A story that revolves around drug abuse in the affluent north Indian State of Punjab and how the youth there have succumbed to it en-masse resulting in a socio-economic decline.
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Writers: Sudip Sharma, Abhishek Chaubey|
Stars: Alia Bhatt, Shahid Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh
UDTA PUNJAB is worth the hype. And not in terms of all the bad things said about it, it’s genuinely an eye opener. It talks about the drug scenario in the youth of Punjab in a very relevant and realistic way. Following the three disclaimers initially, film is a pure truth under the camouflage of fiction.
UDTA PUNJAB revolves around the four lead characters connected with the substance abuse. Tommy Singh( Shahid Kapoor) is so high, under his fading success that you can’t guess what he will do next. He is the direct result of what we consume and idolize. The persona, the crass, the love for hate, Tommy has it all. Shahid Kapoor’s skin deep Tommy is a must watch. And so is Alia Bhatt. A Bihari migrant worker trying to make her life better, ends up in an unexpected mess. She takes you just by one strike, down and out. Alia Bhatt is not a pleasant surprise in such a different part, but an emerging talent which might level out all other to the ground. See it to believe it! Preet( Kareena Kapoor Khan) is a Doctor working at rehabilitation for the addicts is good and bold in her approach. She looks more bright with here curious eyes and that connects. And Sartaj Singh( Diljit Dosanjh) is a cop stuck between money and wrong. He is so true and innocent till his core and from there on what we see is solid performance. What a debut!
UDTA PUNJAB is choppy at places, but I love the transitions with the structure. The edit is not much to talk about, but it sets a pace with gripping background music. Second half is bit slow and few things looks like losing control. Songs are good and my personal favorite is Ikk Kudi… It’s still there, humming somewhere.
Characters speaks out from real life. And Punjab is captured in such a realism, thank god, no mustard fields this time. Language is well taken care off, it’s very true to the way we speak. And this is the most important aspect of UDTA PUNJAB for me, its authenticity! The unconventional story telling might not be for everyone, but it’s intriguing. Technically UDTA PUNJAB is not in its best form which itself is a way to take story forward. Cheers to Abhishek Chaubey for this.
UDTA PUNJAB is neither a great film, not a path-breaking technical scorer. It’s a mirror which some wanted to smash before we could see. The struggle has paid off with somewhat shady and choppy, but reality is stark. Let there be reflections!