Too much of action!

Jasmine Singh

Looks like slowly but gradually the action genre is making an entry into Punjabi films. Though this week’s release Punjab Singh cannot be called an out and out action film, it does have dollops of it, which is shot pretty well. 

Directed by Taj, Punjab Singh has a battery of actors, but the good part is that each character, right from the hero to villain to the character roles, are well defined. The story of Punjab Singh is not something you haven’t seen or heard before, which is where the predictability comes in. 

While the roles of the actors are defined, the director seems to be in too much hurry to tell the story. It unfolds zip, zap and zoom, without giving up anything. Within 10 minutes you have met Punjab Singh (well, this is the name of lead actor), the villain and quite a few actors, but it doesn’t serve anything.  

The film is neither fast nor slow, it is kind of puzzled and driven by action rather than motive or cause. The cause that we get in the name of tragedy doesn’t shake the audience. Somewhere down the line you feel that the each character is trying hard to make an impact. There are far too bad characters and only one man (ideally) standing against them all. 

One actor, who needs a mention more than anything is Anita Devgan. Her role totally stands out, what a brilliant performance! The second actor who has changed the tables for himself is Kuljinder Sidhu. He comes across as not only menacing but also convincingly villainous. The lead character of Punjab Singh is played by Gurjind Maan. Though he fits in the role and justifies it too, still it lacks conviction. He is angry, he has a reason, he wants to give it back to the bad people, yet something doesn’t come out convincingly. May be the director needed to build up his character with far more strength and conviction. Ashish Duggal and Yaad Grewal, as always, nail their characters. Sarthi K is another singer who makes his debut as an actor with the movie. The singer does justify his role as a cop in the film though he could do with more expressions. The actress es Annie Sekhon and Shweta Grover actually gets to say her dialogues. The music of the film stands out, but then with so many big names attached to it, one couldn’t have expected anything else. Punjab Singh could have been a hit with the Punjabi audiences had they brought about conviction in Punjab itself! 

jasmine@tribunemail.com