Sir Madam Sarpanch movie review: Seema Biswas film falters due to banal story-telling

In fact, given the frequency with which these dialogues keep cropping up, this film should rightfully have been much sharper. Sample this: an old lady (Seema Biswas), who loves her cellphone more than anything else in the world, says ‘Ram Jivan, Allah Ram, arre naam mein kya rakha hai, sab bhagwan ek hain’ (what’s in a name, all gods are the same), and you want to applaud.

Here’s another, from a local official to Ana, ‘History is now being re-written, Gandhiji ab sirf note par hi achche lagte hain (Gandhiji is now confined to notes in pockets).’ And this one, also from the wise old woman: ‘Jaat aur dharam ke naam par phoot daal di hai’, as she laments the rise of divisiveness in the name of caste and religion.

A film which has the courage to house these lines is rare. But they get lost in the banal story-telling. A sub-plot revolving around the ‘madam sarpanch’ who is much smarter than her thuggish husband (Bhagwan Tiwari) pushes the attempted subversion to the background. The jibes against ‘TV anchors who spread hate’, and corrupt politicians who are consummate liars go waste. Good intentions do not always good films make.

Sir Madam Sarpanch movie cast: Seema Biswas, Ariana Sajnani, Bhagwan Tiwari
Sir Madam Sarpanch movie director: Praveen Morchchale
Sir Madam Sarpanch movie rating: One and a half stars