Sonchiriya Movie Review: Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey Are Marvellous in Abhishek Chaubey’s Stunning Dacoit Drama

Abhishek Chaubey's Sonchiriya is a beast of a different kind. It is a dacoit drama, a genre that has been so exploited by the Bollywood cinema in the '70s and '80s. You know the ones, where the daaku attack villages riding on horseback. But Sonchiriya is different. In a scene in the film, a cop asks a character if he had seen a movie whose poster was pasted on the nearby wall. The other character gives a derisive smile and says the movie was stupid as the dacoits were seen riding on horses. That little scene broke away the perceptions we have of those moustache-twirling dacoits who terrorised Ramgarh, as Sonchiriya breaks them down into humans ruled by insecurities, fears and morals. And perhaps made of a better moral fiber than the society that made them the way they are. Sonchiriya: 5 Popular Dacoit Movies of Bollywood You Should Not Miss Out on Before Watching the Sushant Singh Rajput-Starrer.

Of course, we have seen this path taken by Shekhar Kapur in Bandit Queen (Sonchiriya feels like an unofficial spinoff of this. See the movie to know what I mean) and Tigmanshu Dhulia in Paan Singh Tomar. But Sonchiriya doesn't make you go as queasy in the stomach as Bandit Queen does, even though it doesn't compromise on the grittiness. Neither it is a biopic like Paan Singh Tomar, though it certainly draws inspirations from real-life events and dacoits.

Talking about the plot, the movie is set during the onset of former Prime Minister, the late Indira Gandhi's declaration of the Emergency. Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee) and his gang of baaghis, or rebels, are one of the gangs in Chambal. Belonging to his gang is the morally conflicted Lakhan (Sushant Singh Rajput) and the hot-headed Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey). Both Man Singh and Lakhan are haunted by the ghosts of their accidental victims and are looking to find the purpose of their existence.

A robbery attempt at a wedding house turns disastrous when the police team led by a vindictive officer Virendra Singh Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) attack them. The unexpected encounter kills almost half of their gang and creates a division among the survivors. Things get even further complicated by the arrival of a woman Indumathi (Bhumi Pednekar), who brings along a little girl, a survivor of a brutal rape attempt. Sonchiriya: From Kai Po Che to Kedarnath, Here's Sushant Singh Rajput's Box-Office Report Card for the Last Six Years.

If you are a fan of the brand of cinema that Abhishek Chaubey loves to make - lacing dark, and often violent, dramas with humour that doesn't feel out of place - then you will absolutely love Sonchiriya. It engages your right from the start when you see a decomposing corpse of an animal that Man Singh's group comes across on the road. It is only when the camera pans over that you realise that it is a dead snake that feels so inconsequential on that patch of road.

But we know that when it was alive, it could have been the king of these parched bushes. Just Like those baaghis that crossed its path, who are seeing the twilight of their regime on Chambal. During an encounter scene at the start, Vishal Bharadwaj's "Baaghi Re" plays across the sequence, extolling the virtues of the rebel, and then a bullet enters into the body of a dacoit and ends the song.

Abhishek Chaubey's masterful direction and plotting allow many such metaphorical influences seem through the lives of these dacoits, who has their own set of principles that feels more rigid than what the law follows. Interestingly, Sonchiriya doesn't try to justify the actions of their dacoits. At one point, it throws open a window into their hearts that is filled with remorse of their actions and how it haunts them forever. Even then, the movie doesn't acquit them of their wrongdoings, which is also applicable to those who may not belong to these gangs, but are viler in their actions.

Chaubey gets ample support from his writing partner, Sudip Sharma, whose brilliant lines are impactful and thought-provoking. Even smarter is the use of subtle humour even when the proceedings get too grim.

Together, through Man Singh, Lakhan, Indumathi and Vakil Singh's saga, they open wide a discussion on topics that mainstream Bollywood is averse of exploring - caste and treatment of women. The hierarchies of the society play a very important cog in the plot, with caste egos affecting both the rebels and the cops.

However, I was more intrigued by how Sonchiriya treats the place of women in society. The first proper glimpse of the two major female characters already has them on the run from men, one of them being violated by a man in the other woman's family. When Indumati sees what she thinks is a potential enemy, her first instinct is to cover her head with a dupatta before aiming the rifle at him. Later, the term 'woman' is used to derogate a man, whose pacifist nature looks weak to the others. Funnily, the term is used by a character to insult another male and use hishurt ego to achieve a small victory. Also, earlier, that same character (inspired by a very famous outlaw, from that name to that red bandana) tells Indumathi, that caste is just for men; women belong to some different group altogether. What an insightful comment!

Ultimately, Sonchiriya is about redemption, the ultimate 'golden bird' that everyone seeks towards the end. Speaking more on this would spoil the movie for you, but by the end, Chaubey and Sharma will make sure that theme in the end stays with you.

Sonchiriya also scores magnificently in the technical department.  Anuj Rakesh Dhawan (cinematography) uses long takes and overhead pan shots to create intriguing action sequences and establish Chambal as a being of its own, where even placing a hand in the river can prove dangerous. The action sequences are deftly choreographed by Anton Moon and Sunil Rodrigues, especially the first encounter and the final standoff, with some fine editing from Meghna Manchanda Sen. I must add here that Chaubey seems to be a fan of Mexican standoffs, doesn't he? Vishal Bharadwaj's music is good, but it is the powerful lyrics by Varun Grover that dominate the show.

The Performances

Like Gully Boy, that came out a couple of weeks back, every member in Sonchiriya's cast feels aptly cast and is a wonderful performer. The credit of that must go to the casting director, Honey Trehan. Speaking of the lead performances, Sushant Singh once again manages to surprise you with an indepthful, disarming performance that is simply marvellous. You will really appreciate how this man doesn't chase after starry roles and instead look out for films that challenge him as an actor. From his Beehadi accent to his body language, Sushant gets every nuance of his role right. Is this his best performance yet? I wanted to avoid that cliched route, but definitely yes!

Bhumi Pednekar, playing the real hero among the outlaws here, is powerful. She is the moral bone of the film, and Bhumi's pained performance will make you reach out for her, only for you to realise her character is made of a stronger fibre than you.

Manoj Bajpayee delivers another impressive act in his comparatively brief screentime. Ranvir Shorey is brilliant, no two words about! Why this talented actor doesn't appear in more films is strange. The scene where he finds out about a secret of his mentor is a terrific highlight of his performance. Ashutosh Rana manages to bring enough menace and grit in his role of a vengeful police officer.

Yay!

- The Performances

- The Direction

- Almost Everything Else

Nay!

- Slow Pacing in Post-Interval Sequences

- The Cops' Characters Aren't That Well-Defined

Final Thoughts

Like with his Ishqiya series and Udta Punjab, Abhishek Chaubey continues the fine streak of creating brilliantly carved blend of dark dramas and black humour with Sonchiriya. Aided by terrific performances from the lead cast and with some very unexpected turns, this dacoit drama gives a very insightful spin to a genre that our cinema thrived upon once. It may lack entertainment appeal, but do not miss this if you want your movies to surprise you with its content.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2019 08:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).