‘Saand Ki Aankh’ Critics’ Review: Feisty With Forgivable Flaws

The film released on 25 October.

Saand Ki Aankh stars Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu as octogenarian sharpshooters Chandro Tomar and Prakashi Tomar. The two women from rural Uttar Pradesh began learning how to shoot when they were in their 60s and made history by becoming the world’s oldest and second-oldest sharpshooters, respectively. The film has been directed by Tushar Hiranandani and produced by Anurag Kashyap.

Here’s what critics have to say about the film:

“‘Saand Ki Aankh’ (written by Balwinder Janjua and co-produced by Anurag Kashyap) is hugely funny and uplifting, yet it never makes light of the grave risks Chandro and Prakashi took while travelling for competitions initially without informing their regressive, restrictive menfolk. In that sense, Hiranandani maintains a perfect tone as he takes us on this rip-roaring ride, deep into a fire that patriarchy could not douse.” 

Anna MM Vetticad; FirstPost

“There is a simple reason for why this grannies-with-guns saga fires blanks: the elderly women are played by Taapsee Pannu, aged 32, and Bhumi Pednekar, aged 30. The make-up and hair-and-wig departments attempt to complete a job that older actresses would have done far better. Pannu and Pednekar have silver-coloured tresses, and wrinkles are scattered across their supple faces. They also affect stoops and sometimes remember to slow down their movements, but they can never be mistaken for anything but young actresses at a costume party where they are playing their grandmothers.”

Nandini Ramnath, Scroll

“When we see them on a winning spree as they line up to shoot true and accurate, you clap for the Tomar dadis: both Bhumi and Taapsee execute this part with such good cheer that for a while you are willing to forget the fakery. You also raise a hurrah for the only man who believes in them: Vineet Kumar Singh (excellent) as the coach-mentor who takes them to the other side, accompanying them to their various competitions in the country, as they pile up medal upon medal.”

Shubhra Gupta, The Indian Express