“Saand Ki Aankh” is based on an incredible real-life story of Chandro and Prakash Tomar, who were sisters in law. They lived in Uttar Pradesh in the Johri Village. They became famous when they became two of the oldest sharpshooter champions, and that too at the age of sixty. Would you believe it? They won several medals in various competitions over many years.
The reason age and gender is stressed here is crucial, as they came from a region where religious beliefs started that women should not step out of the home without permission from men.
The director came up with a creative way of well-intentioned humour to demonstrate the challenges that they faced during life, where the men smoked up hookahs throughout the day while women worked hard in fields every day and returned to home only to prepare meals. The women were treated like cattle and identified from the colour of their ghunghats that are used to cover their heads. It is sad to note that for men, women were baby-making machines who raised dozens or more children.
In the movie, the character of Chandro and Prakash is played by Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, where they live with their husbands, children, and grandchildren. The master of their home is their controlling and overbearing brother in law Ratan Singh (Prakash Jha). If he says a thing, then it is the last word as a decision.
Chandro and Prakash sneak out to learn shooting, and they were trained at a makeshift range of a doctor (Vineet Kumar). They attended various championships after getting good at hunting and lied to family about it. They did it in the hope their daughters could get what they never did.
As a whole, “Saand Ki Aankh” is a feel-good, inspiring story of two women. They challenged patriarchy and showed the ultimate symbol of masculinity. The movie has two scenes where Ratan Singh flashes his gun in typical Bollywood style villain, saying: “Yeh bandook mardon ka gehna hai, mardon ke haath mein hi acha laage.”
In a scene when Chandro and Prakash attend their first tournament, they are laughed at by the crowd, but the same people turn into cheerleaders as they win, the same scenario is repeated twice. The tone of the film remains upbeat, and it’s the strength of the movie plot.
Talking about the negative side, the film is far from being perfect, and the plot seems to be stretched way too much. Many times the narrative showcases silliness, especially the last act. There are three or more moments when it feels that the climax is on its way, but it turns out it is not, it is a huge turn-off. Moreover, the make up is highly inconsistent, and it seems embarrassing. Another downturn is that Taapsee and Bhumi never felt like two women in their sixties.
As the movie comes to an end, you will feel your spirit elevated considerably. It is not hidden that the film is titled cleverly, and it has enough buttons to push your heart and win it. I will rate it 4 out of 5. Don’t miss in the lockdown to watch.
