An immersive war film experience without the unnecessary chauvinistic nationalistic pomp and show-I enjoyed the film thoroughly. And yes! I wasn't really aware of the details of the war of '71, precisely the Battle of Garibpur, and how India helped East Pakistan (Bangladesh) attain liberation from West Pakistan.
The story of three siblings is straightforward and neat. The rift between the brothers was interesting. I am glad the makers didn't burden our protagonist with a love interest. The war scenes-WOW-beautifully designed. The locations where the film is shot contributed immensely. I believe not much of VFX has gone into the film. The tank battles could have been dealt with better. Underproduction? Small budget ? Maybe the reason, but whenever PIPPA was in the water, I was watching without a blink. Ishan worked for me as an actor mostly. Imaamulhaq was brilliant.
The visuals are for the theatre, and cinematographer Priya Seth did an excellent job, especially during the war sequences; the camera immersed me. Director Raja Krishna Menon did commendably as well-the setup, the war sequences were well done. I had teary eyes more than once.
On the flip side, the pacing gets slow towards the end. The climax is underwhelming indeed. Edits at some places were abrupt; also, the makers could have shortened the film. The background score was changing tones, so it worked for me only in parts. AR Rahman sir didn't impress. I wish the film had seen the theaters. Pippa Pippa, "Ghee da dibba," is a victory indeed.
