Dedh Bigha Zameen Shines with Realism and Strong Performances

A muted OTT release on JioCinema; Dedh Bigha Zameen would largely go unnoticed, if not for the positive word of mouth, which made me give it a try!!

A small town grain store owner in UP (Pratik Gandhi) decides to sell off his late father's 'dedh bigha zameen' to pay off his sister's hefty dowry demand. Unfortunately, he gets to know that the land has been illegally occupied by his constituency MLA. Running from pillar to post, is justice finally served to the bechaara aam aadmi?!!

Director Pulkit keeps the narrative straightforward yet hard hitting. There is no unnecessary melodrama and heroics; Dedh Bigha Zameen remains rooted in reality right till its unconventional end. And that is where it scores...

Pratik Gandhi as the protagonist and victim of rampant corruption, is first rate. He brings out his inner angst and frustration so very effectively in every scene. His character is resilient, yet an optimist by nature and fighter at heart.

In a surprise departure from her glamorous avatar, Khushali Kumar is impressive as Pratik's ever supportive deglam wifey. She not only looks pretty in a common saree but also gets the UP wala accent spot on.

On the flipside, the film's pace may appear lethargic for some. Songs were not needed at all. The climax is not everyone's cup of 'chai'. Worse, it doesn't offer resolution to the moot issue of land grabbing by politicians and their inherent nexus with unscrupulous brokers. Probably, Pulkit wants us to believe that one man cannot fight the system in the real world. So very true!!

Finally, Dedh Bigha Zameen will remind you of two Bollywood classics - Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953) and Dibakar Banerjee's Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006) as both dealt with the same theme. Probably, the title itself, is an ode to Do Bigha Zamin. Am I right, Mr. Pulkit?

Ratings on some key aspects* :
1. Acting : 4/5
2. Direction : 3.5/5
3. Music : 2/5
4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 3/5
5. Cinematography : 3/5
6. Editing : 2.5/5
7. Costume Design : 3/5
8. Special Effects and VFX : NA
9. Action : NA
10. Production Quality : 3/5

#SNRating for #DedhBighaZameen : 3 & 1/2 stars out of 5.

- Sumeet Nadkarni

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* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others.

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#SNRatings barometer:
1 star = Poor
1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable
2 stars = Average
2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it
3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable
3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch
4 stars = Very good
5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.

2024 SNRatings. 

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