
tells one of his aides to give her some money as a blessing. Sushant Singh
Rajput is Lakhan who is the prime weightlifter of the story. He slips into the
character effectively which makes us forget his previous debacles and admire
the treasured actor in him. All the characters in Sonchiriya have some weight
to carry and each of them is perfect-fit for the job. Ranveer Shorey’s
hot-headed Vakil and Bhumi Pednekar’s Indumati make the screenplay complete. Even
in this drama driven by masculinity, Bhumi Pednekar makes her mark in the
story. She is a feisty woman determined to carry the victimized little girl to
a medical aid. The film delves deep into the rugged exterior and
gives u a glance at the raw emotions of salvation and suffering. The characters
see the ghosts of their past, a burden on their conscience, and question their
morality. With brilliant cinematography from Anuj Rajesh Dhawan, the film
maintains its authenticity by giving characters a Bundelkhandi dialect to speak.
(It might be uneasy for people to keep looking at the subtitles, especially if
they are not accustomed to watching foreign films).
The film has myriad shades of
caste inequality, gender bias, politics, redemption and emotion. Sonchiriya
refers to a golden bird and bandits are determined to search for the golden
bird; something which might relieve them of their guilty conscience.
Comparisons to Pan Singh Tomar are evident and film doesn’t quite live upto the
Tighmanshu Dhulia directed classic. However, there is an immersive experience
awaiting the viewers in drama from Western cinematic universe and Chaubey makes
them look beyond the obvious. Here, I would like to specially mention Ashutosh
Rana whose character Gujjar, a policeman has easily emerged the best
performance of the film. He is brutal and nasty and yet we see his softer side
towards end. The film is an ideological take on baaghi dharma and showcases its
colours of spirituality and philosophy. With an enveloping direction and a beautifully
engineered screenplay, Sonchiriya hits all the right targets.
3.5 on 5 stars
