Sonchiriya - Movie Review

When a movie opens with a close-up shot of a rotting snake, mauled by flies and ants, it is not only a disturbing scene but also sets the tone of the impending doom that is about to unfold. Director Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya, is a melancholic tale of the lives of the notorious rebels of Chambal, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Bhumi Pednekar, Ashutosh Rana, Ranvir Shorey and Manoj Bajpayee in pivotal roles. Based in the late 1970s and as the same era as the award-winning Bandit Queen, Sonchiriya – golden bird – is a sad take on the conflicted lives of dacoits, who not just fight the Special Task Force (STF) but also fight against their conscience.

The movie tracks the life of a dreaded Chambal Baagi (rebel), Man Singh (Manoj Bajpayee), and his army of rebels, including a trusted deputy, Vakil Singh (Ranvir Shorey) and a smart younger lad, Lakhna (Sushant Singh Rajput). Even as they traverse the painfully dry terrains of the Chambal ravines – running away from STF officer, Virejnder Singh Gujjar (Ashutosh Rana) – they have inner conflicts that make them ill-tempered and confused in their pursuits of life. They say their Dharam is to live in the ravines and serve their community – the Thakurs. Justice for them is khoon ke badle khoon. While they appear to be ruthless killers, they really aren’t. Whether it is to offer a shagun ka tohfa to a bride they loot or chant mantra after laying a snake to rest, they are human and seem to have landed themselves in an unfortunate situation of doom. On the run from STF, they bump into a rifle-wielding young woman, Indumati Tomar (Bhumi Pednekar), found running away with a young girl who has been violated. On knowing that she belongs to their cast – Thakurs – they offer to help her reach the nearest hospital, which begins their cat-and-mouse chase through the rivers and ravines of Chambal.

On the outset, Sonchiriya may seem like a tale about the fight of bandits against the cops. But the writers, Abhishek Chaubey and Sudip Sharma, deserve the credit for elevating it above the usual good versus evil fight. There is a well-established class and caste divide, that existed in the 1970s (perhaps, exists even today). There are references to untouchability and patriarchy. Neither the self-righteous bandits nor the government serving STF is above the caste divide – for instance, two constables loathe their Daroga (inspector), because they belong to a higher Thakur clan, while their boss belongs to an inferior Gujjar community. Or when a feisty Indumati is offered to be inducted into a band of bandits, she questions their offer since they belong to Mallah community, inferior to her Thakur community. It is such minor details that help them build a narrative which makes one wonder if the bandits and the cops are essentially peas of the same pod!

While it is good to see the problem being layered, it does not really come out well for the lack of empathy. The movie is set at a time, when the gang of dacoits is at the abyss of its survival – they are deranged, lost and dying in frequent encounters. But, to empathize with the characters, their back stories come much later in the film, reducing the ability of the audience to connect with them. The movie has a sad tone, but it is not completely evocative. Also, the movie feels a little too long – much like Abhishek Chaubey’s previous directorial ventures. The first half could have certainly been much shorter, since the movie simmers port-interval. But these aberrations are made up by the stellar performances and the stunning camerawork.  

All the actors in the pivotal roles shine in their performances. They are all rugged, dusty and ooze the right amount of dreadfulness. Manoj Bajpayee and Ranvir Shorey as the gang leaders are terrific. Sushant Singh Rajput and Bhumi Pednekar deliver a strong performance, also getting the dialect right. Sushant Singh Rajput is real and shows the sensible side of the confused bandits, with the ability to be agile and think straight. Playing a woman suppressed by patriarchy and fighting for justice for a young girl, she is the only woman stuck amid a bunch of men. One of the best sequences is the kidnapping scene in the second half, where her tact and Lakhna’s quick thinking save the day for them. Ashutosh Rana, as the man on the side of the law, is a tough cop in-charge to curb the bandit menace, but also has personal scores to settle. He is top-notch, as usual. The cinematography by Anuj Rakesh Dhawan captures the sad and miserable textures of the rivers and ravines of Chambal, adding to the depressing tone of the movie.

Sonchiriya is not perfect, nor is it an easy movie to watch. Also, the dialect may alienate a large section of the audience. Recently, Zoya Akhtar subtly touched a dozen odd issues in Gully Boy. Abhishek Chaubey tries the same with caste & class divide, patriarchy, untouchability and oppression of women. But, this leads to a drag in the narrative and the movie does not evoke enough empathy. In the end, it also becomes a cop versus goons chase film and as the movie says, ‘Choohe ko Saamp khata hai aur saamp ko gidd’ (Rat is eaten by snakes and snakes are eaten by vultures). That pretty much sums up what transpires in this two-an-a-half-hour journey through Chambal.  

My Rating – 3/5