Peepli Live

When Aamir Khan produces a film, or is associated with any film in the capacity of an actor, be prepared for the unpredictable. Films like Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots took pot shots at the education system in India and Peepli [Live], directed by Anusha Rizvi, is a tongue-in-cheek satire on the farmers' suicides and the role of vote-hungry politicians and the over-enthusiastic, TRP-seeking desperate electronic media jostling for eyeballs.

Come to think of it, the concept [farmers' suicides] would instinctively translate into a serious, thought-provoking film. But Peepli [Live] takes a grim and solemn issue, turns it into a satire, garnishes it with populist sentiment and makes a far greater impact than a mere documentary, had it tackled the burning issue. In fact, like all Aamir Khan films, Peepli [Live] marries realism with a winning box-office formula most brilliantly.

A sad fact of our society is that bad news attracts instant attention. In Peepli [Live], an impoverished man offers to commit suicide so that his family can benefit from a government grant - a dark subject matter which is dealt with in a delightfully humorous manner. In fact, it's a terrific satire about a troubled India, the shining India, the industrialised India that's rarely depicted on the Hindi screen.