The first thing that caught my attention about Udta Punjab was its psychedelic poster. Next up came the movie’s trailer with an ominous message – a message that Punjab might soon be on its way to becoming the home of substance abuse in India. I saw the other side of Punjab in the trailer … no sarson ka khet, no roti-shoti, no turban-clad, lassi-guzzling men. It opens with the long-haired, puffy-eyed, drug addicted rockstar Tommy Singh. His look in the movie seems to be inspired by two characters – Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar and Shahid Kapoor in Kaminey. I love it when mainstream actors essay dark roles. Didn’t you love Shahid in Haider? Actors in dark, badass roles connect with the audience in a way that you end up loving to hate them. I believe that when an actor plays a negative role, it really pushes his potential and gets the best acting out of him. That’s the feeling I got when I watched Shahid in the trailer of Udta Punjab. We’ll even forgive his role in Shandaar, okay?
Now, let’s talk about Alia Bhatt, who is playing the role of Kumari Pinky, a Bihari immigrant. Her Bihari accent is adorably on-point. We’ve got to applaud this girl for her power-packed performances in every single movie she’s been in, our favourites being Highway and 2 States, in particular. Again, let’s forget Shandaar! You know what they say right: chota packet, bada dhamaka. I love Alia for her quirky fashion sense and her easy demeanour. But having said that, her character in this movie is diametrically opposite to everything urban. A non-glam, pale-looking girl who works on the fields to earn a livelihood. This has got to be some performance to look forward to.
It’s also imperative that I talk about my favourite Kareena Kapoor. In this movie, Kareena plays the role of Dr Preet Shahani, but I am a bit let down after watching her in the trailer. It looks like she doesn’t have a meaty role. The impression I get is that Shahid and Alia have more challenging parts to play than Kareena. But let’s wait for the movie. I hope I am proved wrong.
Last but not least, Udta Punjab is the debut movie for Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh, who plays the role of a cop called Sartaj Singh. A few scenes in the trailer and he really left a lasting impression on me, portraying a brutal police officer who had no mercy for those perpetuating drug abuse.
Udta Punjab, to me, falls in the category of good, real cinema, which will make the audience pause and think about what’s happening in and around the society we live in. No matter how it performs at the box office, stories like this one that have good content, will always have an appreciative audience. That includes me, and you should give it a watch too.
