A robbery like no other, a servile sarkari babu, and a teen’s metamorphic water park job

#10: Best movies to watch in November as Retake celebrates the enthralling actor Raghubir Yadav

Retake is ten issues in! And to mark this small but momentous milestone, we have a special treat for you. Out of the usual selection of five movie recommendations, our top three picks are dedicated to a stellar actor — Raghubir Yadav — and his prolific career. 

You may know him as Bhura from Lagaan or more recently and popularly as Pradhan Ji from Panchayat, but his acting journey goes back decades. If you grew up in the 90s, you couldn’t have missed him in Mungerilal Ke Haseen Sapne on Doordarshan. The NSD alumnus has been a theatre artist ever since he was a kid and got into movies and TV shows much later — one of his earliest films is a part of this Retake edition. 

It’s easy to gush over Yadav’s acting forte for hours, but let’s jump to this week’s movie recommendations and talk more about him as we go. 

Salaam Bombay! 

In 1988 came a film directed by Mira Nair, which is still counted as among her best works and a must-watch of all time. It captures the essence of what Bombay as a city represents for those at the very bottom of the spectrum — the ones who can’t go without saluting the spirit of Bombay every single day. This critics’ favourite film revolves around a young teenager, but Raghubir Yadav’s character is as pivotal to the story as our hero. 

A 12-year-old lad Krishna cannot return home until he has earned 500 rupees, as promised to his mother. As soon as he reaches Bombay in scruffy attire, he is robbed. Chasing the thieves for his belongings lead him to the city’s infamous red-light area where he picks up odd jobs to survive. Whenever he is about to reach his 500-rupee goal, something or other pulls him down. 

Krishna befriends a much older drug addict and peddler Chillum (Raghubir Yadav) and, like a good friend, helps with his addiction. He also falls for a young girl being forced into prostitution. He goes to great lengths to save her and get out of the clutches of this brutal city. 

(Trivia: Another talented actor Irrfan Khan makes a cameo in the film as a side character. And as you’d expect, he is brilliant in those 30 seconds, too!)

Massey Sahib 

Francis Massey (Raghubir Yadav) — or Massey Sahib, as he likes to refer to himself — is an English “type babu” under the British Raj in 1929. While a delightful person otherwise, Massey would do anything to appease his superiors, even if it requires some purposeful misdemeanour. His desire to be associated with his white sahibs and not those lowly village dwellers often lands him in trouble. And resting undue faith in his overlords doesn’t bode well for him. 

Massey Sahib is Raghubir Yadav’s first feature-length film that he leads effortlessly. That’s what makes you root for this slightly built man and want him to actually become one of the sahibs. The film is an adaptation of Mister Johnson by Joyce Cary and is directed by Pradip Krishen (In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones). It also stars author Arundhati Roy as Massey’s wife Saila and several other veteran actors in prominent roles. 

Peepli Live 

Two desperate farmers are contemplating committing suicide to get out of their debt. But to their (mis)fortune, a reporter overhears them and turns it into a viral news story. Everybody is now glued to their TV sets to see if Natha actually goes ahead with his suicide plan, and channels are running polls to predict the outcome. OB vans have surrounded Natha’s house in Peepli, and it’s the political parties who are now deciding if Natha should live or die — it’s a national issue now, with Peepli and Natha in the middle of it all. 

Peepli Live shows you exactly why the term “media circus” exists. When TV news channels hound a family to chase a sensational bit, they often ignore the more important underlying problem. This dark comedy holds a mirror to the cacophony that we call news today. Peepli Live is incomplete without Raghubir Yadav who plays Budhia, Natha’s older and much sassier brother. Just see how he tosses the onus of suicide on his brother in the beginning; it will crack you up 😆. 

The Way Way Back 

14-year-old Duncan doesn’t feel at home with her mother’s vile boyfriend Trent (Steve Carell) and his daughter. When this barely functional family goes to a beach house for vacation, Duncan finds an escape in a local water park. There he hits it off with a spirited Owen (Sam Rockwell), who gets him a dream job at the park, after which he starts to open up. While Duncan is now able to stand up to Trent, with Owen by his side, he also becomes the first person ever to do a trick in a tube slide that people had only heard legends of. 

The Way Way Back is a coming-of-age film that starts as a road trip and comes to a full circle with Duncan finding a buddy that he can confide in, albeit much older. There are no dull moments in the film — how can there be any when there’s a water park involved? So just grab a big tub of popcorn (or whatever else you fancy on a weekend night) and watch this fun ride from start to finish. 

American Animals 

A bunch of sharp students hatch a perfect plan to steal some rare valuable books from their university library. Their only mistake: they assumed it would be easy to overpower a single librarian and make millions in a jiffy. When they arrive in disguises, their plan goes sideways, but they can somehow afford a reattempt the next day. The second time, they manage to restrain the librarian clumsily but find it tricky to escape the university buzzing with people. And on top of that, they leave a trail of evidence on their way out of this situation. 

What stands out the most about American Animals is how it is presented. The film uses actual culprits of this real-life 2004 robbery as narrators, with the film constantly intercutting between their interviews and the story. It is definitely one of the better and offbeat heist films I’ve seen. 

---

How do you identify a phenomenal actor? You note their expressions when they aren’t speaking — and this is something Raghubir Yadav excels at. In all his films included here, you can see how he uses minute expressions and pauses to act subtly. He may have a slight build but his stature as an actor is remarkably high! 

While he has many more feathers in his cap, from singing to music composing, we just hope that he continues to appear in more films and web shows portraying amusing, offbeat, and moving characters. 

(*You may find these streaming services bundled with your mobile/internet connection without any extra charge.)

Be a part of the Retake community…

• Learn more about Retake.

• Sign up here to receive Retake issues on WhatsApp.

• For any questions or feedback, drop me an email or simply message me on Twitter.