This sardaarji is hilarious

Jasmine Singh

If you are likely to find a Punjabi anywhere in the world, then it is a remote possibility that you’ll find them without any wit, humour or without them breaking into thunderous laughter. It is this ability to laugh at themselves and also to laugh out loud (LOL) in general, which makes them likeable, we assume!

This case scenario applies to the Punjabi film SardaarJi, starring Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, Mandy Takhar and Jaswinder Bhalla.

SardaarJi is all about laughter, about innocent and perky humour. Forget about applying your brain, it isn’t required.

Directed by Rohit Jugraj, the man who gave a hit like Jatt James Bond, SardaarJi opens an all new genre for Punjabi cinema called fantasy genre. Now, if catching a spirit, talking to them, even falling in love is your fantasy, well, well…

The story and screenplay comes from Dheeraj Ratan, a man who is heavily, immensely and totally inspired by Bollywood and Hollywood (Now what else is left!). A few scenes come directly from English film Hangover and Hindi film No Entry. Anyway they still make one laugh, in a Punjabi style or stylo (courtesy Diljit). Like we said, Sardaarji is about laughing and laughing, if you start looking for a storyline, or why scenes are being dragged or why someone dedicates so much time to salsa, you wouldn’t get answers, because they are likely to be drowned in Diljit’s laughter punches.

Director Jugraj has managed to make some sense to a loose plot, and with an actor like Diljit, things wouldn’t have been that bad. However, if only someone, director or the writer could have told us why a child trapped in a room suddenly gets this bravado to catch spirits, ‘bhoot’ we mean! Some explanation about this would have brought much justification to Diljit’s character. But as we just mentioned, laugh it off, like the entire crew has, on the slightest mention of being slightly brainy.

Next up is the one-man-army, Diljit Dosanjh, the actor probably needs to hear the clap of the clapboard and off he goes, making sure your intestines fall off while you are still rolling in laughter! Despite a weak storyline, sardaar Diljit, oops, sardaarji Diljit has done what he is best at — comedy and singing. The actor has delivered a laughingly amazing performance. (We dish out credit to the dialogue writer as well). Neeru Bajwa, the rani of Punjabi cinema, comes and goes. In fact, she is away for a long time in Sardaarji, but whenever she comes on screen, it is a delight to watch her gowns, her glossy lips and her chote motey dialogues. Mandy Takhar, the Jasmine of Sardaarji, is third angle of the triangle. This pretty face needs more expressions, even her crying, her sob story doesn’t move you. Mandy has definitely done better than her last film, where again she had to look pretty, which she is!

Jaswinder Bhalla is good in a short and sweet role. To bring it back to the man who has single- handedly carried the film on his shoulders- Diljit Dosanjh, he is the reason why the film gets all the points.

The music of the film is lovable and hummable. With some glaring glitches, Sardaarji nevertheless manages to smoothly run over them with a hearty laugh. C’mon LOL!

Film: SardaarJi 
Director: Rohit Jugraj
Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Bajwa, Mandy Takhar, Jaswinder Bhalla and Amritpal Chotu
Rating: ***

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