Abhishek and DOP Anuj Rakesh Dhawan do a great job of plunging us into this universe. It is as if time stands still as the cycle of violence repeats itself. Sonchiriya is set in 1975 but apart from hearing the announcement that Emergency has been declared, the politics of the outside world barely impinge on this one. Instead, they are rebels with a cause and a conscience – personified by the golden bird in the title. But the twist is that the dakus defy the Bollywood cliché – they don’t ride horses and they aren’t murderous looters though they kill plenty. The close-up holds for much too long but from the first frame, director Abhishek Chaubey establishes two things – that we are in a lawless land and that he isn’t interested in making the ride comfortable for us. Sonchiriya begins with the sound of flies buzzing and then we get a close-up of the carcass they are hovering on.
For miles, all you see are the merciless ravines. Of which there is plenty in this stunning, arid land. But the toxic fusion of caste, violence and jungle law ensures that eventually, everyone bites the dust. It’s apt because in Sonchiriya also, a ragtag team of doomed dakus try to create their own destiny.
It’s from the iconic Chambal film – Bandit Queen. Baaghi apna bhagya khud hi banata hai. This dialogue isn’t from Sonchiriya.
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