Sherni
2021
Director: Amit Masurkar
Cast: Vidya Balan, Vijay Raaz, Neeraj Kabi, Sharat Saxena, Ila Arun

What’s the plot?

A newly transferred lady forest officer lands into a whole jungle of problems. Besides the rampant corruption, political interference, sexism, and environmental conflicts, that are an inevitable part of the job, she is also handed a tough challenge of nabbing a man-eating tigress on the prowl. With only a few supporters in her corner, she tries her best to track and save the tigress, a mother of two young cubs, who has turned man-eater thanks to the lack of natural prey, as a result of deforestation, and land-grabbing. As the human toll mounts, the braying for putting down the animal reaches a crescendo. Will the lady succeed in keeping the publicity-seeking politicians, blood-thirsty hunters, and spineless bosses at bay, while making sure that the tigress is caught and released to the reserved safe forest?

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Verdict

Director Amit Masurkar, (who is also the co-writer) makes Sherni less of a jungle thriller, and more of a socio-political satire- much in the same vein as his National Award-winning Newton. The focus is on showing the Man Versus Nature tussle in the forest areas, the socio-political churnings, and the inadequacies of the ‘System’. With deft camerawork, sharp observations and tongue-in-cheek humor, tthis Amazon Prime OTT film succeeds in meeting these objectives.

Vidya Balan’s decidedly low-key central protagonist perfectly brings out a world-weary lady forest officer’s uphill struggle. The supporting cast- especially Vijay Raaz as local environmentalist, Brijendra Kala as the silly boss, Sharat Saxena as the seasoned hunter, Neeraj Kabi as the tough senior officer, and Ila Arun as the traditional mother-in-law- makes an effective foil.

Unfortunately, Masurkar’s slow, brooding style takes away the pace and energy of the narrative. For a film based on a man-eating tigress, there is far too little wild-life footage, and no real heart-pounding sequences. In that manner, it is an opportunity wasted.

Still, Sherni is worth a watch for a reality check on India’s wild-life conservation efforts. Just don’t expect it to be a thriller, it is an issues-based fare, which raises uncomfortable questions, and ends rather ambiguously!

Rating

3 stars