Sonchiriya poster: Manoj Bajpayee, Ranvir Shorey stand out more

Thugs and bandits seem to be back in vogue on the big screen. While Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan have Thugs Of Hindostan out in December, Ranbir Kapoor plays a bandit in Shamshera, due next year, and there is Sushant Singh Rajput who plays a bandit in Abhishek Chaubey’s Sonchiriya, or Golden Bird.

The makers of Sonchiriya unveiled the film's first poster today. And it has not one or two but almost two dozen dacoits in it.

The one who is the centre of attraction here is lead actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Who would have thought the same man who played a chocolate boy in his TV show Pavitra Rishta and then portrayed cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the big screen would one day appear dressed as a marauder.

But then what good an actor if he simply sticks to one image? So Rajput certainly deserves credit for daring to take up such a subject.

The young man stuns you with his rugged, rustic look in the poster. Though the comparison may be unfair, he reminds you somewhat of Gabbar Singh, the legendary dacoit from Sholay (1975) played by the late Amjad Khan.

Manoj Bajpayee and Ranvir Shorey are kneeling before the gang leader (Rajput). But director Chaubey appears to have paid special attention to their looks.

The tagline, 'bairi beimaan, baaghi savdhaan', means the enemy won't play by the rules and so the rebels (as bandits of the Chambal region used to style themselves) need to be alert. But who is the enemy? Is he a formidable foe or a traitor?

The Sonchiriya poster is certainly a bit crowded. Rajput’s character, perhaps, needed to stand out. But it is Bajpayee and Shorey’s characters who catch the eye more.

The film also stars Bhumi Pednekar. Sonchiriya is scheduled to be released on 8 February next year.