Local actor rises to fame as Punjabi film ‘Dear Jassi’ wins award at Toronto International Film Festival

Mandi Ahmedgarh, Sept 18

A Punjabi film ‘Dear Jassi’ bagged the Platform Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that recently concluded in Canada.

It was inspired by a real-life honour killing committed in this region about 23 years ago. Tarsem Singh Dhanwar is the producer of the film while an amateur artist from Kaunke village near Jagraon, Yugam Sood, has played the role of Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu Mithu.

On cloud nine

We never expected that a 90-minute film that highlights honour killings among a particular community, would fetch us such popularity. Sanjay Sood, Actor’s father

The film recapitulates events leading to the gruesome killing of a Canadian Sikh girl, Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu Jassi, for marrying Sukhwinder Singh Sidhu Mithu, violating the incest laws of a local community.

Jassi’s mother and maternal uncle, along with other accused, got Jassi and Mithu abducted from the outskirts of Narike village in the Amargarh segment. While Jassi was murdered, Mithu managed to survive the brutal attack.

An amateur young artist from a middle class family of local town, Yugam never dreamt of gaining popularity so fast when he chose to play the role of Mithu in the film.

“We never expected that a 90-minute duration film that highlights honour killings among a particular community, would fetch us such popularity,” said Yugam’s father Sanjay Sood, a councillor at Municipal Council, Ahmedgarh.

Yugam’s mother Renu Sood is also a former councillor while his late grandmother Usha Sood was the first woman president of the Municipal Council.

The Tribune publications have also played a major role in recapitulating the love story of Jassi and Mithu and the appalling attitude of her parents.