Saand Ki Aankh is not a film just about women empowerment – it’s about womanhood, sisterhood and celebrating life.
Starring actresses Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar in the lead roles, Saand Ki Aankh is based on the lives of sharpshooters Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar, also known as Shooter Dadi and Revolver Dadi respectively.
The film made its theatrical release on 25 October 2019 and made its digital premiere soon after.
The film received mix reviews specifically for using younger actors to portray characters of 60-year-old women from rural India. And while that may be a drawback since it takes some time getting used to their heavy makeup, inconsistent dialect in parts and body language, Saand Ki Aankh is a gem once you can move past its flaws.
The women in the film are aware of the toxic patriarchy and misogyny, but doesn’t let the fragile egos of men break their confidence. They don’t even take themselves too seriously – they are firm, focused on finding solutions and sticking to their guns (no pun intended).
Scene from Saand Ki AankhHere are 5 memorable moments from the film (stop reading ahead in case you haven’t seen it – spoilers ahead):
- When Chandro (Bhumi Pednekar) advises her newly wedded sister-in-law Prakashi (Taapsee Pannu) to pick a color of dupatta that she’s willing to wear for life. This is so their respective husbands can identify them without having to lift the veil.
Scene from Saand Ki Aankh- When Chandro encourages her granddaughter to learn shooting at an all-boys shooting club and ends up shooting a bull’s eye at her first attempt. She then also encourages Prakashi to take her daughter to the club, where Prakashi too hits a bull’s eye effortlessly. While it seems unrealistic (which it is NOT because it’s based on a true story), the grandmothers have a steady hand and sharp eyes due to years of experience in working in the fields and hard-core household chores. Their training doesn’t come from practicing at an indoor club, it comes from life!
Scene from Saand Ki Aankh- Both Chandro and Prakashi are eager to learn, whether it is learning to sew clothes, shooting or even English. Chandro gets excited every time her grandson teaches her a new word (even if its “fool”), and even pushes Prakashi to take up sewing more seriously and stitch clothes for the women of the house if that make her happy.
Scene from Saand Ki Aankh- When Chandro and Prakashi tactfully manage their husbands under the pretense of a dream that could be a bad omen signaling their partner’s passing. They scheme up a plan so they can travel to another city to participate in a shooting tournament. It’s a treat to watch their plans take shape throughout the film.
- The last scene when Prakashi’s daughter returns from a World Cup season and thanks the original sharpshooters for encouraging her and giving her wings to fly. She goes to her mother and gifts her an “imported” nail polish – something Prakashi never experienced because she was too caught being tough for her girls.
BONUS: When the Tomar shooters, i.e. Chandro, Prakashi, Chandro’s granddaughter and Prakashi’s daughter are rewarded a mango each they score a bull’s eye at training.
What’s your favorite scene from Saand Ki Aankh. Share in the comment below!
Saand Ki Aankh is streaming on ZEE5.
Very intriguing! I stopped reading, as instructed, because now I want to watch this, having read your review!