First off, is Udta Punjab worth all the fuss? I’d say, absolutely.
Not because it is a perfect film. It has flaws. But this is the kind of film that has something to say, and it says it with both flair and conviction.
The problem is the plot contrivances. In order to put Kareena’s star power to some use, she is turned into a sleuth, and the scenes in which she and her cop companion career around in dark godown.
But the two actors who make this thing sing are Diljit and Alia. The former, a huge star in Punjab making his Bollywood debut here, is very good. He adds enormously to the authenticity and heft of the film.