Welcome to Sajjanpur

After taking a break from direction for about 7 years, one of my all time favourite directors is back and this time with something different: a satirical comedy. 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' is such a joy to watch. It isn't an out-and-out comedy as there are elements of tragedy but the film feels refreshing and genuine. When most Hindi movies nowadays are set in foreign locations, 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' is set in a fictitious Indian village and it tells the humble story of the inhabitants of that village. I don't recall Benegal ever having made a comedy and here he succeeds greatly. The sharp writing consists of some hilariously witty dialogues, rich and sincere characters and laugh-out-loud situations. I enjoyed all the letter-writing sequences with the colourful characters. Benegal also cleverly presents themes such as politics, 'gay' rights and widow remarriage into the plots. The songs too fit well with the story although the dream sequence filmed on Talpade and Rao in an airplane is awkward.

The performances are splendid. Ila Arun and Divya Dutta are awesome as the conflicting mother-daughter duo. Amrita Rao is marvelous as the married village belle. Ravi Kishan finally gets to display his comic talents in a substantial role. Rajeshwari Sachdev is impressive in a small role. She's particularly funny in the scene where her father-in-law asks her to read the letter from Ramkumar. Yashpal Sharma is adequate. Kunal Kapoor thankfully only has a teeny role.

And, 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' is confidently carried by Shreyas Talpade, one of the most talented young actors of the current generation. Benegal's previous films indicate that he has an eye for talented actors and he has cleverly cast Talpade in the lead role. The actor delivers a finely balanced and very natural performance.

I can safely add 'Welcome to Sajjanpur' to my list of favourite films of the year and so far it is one of the best Hindi films of 2008. If you're looking for an something in the form of good entertainment, innovative storytelling with some interesting themes and good cinema, then this is that movie.

Yes this is a good movie and worth watching. Here Shyam Benegal gave a good message of democracy and need of literacy with a good comedy essence.

Shreyas Talpade really acted well as in Om Shanti Om and Iqbal. He proved his talent as a potential actor. Amritha Rao , Divya Datta, Ila Arun excellent in their performance.

I liked the language they used in this movie. It is really nice. One more hing I would like to tell about music which is melodious and location no second opinion! it is too good. Shyam Benegal showed his creative mind with very simple,watchful,movie. he is a master of Indian Cinema.

Nice comedy set up completely in the rural India, with jokes that make good sense in the local dialect which should not be difficult to comprehend. Ace director Shyam Benegal has made a perfect movie, albeit quite different from the serious classics he has directed in the past. Shreyas Talpade as the aspiring novelist ends up being a scribe, and therefore has a peek into everyone's lives in the village. Ends up manipulating people's lives through letters, especially his love interest's. Quite a number of funny sub plots follow, and the humor doesn't let you feel they are getting too many to remember. A few melodious numbers add to the movie.

"Welcome to Sajjanpur" is a revival of times on the lines of Malgudi Days and the flavour of of Hrishikesh Mukhejee & Basu Chatterjee. The fictitious village comprises of characters very humane, easily identifiable and oozing with simplicity (well, not quite!).

The narrative is extremely smooth and carries you with the flow. Shyam Benegal attempts an unexplored territory and once again he proves what a versatile director he is. With "Welcome to Sajjanpur" Shyam Benegal to a certain degree incorporates commercial elements into his style yet retaining the flavour of parallel cinema.

All the characters seem hand-picked as they are perfectly suited to the "T". Every actor gets adequate space as per the demands necessitated by the character. It seemed only Divya Dutta's character/ role was not fleshed out / elaborated (and her participation in the end was kind of coming).

In the times of heavy-weights & escapism cinema, "Welcome to Sajjanpur" manages to command a foothold in its own rights. Don't miss this movie at any costs.

For a movie maker of the caliber of Shayam Benegal is, it goes without saying with his invite to Sajjanpur comes along a bouquet of expectations. The only other movie of his that I’ve seen is Zubaidaa and I was amazed at his story telling quality! This time, the setting is rustic with characters from a usual random village. The film is presented as a slice of life from the perspective of the protagonist than a story with a beginning and end.

Mahadev, the only degree holder in Sajjanpur nurses ambitions to be a novel writer someday, but fate has sealed him to writing letters for the illiterate village folk who come to him not just for his knowledge of the letter but also for his ability to write with that extra zing and passion that makes the letters work. Playing the protagonist, Shreyas Talpade gets the largest of movie pie that he executes with brilliance without going overboard.

Our writer’s clientèle takes us through the minds of the varied village folk. It ranges from his childhood crush Kamla (Amrita Rao) who writes to her far away husband, a mother (Ila Arun) worried about her vibrant daughter’s (Divya Dutta) horoscope, a compounder (Ravi Kishan) who is deeply in love with the young widow Shobharani (Rajeshwari Sachdev), the villainous ex-Sarpanch Ramlal (Yashpal Sharma) and a Eunuch too.

The next couple of hours, which at times feels somewhat stretched, give us a glimpse of their lives. Mahadev is good at heart and does well to others, but he secretly tries to misread letters to Kamla thinking that he may have a chance if her husband went away. Ramlal tries his best to connive against the Eunuch Munnibai to ensure it doesn’t win the local elections. As is life, in the end, it’s happy for some sad for others.

Throughout the movie, its poignant moments are interspersed so delicately that you don’t feel any character being out of place. The best in my opinion is when Mahadev learns the truth about Kamala’s husband’s life, where Shreyas’ flowing emotions are so well portrayed. Then there is the scene of Munnibai getting a letter written seeking protection. For one, the music is not memorable and the seeming length may bother.

The characters of Sajjanpur are both simpletons at times and wise in the ways of the world when necessary. The movie makes a point on various serious social issues including land acquisitions for industrialization, struggle of the poor and fall into organ trade, widow remarriage, superstitions, job worry for the educated and many more. If you don’t mind the lack of typical stories and climaxes, this story is surely worth watching.