Pippa (that literally means ‘empty tin of ghee’) as a movie first caught my attention because of the title itself. Named after the amphibious PT-76 tanks provided by the then Soviet Union in the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, it played a significant role in the Battle of Garibpur.

The main characters of the movie, Captain Balram Singh Mehta and Major Ram Mehta (played by Ishaan and Priyanshu Painyuli, respectively) are the soul of the film, who along with other characters like Chiefy, Speedy, Ramphal, and especially the vicious Shibli (played by Inaamulhaq), keep the movie on track. Director Raja Krishna Menon has left no stone unturned to maintain the adrenaline rush during the battle scenes. The scenes were shot on real locations and real PT-76 tanks were used in the sequences, making them more realistic and giving the viewers a cinematic revisit of the gallantry of the 45 Cavalry and 14th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment.

Keeping aside the controversies created from the rendition of Kazi Nazrul Islam’s Karar oi louho kopat, the main drawback of the movie is the sub-plots being bland as characters like Anirban (Soham Majumdar) and Radha (Mrunal Thakur) are underutilised in the movie and may not connect with the viewers. (I liked/didn’t like Pippa because... November 11)

Sayan Dutta

Pippa tells the story of a cavalry (previously horse mounted unit) or tank regiment, most probably for the first time. It is a story of war and brotherhood. As an Indian, it is worth watching the untold, true stories of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Raja Krishna Menon’s war movie brings back the memory of Lakshya. Family, specially his elder brother, chose the career of the battlefield for Balram (Ishaan). He lacks aim, ambition or focus. But with time, he starts to love his job as a captain of an amphibious tank regiment. Balram’s emotional involvement with his co-soldiers, his shifting philosophy of life and emotional drift are well portrayed by Ishaan. Soham Majumdar performs well in a small but significant role of an intelligent analyst. The easy redesign of war tanks is a weak point of the story. Somehow, the tension of burning bullets and battlefield scenes are not intense. But the biography of Balram Singh Mehta set against a war backdrop offered a different type of treatment to a war film and was enjoyable.

Sarbani Banerjee

I liked Pippa because as a biographical war movie. The movie was high on patriotism and emotions. The story, which centred around the life of war hero Captain Balram Singh Mehta, touched my heart and soul. Plus, the tale was narrated masterfully. Ishaan delivered a laudable performance in the role of the real-life war hero. I also liked the acts of Priyanshu Painyuli and Mrunal Thakur. Overall, this Raja Krishna Menon directorial was a compelling war drama and surely one of the best war movies to emerge from Bollywood.

Sourish Misra