Kisaan

Rating:**

Rural India features in Hindi cinema so seldom now,that any film taking you into the heartland bears taking note of. And the story of ‘Kisaan’ deals with a real issue —lured by rapacious industrialists,innocent,ignorant farmers sell their land,only to face destitution.

The theme of short term gains vs long-term losses plays out well in Punit Sira’s ‘Kisaan’ to begin with. Dayal Singh ( Jackie) splits up his sons Aman ( Arbaaz) and Jigar( Sohail) when they are kids : one goes to the city to become a lawyer,the second stays at home,and helps on the farm. Trouble arrives in the shape of Sohan Seth ( Dalip),who dangles a carrot,leading Aman to abandon his roots.

The first half is nice; the second slides into mess. And some not-so-nice moments : the greedy ‘gaonwalas’,responsible for burning up Dayal Singh’s daughter-in-law ( Diya),are hunted down and killed,one by one,with full encouragement from the Jackie’s patriarch who has,till then,acted with restraint. At that point,’Kisaan’ loses the plot.