Rating : 3.9/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2019
Running time : 2 hours 14 minutes
Director : Tushar Hiranandani
Cast : Bhumi Pednekar, Taapsee Pannu, Vinnet Kumar Singh, Prakash Jha
Kid rating : G
Saand ki Aankh (literally Bullseye) is getting massive hype, but then all I read about is the makeup (poor) and the age of the lead actors (too young). Fine, I agree about the makeup, but we seem to be missing the forest for the trees – Saand ki Aankh is a very enjoyable movie, and well worth the watch.
The film, as you might know is based on the real life “Shooter-Dadis” – Shooter grandmothers: Parkashi and Chandro Tomar, who, in their 60s, took up shooting as a sport and were natural sharpshooters. Married into the patriarchal Tomar family, both women, along with other female members of the household, spend their days cooking, cleaning and working in the fields, while their menfolk lounge about smoking hookahs.
Remaining in their veils (ghoonghats) – there is a scene where they watch a film through their ghoonghats, and we see the hazy images just as they see them – Parkashi and Chandro accept living life literally barefoot and pregnant (they birth broods) until an enterprising young doctor builds a shooting range in their village and one of their granddaughters Shefali want to learn to shoot. Since it is expressly forbidden, Parkashi and Chandro accompany her to the range in secrecy, and in encouraging Shefali, fire a few rounds themselves. Amazed by their skill, the doctor (Vineet Singh) encourages them. Thus starts their journey, all in secrecy.
The story – the triumph of the brave grandmas is such a crowd-pleaser that it is hard not to like this film. Since much of the story has the Tomar women finding ways to train and attend competitions in secrecy, afraid of the strict rules curtailing the behavior of the household women, “Saand ki Ankh” finds its secondary focus in protesting the patriarchy. The earnestness and the depiction of the simple desires of these women is moving. All they want are better lives for their daughters. They don’t say it in as many words, but Chandro and Parkashi lie and connive so that their daughters can get simple opportunities, which will enable them to get good jobs, step out and see the world.
Despite the inconsistent makeup, Bhumi and Taapsee do well. While Taapsee is a fine actress (Manmarziyaan), Bhumi is better. Bhumi portrays Chandro through and through – she walks like she really is tired, and age has slowed her limbs. This is where Pannu was lacking; her Parkashi displayed the sprightliness of a much younger woman. Jha is quite effective as patriarch Rattan Singh and Vineet Kumar Singh (of Mukkabaaz fame) is his marvelous self as Dr. Yashpal.
The flaw in Saand ki Aankh it is its lack of nuance. The characters are black and white – the women are good and intelligent, the men are lazy oafs. This almost underdog story has nicely rounded corners, no sharp edges or signs of strife within. The big challenges are defined, the undertones mellowed; the film is packaged and presented to tug at the heartstrings. I’m not sure how much of the film or the struggle has been fictionalized, although a struggle it must have been, but the film-makers do us a disservice by hamming up this otherwise extraordinary tale.
Still, Saand ki Aankh remains a very good watch, and will probably come in as one of the best films of the year. Highly recommended.
Kidwise: Clean.
