A rare dare

The expletives notwithstanding, the pre-release hue and cry point to a political unpreparedness and a social laxity to take on reality and a public exposure of it.

The ‘collective drugging’ into complacence and a social disorder to put things under the carpet and thereby believe in its non-existence is a serious pathological issue that needs to be addressed. Even in art, leave alone reality we seem to be unwilling to take reality by the horns.

Before going any further it needs to be stated that I saw the film in a theatre. This has two obvious contextual repercussions: piracy and censorship.

One sincerely hopes the film survives the challenge of the mindset and that of piracy. The content surely deserves that much. It is a rare dare within the parameters of mainstream cinema. It is hard hitting.

Actually hurting. Any attempt to succumb to the pre-release pressure would have ended up depriving the film of its soul and scream. It would be playing Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark.

Not a nanosecond does the film glorify substance use. Many may not go with the style, the rawness and unpretentious narrative. It must be said to the credit of the filmmaker (Abhishek Chaubey) that they do not look contrived. The content and the grammar are indeed in sync.

It is for most of the time achingly morbid or hurtingly realistic. There is no gloss. On the other hand you discern a conscious effort to call a spade a shovel.

It is reminiscent of the Govind Nihlani school, may be lacking balance in compare but then that could well be attributed to the denominator of changing times. Not here the gloss that Dev Anand chose when he dealt with the hippies of the 60s in ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’.

From the multitude of preys to narco terrorism three lives become central to the tale. We have a drug propelled, profanities freak rockstar in Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor) whose losing battle with drugs first catapults him to fame and then makes it difficult for him to touch terra firma.

He is a victim of the principle that a non-conformist artist often lives by the image and cannot divorce himself from the created image. In a world where negativity sells, the challenge only gets sharper.

Some even perceive this as heroics. Can you imagine a calm quiet, balanced Chris Gayle!There is Pinky (Alia Bhatt – in a mind-boggling performance) who is drawn into the mushy world of substance abuse unwittingly and wholly without the wherewithal to extricate herself from it.

The third tale deals with a low ranking police Inspector Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh in a marvellously etched and suave performance) who wakes up to his hitherto corrupt wink at the incidents of drug peddling when the menace knocks at his door step and his college going brother Bali (Prabhyojit Singh) takes to the deadly vice.

There is Dr Preet Sahani (Kareena Kapoor- the contrasting picture perfect professional) fighting the drug menace both as a professional and as a social activist. The three victims find different scenarios. One is at a rehab centre, one on the run and the other trying hard to erase the public image and start afresh.

The unseen hands of big time politicians make the business flourish.
There is a fine post interval moment in the film leading to the climax when the contrasting style of the quiet of the blooming romance between Sartaj amd Preet runs parallel to the high voltage drama in the cross connect between Tommy and Pinky. Everyone in the film lives the role given.

In the post ‘Haider’ scenario the audience has come to expect very high delivery from Shahid. However, his character is not built to sufficient space. He still survives it with the kind of flesh he gives the character. Kareena is picture perfect. In terms of performances, however, it is Alia Bhatt and Diljit Dosanjh who walk away with the
honours.

To those to whom cinema is also about social relevance, statement making social documentation and serious visuals, ‘Udta Punjab’ would leave an indelible mark. May be even an aching scar. To those who see cinema as an extension of a circus, this is to be avoided.

Cast : Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor Khan
Direction : Abhishek Chaubey
Genre : Drama
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