Letter from small-town India enthralls

Welcome to Sajjanpur
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Amrita Rao
Director: Shyam Benegal
Rating: ***

Mahadev is one of the only literate residents of a small village called Sajjanpur. A writer, who harbours dreams of becoming a novelist, performs the part of the village's official letter writer and uses those missives as a conduit for his creativity.

Privy to the villagers' innermost thoughts and private lives, Mahadev wields subtle powers, and is able to manipulate situations with often comic and sometimes tragic results.

Director Shyam Benegal's story affectionately presents an Indian village touched by technology, but uneducated in its use. Ashok Mishra's screenplay and dialogues infuse the film with authenticity and sculpt a cast of characters representing issues affecting middle India — from widows and their remarriage to migrant labour, local politics, small town crimes, blind faith in superstition and the advantages of literacy.

Though the themes are serious, the treatment does not resort to moralising. It's good to see Benegal take a lighter view of society and the world while adding his finesse to the canvas.

Set in contemporary India, it is surprising that most of the villagers continue to rely on a Rs 2 postcard rather than using mobile phones or PCOs. But you are willing to suspend that disbelief for the sake of the plot and its execution.

If only Benegal had jettisoned the songs which are forgettable, do nothing to further the narrative, and basically slow down the show.

Amrita Rao, as a wife dependent on Mahadev to convey her feelings to her absent husband, is sweet and displays ample innocence. Yashpal Sharma, Ila Arun and Ravi Jhankal, as Munnibai the eunuch, pitch in with feisty performances. But it's Shreyas Talpade as Mahadev who stays with you.

After Iqbal, this is the perfect role for him. As the popular letter writer who has won the hearts of Sajjanpur folk, he stays in character maintaining dialect and diction, and wins the hearts of audiences as well.