A FILM THAT MOVES YOU
Srijit Mukherji’s Sherdil is based on real-life incidents from the tales of villages near Pilibhit Tiger Reserve. The film does not have a dashing hero entry, indelible dialogue and funky songs to entertain the audience. Instead, the film narrates an intriguing story of a village Sarpanch – Gangaram played by Pankaj Tripathi. The film is a pack with witty humor, fathomable conversations, and decent drama.
The plot of the film has a sense of direction. It is a simple story turned into a light-hearted movie. The movie eventually targets the lower sections of our country. There are a number of villages that suffer from poverty and starvation. Most of the time, in reality, such problems are addressed and left untouched later on. People do not know the second half of an incident. This movie shows the story of a village, its villagers, their problem, and the unimaginable extent to which one can go to achieve a solution. It stuns the unaware audience.
The film setting takes place in a typical village in Uttar Pradesh and a nearby city. It is a 2 hours ride of continuous back-and-forth segments. Gangaram is an ambitious political person who dreams of being remembered for his bravery. Gangaram goes in search of certain political schemes in government offices of the city. His village is facing the issues of poverty and starvation. The direction of the film makes the audience think that Gangaram is a madman till the second half of the film. He comes back with another idea after being disappointed by the government officials. He convinces the village and his family to allow him to do a crazy act. His time in the jungle is short and from time to time, he remembers how his wife kept stopping him from doing such insane acts. But every time his ambition, his purpose as a sarpanch would win the battle.
Sayani Gupta’s role as Lajjo, Gangaram’s wife, is outstanding. She does absolute justice to the character. In every setting and conversation having Lajjo, she gives tough competition to the co-stars. Pankaj Tripathi is the king of such roles with realistic acting. Gangaram and Lajjo’s chemistry is relatable and represents most Indian couples. Their love-hate relationship throughout the film is fun to watch. All the conversations between Gangaram and Jim Ahmad in the jungle are poetically pleasing. Neeraj Kabi’s performance as Jim Ahmad in the movie is terrific. All in all, Sherdil is a movie with brilliant actors and a much-needed refreshing story.
The cinematography is justifiable with respect to the budget of the film. In fact, it is quite good compared to any other small-budget movie. Though, the dialogue writing of the film is commendable. Halfway through the film, one might feel like the film is not going anywhere. The writing is what keeps the audience engrossed in the story. The timing of humor is accurate. The dialogue delivery of Pankaj Tripathi is tremendous. Every conversation is filled either with witty humor or poetic humor. The background score flows parallel to the story. The music enhances the still scenes which only focus on the life of Gangaram during his time in the jungle.
With a couple of mesmerizing dialogues in the climax of the movie, Gangaram wins hearts. This is where the movie moves you. The climax takes place in a different setting. Pankaj Tripathi’s acting is so real, that the viewer starts empathizing with Gangaram. It moves the audience slowly and then it hits hard. The background score boosts the climax scene. The end of the movie offers a combination of satisfaction and hilarity. It is definitely worth a watch. ‘Sherdil’ reminds you of the simplest attribute of being grateful…