It has its heart in the right place

Gurnaaz Kaur

This Punjabi film is unlike other Punjabi films for more than one reason. It has entered unknown or at least untried territory by not having an ensemble of character artistes for one. The next point that makes it ‘one of its kind’ is the fact that it runs on the shoulders of the leading pair and most of all it is a romantic drama and not a comedy. For the fans of Parmish Verma, this one marks his directorial debut. The singer-actor has also turned writer for it. As he returns to the big screen after two years, Parmish Verma is no less than Bollywood’s Salman Khan. His entry means a change in the background score, panning the camera according to his moves and sometimes even making the scene still. That was about the rage this star has become and thus shows on screen. Coming to the story. This tale of Natasha Waraich (Wamiqa Gabbi) who is an internet sensation and Laddi (Parmish Verma) a culinary arts student is sure to click with today’s youth. The madness around updating status, posting pictures and videos about every little detail of one’s life is well-pictured in this film. It’s the job Natasha loves doing and enjoys all the attention she garners from it. On a trip to London, she meets a simple, down-to-earth boy Laddi who has no interest in the digital world. But as they say, opposites attract each other. A chance encounter turns into friendship and within days, as they shoot the video for which Natasha is visiting London, they fall in love. This may sound a familiar story. Yes, it somewhat is. But more like a Hindi flick. For Punjabi cinema, this one is ahead of its time or at least a topic rarely treated for the movie buffs. Nevertheless, it is not the ‘boy meets girl; they fall in love; marry and live happily ever after’. There are twists and turns in this tale, just like they ought to be. While the first half goes in enjoying the beauty of London, talking about Punjabi immigrants, the double shifts they do to pay off the fee, the dream of getting a PR, etc.

The second half introduces Natasha’s boy friend, a social media star himself. It’s time for the lead pair to part ways. At every point where there is Parmish Verma, heavy Punjabi dialect, jatt di tor, are unmissable or better still the prime focus. This bit is laden with emotions. Wamiqa’s wakeup call about the virtual world that social media is and other realizations. It’s time for her to marry her boyfriend and move on in life, but she is clouded with conflict in her head. Both happy and sad situations are expressed with songs. Thus, the film scores on the music front as well. The songs are relatable, just like most of the film. So, where does it falter? Well, the lead pair is seen overacting at many points. Then, there is sudden shift from one emotion to the other. Lastly, though a happy one, the end is dragged. Is Wamiqa able to bring a change in her boyfriend? You can watch the film for it.

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com