OTT Review : Pippa – Hindi film on Prime Video

Prime Video has now come up with the film Pippa, which stars Ishaan Khatter, Mrunal Thakur, and Priyanshu Painyuli in the lead roles. The movie is inspired by the book “The Burning Chaffees” written by Brigadier Balram S Mehta.

Story:

Pippa is a biographical film based on the life story of Captain Balram Singh Mehta. In 1947, India was divided into three parts. Pakistan was split into East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and West Pakistan. Despite more people living in East Pakistan, it was controlled by West Pakistan. Pakistan had its first general election in 1970, but its then President, General Yahya Khan, denied the elections. This makes people in East Pakistan lose their patience, and they rebel for an independent country. Pakistani army starts killing the protesters, and the majority of East Pakistan citizens seek refuge in India. How the Indian Army helped for the liberation of East Pakistan is what the film is about.

Plus Points:

The movie gives us an insight into how India helped East Pakistan (Bangladesh) attain liberation from West Pakistan. What made East Pakistan citizens start a revolution, what problems they faced during the rebellion, and how refugees suffered due to the Pakistan Army has been shown in a neat manner. The film highlights the greatness of the Indian government, which chooses humanity over anything else.

War scenes have been dealt with perfection in Pippa. They were brilliantly conceived and will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Particularly, the one that comes during the mid portions is splendid. The solid visuals and neat VFX works go hand in hand.

Ishaan Khatter fits the bill rightly as Captain Balram Singh Mehta. His role has two shades, one as an irresponsible person and the other as a determined commander. Ishaan aces them to perfection. Mrunal Thakur got a good role, and she gave a neat performance. Despite a limited screen time, she makes a mark. Priyanshu Painyuli is excellent, and the family drama is decent.

Minus Points:

The pacing during the last 40 minutes becomes a bit slow, and the makers could have trimmed down a few repetitive scenes to enhance the impact. The movie’s ending could have been much better.

Soni Razdan does well, but her character is underutilized. The song in the first hour wasn’t absolutely necessary, considering the serious tone of the film. The makers missed out on a good opportunity by not releasing this film in theatres, as the war scenes in Pippa deserve a theatrical experience.

Technical Aspects:

With Pippa, Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman proves why he is the best in the business. His background score was intriguing. The visuals are spectacular, and cinematographer Priya Seth did an extraordinary job. The camera angles during the war sequences were very good and offered a solid viewing experience. The editing could have been a little better. The production values are excellent.

Coming to the director, Raja Krishna Menon, he did a decent job with the film. The way things are set up is quite good, and the lengthy war sequence is done to perfection. However, the narrative loses steam during the last few minutes, which could have been taken care of.

Verdict:

On the whole, Pippa is a sincere attempt that throws light on the Indo-Pak 1971 war, precisely the Battle of Garibpur. How three siblings fought bravely for the country has been shown in a neat manner. The war scenes are well-designed. On the flip side, the pacing gets slow during the last few minutes, and the climax lacks the desired impact. Also, the makers could have shortened the film a bit. Nonetheless, Pippa is a satisfactory war drama.

 

123telugu.com Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team