The act of killing

Jasmine Singh

How do you feel when you miss the beginning of any film? If a friend has already reserved a seat for you, well, you can be assured of a quick run through. Otherwise, you have to live with the unsettling feeling of missing the starting.

Now, the best part about this week’s Punjabi film release 25 Kille is that you don’t have to fret or fume if you’ve missed the beginning, even if you come after the interval, chaleyga, because the film begins in the last 25 minutes. These are the 25 minutes when the lady lawyer gives the thorough summary of the film in a way that you can actually write a thesis on the Indian judicial act and Power of Attorney rules!

Directed by Simranjit Singh Hundal, 25 Kille is like a piece of land that wouldn’t yield anything even after the best of seeds, and the best of pesticides are sprayed. The film has a storyline, just like all the other films, where it is, is a question you’d ask yourself again and again! In case you don’t find it, here’s a low-down. Four robust brothers fight for their 25 Kille land. How do they fight is very interesting, except for one brother, Gugu Gill who seems to be doing some bit of court kacheri, rest of the three brothers are busy romancing, or taking part in romance.

The film with its unbearable length will in fact dig 25 nails (The Punjabi word for nails is killan) in your mind! The film lacks crispness, wandering here, there everywhere. The film has too many flashbacks. Interestingly, you will find the same chai wala in the rewind and in present as well. The director had already taken up a beeline of actors, we wonder why he couldn’t take different chai walas for the past and present. The court scenes are exaggerated; they almost sound like a tutorial in Indian judiciary system.

Next up the actors, we begin with the one who did try his best to show his bare-chested body. The actor who roars more, talks less, and that too with a single expression stuck to his face- Ranjha Vikram Singh. The actor plays one of the four brothers in the film. One, Ranjha doesn’t fit in his character, his Punjabi seems slightly out of place, and his tattoo and sleeveless kurtas do not make him any more macho in the film. Ranjha also has a solo romantic and sad number all to himself. Wonder why the director didn’t find rest of the three brothers (actors) worthy of a song and dance.

It is always a delight to watch Gugu Gill, but 25 Kille takes away this as well. The ‘director and the team’ have ‘nicely’ wasted this brilliant actor. Now for the man with a strong personality, Yograj Singh, with almost six to seven small dialogues, and one or two ‘little more than small’ dialogues, the director has wasted this actor too. Hobby Dhaliwal has nothing new to offer, this time though he has more screen time, Sardar Sohi is still appreciable. Jimmy Sharma, without the tattoo also looks appreciable and acts okay, Lakhwinder Lakha manages to sail through too. As for Prince KJ, how about trying something different, and last but not the least, Sonia Mann, if only her presence could change the fate of 25 Kille.

In the end Gugu Gill says, ‘tuhaade entertainment da pura intazaam kita hai,’.... do not take it seriously, the big man was just kidding!

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