Tough subject, casually handled

A daring subject set in 1980s’ Punjab, writer-director Abhishek Saxena’s ‘Bandaa Singh Chaudhary’ explores pyaar, dosti and dushmani! The film opens with the words ‘ugarwad’ and ‘ISI’, which are mentioned freely, before going back a few years and exploring the love track between Bandaa Singh Chaudhary (Arshad Warsi) and Lalli (Meher Vij).

The duo is leading a happy life with their daughter Nemat (Kiara Khanna), when a poster proclaiming ‘Hindu Punjab Chodo’ appears on their house’s outer wall. Bandaa is adamant not to leave his home and be treated like a refugee in his own country, putting the lives of others around him in danger.

The 1980s in Punjab is a sensitive subject, not too far in the past. The attempt to bring out a positive story with a message of harmony is praiseworthy, but the film lacks the depth that this difficult subject demanded.

While the lead pair’s love track plays out just fine, it’s the dosti between Bandaa and Teji (Jeeveshu Ahluwalia) that touches one more. Arshad and Meher — both seasoned actors — do their job right, but the lack of layers in their characterisation prevents the film from realising its full potential. Yes, we live in times when body shaming is a no-no, but one can’t help and point out that Warsi looks rather podgy for this role. He tries hard to carry the film on his shoulders, but umpteenth sunsets, multiplying posters and the repetitive ‘Bangladesh ka badla’ dialogue don’t help his cause.

It’s like the film is oversimplified for simpletons.

Meher gets a meaty role to play. Her fierce character is the strength for Bandaa’s journey. Despite a heavy climax, you don’t carry her tragedy with you out of the cinema. Here, too, the blame falls on superficial writing, just like the scene of Hindus being gunned down in a bus. The film shows it all, but fails to do justice to the era and the turmoil and tension amongst the masses.

On a positive note, side characters impress. Sachin Negi as Harpal has done justice to his role as Lalli’s younger brother, who is under the influence of extremists. Garry Dhillon, the child actor who plays Kukki, gives a decent performance; Jeeveshu Ahluwalia as Teji is endearing and Kiara Khanna as Nemat is adorable.

The background score is overpowering, drowning simple dialogues and basic emotions.

‘Sun Bandeya’, sung by Sukhwinder Singh, is pretty good, while ‘Dil Mureeda’ by Sunidhi Chauhan and Jay Mishra strikes a melodic note.

Those who forget their history are condemned to repeat it. Here, due credit to the makers for attempting a tough subject. It’s disappointing that it doesn’t live up to the promise.