DEDH BIGHA ZAMEEN

Pratik Gandhi’s latest Dedh Bigha Zameen starts with a scene where his sister’s marriage is getting arranged, and dowry is demanded by the boy’s father as if that’s the prerequisite of a marriage. Pratik’s father has some land, and if that is sold, there wouldn’t be any financial obstacles in the marriage. As Pratik starts the procedure to sell the land, he encounters various problems, making the process not just difficult but also testing his patience. Does this plot sound dated for a 2024 film? Yes. Does that make the movie predictable? Yes. Does it not offer anything new? Not really. Does that make the movie unwatchable? Probably not.

Dedh Bhiga Zameen’s story may not encourage you to sign up for it, as it sounds and feels like a film from the Dilip Kumar era or a contemporary regional TV series. There is nothing in the film or its screenplay that anyone hasn’t seen earlier in the movies or the series. Does the familiarity create trouble in the viewing experience? Not really. The realistic approach saves the day. For example, when Pratik Gandhi goes to meet the legislator, his experience at that office is typically filmy, but it’s so effective that it creates an impact. The way the entire legislator chapter unfolds with Pratik having to bear the consequences is cliched but impactful. These moments feel too real.

Towards the end, Dedh Bigha Zameen seems to have gotten bored with realism and switches to being preachy. The scene where Pratik Gandhi gets angry with his sister’s would-be father-in-law almost ruins the essence of rootedness that the film carried till there. The progressive approach Pratik Gandhi and Khushalii Kumar tend to have towards the end doesn’t feel natural at all. The biggest disappointment came for me with that twist in the climax, which I don’t know how I predicted it right. It ruined the finale for me. The film did not end for me on a good and happy or satisfying and fulfilling note. I wish the film had found a way to refrain from being so preachy.

Pratik Gandhi efficiently and effortlessly carries the film on his shoulder. After Madgaon Express and Do Aur Do Pyaar this year, he continues to impress us with his versatility. This typical character becomes lively and enjoyable because of the actor’s performance. I felt like applauding every time I saw a new expression on his face. I enjoy questioning myself, ‘How does he manage to deliver such an amazing performance every time?’ It’s an absolute privilege to see him perform. I wish all his co-actors also made me say the same thing about them. Not that Pratik Gandhi overshadows any of them. It’s just that they all struggle to make their cliched parts compelling to watch.

Dedh Bigha Zameen is partly cliched and partly compelling, but it is not a bad watch at all. Despite the familiarity, I still felt like I was exploring an interesting, if not an altogether new world. The music/songs work just fine. The aesthetics are fairly pleasing. I did not understand such a strong emphasis on red and green lights in a couple of scenes. With a crisp duration of a little more than a hundred minutes, the movie automatically feels like a smooth sail. This age-old tale of a common man fighting against corruption and injustice isn’t that bad a deal, and Pratik Gandhi, as this common man, ensures that he makes it a decently worthy affair.