Love conquers all

Jasmine Singh

There are times when you don’t mind hearing an old story all over again, if it is narrated in a nice and fresh manner. Punjabi film Mitti Na Pharol Jogiya (MNPJ) will remind you of some successful films made on the same topic — Shaheed-e-Mohabbat and Pinjar. Nevertheless, it starts off on a fresh note.

Directed by Avtar Singh and mentored by Anurag Basu, the film stars Kartar Cheema, Aman Grewal and Japtej Singh (of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag-fame) in the lead roles. MNPJ opens nicely, with everything, the screenplay, dialogues, direction and acting falling in place. The film actually builds up an interesting plot in the first half, but it is the after interval where things begin to movie aimlessly.

You can clearly demarcate the film into two halves, one before interval and the other after that. If the first half is racy, the second is like a fire shot aimed with no direction. Director Avtar Singh rushes through the second half, which essentially shows Jagaa (Japtej) struggling in Pakistan, which also is the crucial part of the film. The dialogues and cinematography of the movie is applaudable. The detailing of the first half is slightly amiss in the second half. Kartar Cheema, who plays Sucha Singh, around whom the story revolves, has done a fine job with dialogue delivery and acting. He did an intense role in Sikander earlier, and this time too he does the same with MNPJ. The director could have shown him in the second half, and even towards the end, which would have justified the plot. With intense actors like Kartar Cheema, Punjabi cinema should definately make use of him more.

Aman Grewal, the lead actress, unlike how actresses are presented in other Punjabi films, has done a commendable job. The two, Kartar Cheema and Aman Grewal, share a good onscreen chemistry. As far as Japtej is concerned, he is a chota packet bada dhamaal — a fine child artist in indeed. The director, however, tried to put the weight of the second half of the film on his shoulders, which Japtej could not carry. The rest of the actors have also done a fine job.

The Punjabi dialect spoken in the film deserves a thumbs-up. The music of the film is also good. The lyrics have been penned by Surjit Patar and Bunty Bains, and it is directed by Desi Crew. MNPJ will definitely pull the strings of your heart, the rest depends how much of mitti it has dug out from your heart!