Sanchita
This Pankaj Tripathi starrer has the bones but no meat, making a juicy tale go to waste.
Read Full Sherdil – The Pilibhit Saga Movie Review –
Director: Srijit Mukherji
Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Neeraj Kabi and Sayani Gupta
Rating: 2/5
Did You Know Sherdil Is Based On A TRUE STORY?
If you’re thinking that the events that transpire in this film are harebrained and ridiculous then sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction! For the unversed, Sherdil has been inspired by a bizarre true event from 2017.
Apparently, to claim compensation from the government, local families near Pilibhit Tiger Reserve would themselves offer up elderly members as tiger prey! They would then relocate the dead bodies to the fields to pass them off as ‘tiger attack’ victims and get the money from the govt.
In Sherdil – The Pilibhit Saga, Pankaj Tripathi plays the self-righteous village sarpanch Gangaram. He already has one foot in the grave from cancer and decides to not let his death be in vain.
He volunteers to go into the jungle and become a tiger attack victim. So that his death can benefit his family and the village with a 10 lakh compensation from the government! In essence, this whole story is about the prey hunting for the hunter here!
In his suicidal, sacrificial mission in the jungle, Gangaram encounters the charismatic poacher Jim Ahmed (Neeraj Kabi) who’s also hunting the tiger. While one is looking to kill, the other is looking forward to being killed.
Gangaram and Jim have deep, philosophical and existential debates as they continue on their adventure. (even while they’re shitting in the bushes)
Watch Sherdil – The Pilibhit Saga to know if Pankaj Tripathi ends up being the Tiger’s tasty meal or not…
What Do We Think:
The performances from everyone are top-notch. Pankaj is hilarious in bits… naive, earnest and existential whenever required. Neeraj and Pankaj’s camaraderie is one of the highlights of the film. Sayani Gupta appears in a limited role but shines nevertheless as Pankaj’s wife.
However, the writing of the movie is a little flat and there’s no edge-of-the-seat man vs wild moment. The tone of the film gives a whiplash; jumping from snarky and satirical to absurd, existentialist and empathetic.
Hit Or Miss:
It’s an interesting concept and story but it might have been better suited for an OTT medium. Sherdil doesn’t offer the quintessential theatre experience one might expect from a human vs animal film.
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