Set in the period of emergency, this Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar starrer starts with Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), leader of a dacoit gang, clearing the way for his team. As the story forwards, the gang of rebels decide to execute a loot in Bramhapuri.
Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s camera does all the tricks making the cinematography look so real and authentic. Well explored ravines and the mind-blasting background score just sets the mood right for the film. First Gully Boy and now this, Bollywood is finally mastering the art of silence.
The film is set in the 1970s and showcases a small town ruled and dominated by dacoits. Multiple gangs fight to attain power. The cast dons fierce avatars in sync with the theme of the film.
Abhishek Chaubey has made ravines look beautiful like never before. He creates this world and just expects you to get lost in it. Yes, you will get unexpected twists and turns with a heavy dosage of humour, but all of this comes at a cost. You’ll have to pay your undivided attention to enjoy what’s happening on screen. The ambiguous title Sonchiriya (apparently inspired from the rare breed of Great Indian Bustard) implies a great subtext to the ‘dacoit’ angle of the film.
When you have a movie like Sonchiriya, someone like Ranvir Shorey is the missing piece to complete your beautiful puzzle. He leaves no room unexplored when it comes to acting. From bursting into sudden laughter to screaming in grief, he has made it look so easy.
Sushant Singh Rajput expands his acting range with Lakhan. He looks a very different ‘actor’ compared to his previous works and pushes his bar to another level. Undoubtedly, his best performance to date. Bhumi Pednekar is here to stay for decades now! Even if she screams or not look like your run-of-the-mill heroine, you will adore her for every second she’s on the screen.
Ashutosh Rana somewhere falls a tiny bit of short in this hurricane of talented performances. He’s outstanding, no doubt about that but when you’ve 4 players of your team hitting a century, yours 99 might look like a little less. When Manoj Bajpayee’s performance was credited as a special appearance, it hurt. He had a remarkable amount of chunk, in which he nailed every dialogue. Still, he’s one of the best performers we’ve. From Bandit Queen’s Man Singh to Sonchiriya’s Man Singh, Manoj has covered many cinematic milestones in his career.
Abhishek Chaubey, the sincerest student to come out of Vishal Bhardwaj’s school, continues to create a different world for his films. After a very dark Udta Punjab, Abhishek takes us to the ravines as no one has ever done before. He has mastered the art of silence and there are powerful sequences shoved with a soothing tune of guitar and piano.
Vishal Bhardwaj’s lonely, mournful score is inseparable from the film. Without comparing him to the legend Ennio Morricone, who is the master of Western music, Bhardwaj creates his own niche. Thankfully, there are no gimmicky songs to add to the screentime. A couple of songs, that go with the narration, play in the background without disrupting anything. The title track in Rekha Bhardwaj’s heart-pinching voice is, now, staying with me for a very period of time. Apart from being visually striking, the film is also audibly pleasant.
Sudip Sharma & Abhishek Chaubey’s story scores brownie points by not going all serious. Sudip’s dialogues are deep as the ocean yet leave waves of laughter throughout. Yes, for the initial few moments one may find the hindrance of the language but with the time you just get immersed to miss anything substantial. Talking about Anuj Rakesh Dhawan’s camera angles, he has tried everything. From downward sliding to tilted and zoom, Anuj has played with the angles to enhance the watching experience.