Inspirational without being preachy

Set the casting controversy aside for now; Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar are flawless as the sexagenarian shooter daadis Prakashi Tomar and Chandro Tomar. Overall too, Saand Ki Aankh, helmed by debutant director Tushar Hiranandani, is subtle and complex, inspirational without being preachy.

Based on the life of India’s oldest sharpshooters, sistersin-law Chandro and Prakashi from Johri village in Uttar Pradesh, the film traces their journey from newlyweds, producing kids one after the other and toiling in the home and in the fields, decade after decade, to their unexpectedly dramatic 60s, when they both pick up a gun for the first time and discover they can hit the bull’s eye, every time, with no effort.

The opportunity comes their way via Yashpal (Viineet Singh), a local who was studying to become a doctor but decides to open up a shooting academy instead. The daadis win every competition, and the men in their family still have no idea what they’re doing. Then the women encourage their granddaughters Shefali (Sara Arjun) and Seema (Pritha Bakshi) to give it a shot, and the confrontations with the men begin.

These are homes, we’re told, where women have to wear a ghunghat even indoors, each assigned a colour so their husbands can tell them apart. Both Taapsee and Bhumi ace the dialect and body language. Their chemistry adds to the sense of authenticity — they are, for all the world, two mischievous rural women who really get along. They shine without overpowering each other, and this is largely because they’re feeding off each other’s energy — something we don’t see often on the big screen, especially with female actors.

Filmmaker-actor Prakash Jha excels as the antagonist, the family patriarch. Sara and Pritha bring freshness to the screen. Viineet’s is the one under-developed character, leaving him little room to improvise. The film moves fairly slowly and is repetitive, even in the second half. But what’s really jarring are the prosthetics, which are shoddy to the point of being distracting. Expect uneven skin tones, inconsistent wrinkles, even patchy makeup.

All in all, though, this is a family entertainer with a moving message, and the music — watch out for ‘Udta teetar’, ‘Womaniya’ and ‘Gold’ — will have you humming long after you’ve left the theatre.