M A I N   N E W S

Show is on: Bhatti’s film premieres day after his death
Vivek Gupta/TNS

Chandigarh, October 26
The king of comedy and spoof, Jaspal Bhatti, got a standing ovation as soon as he appeared on screen during a special premiere on the opening day of his movie “Power Cut” at a multiplex this evening.

Savita Bhatti and Jasraj Bhatti (right), son of Jaspal Bhatti, during the premiere of ‘Power Cut’ at a Chandigarh theatre on Friday. Tribune photo: Parvesh Chauhan

As soon as he appeared in his usual comical attire on screen, his family members and fellow artistes, including wife Savita Bhatti, son Jasraj Bhatti, Gurdas Maan, Bhagwant Mann, Harbhajan Mann, Gupreet Singh Ghuggi, Jasbir Jassi and others, gave him a standing ovation followed by cheering from the packed audience.

An emotional Savita said she did not want to cry for her late husband who continued to be her strength.

“I am in a different state of mind as I watch his movie, which was his dream project. I will not even dare use past tense for him. He will always remain my friend, philosopher and guide. He will always be around us,” said Savita while putting up a brave face before the media.

Jasraj, who made his debut with this movie, said it took them just a minute to decide about holding the premiere, which was cancelled yesterday after his sudden death.

“This movie was his dream project. Though he is not with us today, his memories and legacy will always remain with us. We will keep alive his passion for meaningful comedy,” he said.

The movie hit cinema halls at 29 locations across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Jammu, besides release in Canada and Australia.

Rajan Batra of Batra Films, Jalandhar, distributors of the movie in the local market, said though the film’s booking remained slow on opening day, it was expected to pick up by word of mouth. Around 25% booking was registered in domestic market, he said. Those who saw the movie were visibly enthralled. Surinder Singh Dhillion, 22, an MBA student from Chandigarh, said like his earlier movies, this movie gave people sensible and meaningful comedy while highlighting the problem of power outages and corruption.

Kuldeep Singh (67), a retired PSEB chief engineer, said seeing Jaspal Bhatti on screen was an emotional moment for him. “I can’t believe he is no longer with us. His message in the movie was subtle, yet it gave us a reason to introspect.” Arun Mahajan, another moviegoer, said he had bought six tickets for his family to pay their tribute to the man who made them laugh for years. “Jaspal Bhatti was at his best in the movie. Playing a ‘marasi’, he highlighted the working of Punjab’s electricity department in his usual satirical way. His witty one-liners, as always, made the crowd laugh through the movie.”