PEEPLI LIVE

Year: 2010
UK: Artificial Eye
Cast: Omkar Das Manikpuri, Raghubir Yadav, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Malaika Shenoy, Vishal O Sharma, Yugal Kishore, Sitaram Panchal, Nasiruddin Shah
Director: Anusha Rizvi
Country: India
UK: 107 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language
UK Release Date: 24 September 2010 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

India's most celebrated actor, filmmaker and Academy Award-nominee Aamir Khan (LAGAAN, GHAJINI, 3 IDIOTS) is delighted to introduce PEEPLI LIVE, a farcical contemporary comedy set in Bharat in rural India.

Written and directed by Anusha Rizvi and co-directed by Mahmood Farooqui, the film, which is produced by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao with co-producer Ronnie Screwvala, tells the story of Natha (Omkar Das Manikpuri), an impoverished farmer who learns of a government scheme to aid the families of indebted farmers if they commit suicide and thus decides on a very drastic plan to save his land from repossession.

The film also stars Raghubir Yadav (SALAAM BOMBAY, LAGAAN, WATER) whose feature film debut MASSEY SAHIB won him the Fipresci Critic's Award at the Venice Film Festival; as well as model, actor and television presenter Malaika Shenoy, Shalini Vatsa, Farrukh Jaffer, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Vishal O Sharma.

Natha is a poor farmer who is about to lose his plot of land due to an unpaid government loan. Ironically, the same government scheme also financially compensates the families of desperate farmers who have committed suicide. The answer is simple: either he or his brother Budhia (Raghubir Yadav) will kill themselves and all their problems will be over!

Unfortunately for the hapless Natha, who finds himself reluctantly agreeing to the sacrifice, the reality isn't quite so appealing. Local elections are around the corner and what should be just another unfortunate incident, turns into a 'cause celebre' with everyone wanting a piece of the action. Political bigwigs, high-ranking bureaucrats, local henchman and the ever-zealous media descend upon sleepy Peepli to stake their claim. The question on everyone's lips is "will he or won't he?"

This is writer-director Anusha Rizvi's first feature film.