Sherni: Lessons to Be Learned

The newly-released feature Sherni (now streaming on Amazon Prime) is set in the central-Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and was shot almost entirely on locatio in its lush countryside. Starring Vidya Balan, the story centers on newly-minted Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vidya Vincent as she confronts the complexities of a dangerous tiger at large in her district.

As directed by Amit Masurkar, the movie comes at the issue of humankind's conflicted relationship with wildlife from every angle - competing government bureaucrats, who run the gamut from unreasonable to ridiculous; candidates for office who use the tiger situation to further their personal political ambitions, while preying on the ignorance of their constituents; starving, impoverished citizens, trapped between governmental ineptitude and the need to graze their livestock; the grieving families of the tiger's victims; scientists from the nearby university trying to understand the motivations behind the tiger's actions; oafish hunters who believe the only solution to a tiger problem is a dead tiger; and greedy land managers who demand that workers keep working the fields despite the risks.

DFO Vincent herself is faced with instances of sexism that look positively American, as she is belittled, talked over, and ignored while men attempt to relegate her to the sidelines. It's very fun to watch her unwavering gaze as she backs down not a single inch. Vidya Balan's wonderfully understated performance as DFO Vincent becomes a kind of backboard off which bounces a series of male buffoons, all of whom seem to hail from India's version of Texas. She fights to the end, because that's what has to be done.

In the end Sherni ("Tigress") is firmly on the side of India's few remaining wild tigers (and its strong women). It doesn't offer any firm solutions, other than to suggest that the tigers (and other large predators world-wide) can be saved if we listen to our experts, do our best to limit the amount of stupid in our governments, and rid the world of cowardly, toxically masculine big-game hunters.

Yeah. I know.

Talk to you soon.

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