Line of no control

Jasmine Singh

Finally, after a very long time, Punjabi cinema is accepting the existence of something we all call ‘subject of a film’. Whether the director and the team manage to execute the subject is a different story all together; the good part is they acknowledge its importance.

Coming to the Punjabi film Lakeeran, this week’s release, it comes with a strong subject of widow remarriage. It is another thing that the film reveals this subject almost towards the end!

Lakeeran, directed by Bhupinder Sayan and produced by Wonderland Productions sees Harman Virk, Yuvika Chaudhary, Gurinder Rai, Shavinder Mahal, Nirmal Rishi and BN Sharma in different roles.

The first part of the film and quite a bit of the post interval Lakeeran can be called Pendu Punjab Darshan because in this section you will get to see activities, which according to the director, define rural Punjab. So, you have a touch and go of boliyan, of women swinging, of toka used to cut fodder, of prabhat feri...all moving without any storyline of course!

Since the Punjab darshan is so heavy in the film, we suggest the producers should sell the first half to the political parties of Punjab at this point of time, since each wants to show how they have contributed to the development of rural as well as urban Punjab.

It is only 20 minutes after the interval that you see something taking form, and you can’t help shouting aloud, ‘Oh yaar eh rahi story’.

Lakeeran comes with a fairly good subject of widow remarriage and slightly touches upon the menace of drugs.

Harman Virk makes his debut with the film. The actor can dare to try another Punjabi film after this. He looks fine; however, he certainly needs a good director who can get the best out of him. Another singer, Gurinder Rai also makes his debut. In the beginning you get to see Gurinder but for some reason, better known to the director and the team, he is not to be found anywhere later.

Next up is the actress Yuvika Chaudhary — with a handful of dialogues. In fact, if you are getting bored with the film, you can count her dialogues. Actor Shavinder Mahal, as usual, slips into the role of a father and sarpanch, a role cut out just for him! Nirmal Rishi and BN Sharma are totally wasted. Ah, well you have a special appearance by a brilliant actor, and now singer also, Harish Verma. If not much, the director could have made this actor’s appearance special, which of course he didn’t!

The music is fairly okay. Lakeeran could have changed the fate of the film if only someone in the film would have asked each other the question — Yaar Story Kithey Hai!