Misplaced comedy

Jasmine Singh 

What if we were allowed to fast forward a movie! Well, if this choice was given while watching this week’s Punjabi film release Aate Di Chidi then without wasting a moment we would skip the entire film and watch only the climax because this is the only bit of the film where director Harry Bhatti has put in all melodrama, emotions and message. 

Even though the film has a strong message, it doesn’t come out well in the film, not at least till the second half as most of the first half is spent seeing NRI Punjabis drinking incessantly, making a complete mockery of themselves. Director Harry Bhatti had some of the best actors Sardar Sohi, Neeru Bajwa, Karamjit Anmol to work with. But he could not make use of them. The characters of Aate Di Chidi are not acting, they are overacting. Everything, right from dialogues, situations to comedy, is over the top and absolutely misplaced. The director had a strong subject, and message that he could do nothing about. 

The film is one loud stage show that can be fast forwarded. The film has comedy which is totally out of sync. In fact, one wonders how a director can let two brilliant artistes, Sardar Sohi and BN Sharma, waste themselves in absolute childish situations. 

Sardar Sohi is one of the best talents of Punjabi film industry but the director fails to define his character in the film. Nevertheless, one enjoys watching him in the film, except for all the misplaced comic scenes that he is made to do. Neeru Bajwa is yet another character in the film who comes as a breath of fresh air. Neeru has the talent to slip into her character. Punjabi singer- actor Amrit Mann does leave a mark with his comic interludes, though we still need to see whether he can act or not. And what a waste of talent in Gurpreet Ghuggi, let alone shaping Gurpreet Ghuggi’s character, the director couldn’t even present it properly. And the same holds true for BN Sharma. We do understand BN Sharma means comedy, but it surely doesn’t mean buffoonery. The only other actor that one enjoys watching is Karamjit Anmol, who plays a Bihari Punjabi. Nisha Bano, Nirmal Rishi, Harby Sangha... the director definitely needs to work on shaping up characters. 

The film has scenes stretched to the point of a pain, and even though there are scenes where the character feels overwhelmed and emotional, as an audience you feel nothing. Ammy Virk and Rubina Bajwa’s special appearance song does not give Aate Di Chidi wings to fly. The director has definitely tried to show a real scenario of Punjab but it is suppressed under unwanted comic scenes and laughter. 

If Aate Di Chidi came with a message, well, we kept on looking for it and we found it in the fag end of the story and by that time the chidi had flown away!