The film ‘Animal’, folklore hero Arjan Vailly and his Ludhiana connection

The character of Arjan Vailly is famous in Punjabi folklore for a fight that took place at the famous ‘Roshani Mela’ festival held in Ludhiana’s Jagraon town in February every year.

Vailly never accepted injustice, says ‘great-grandson’
Joginder Pal Singh Virk, based in Toronto, Canada, says Arjan Vailly was his great-grandfather. “Arjan Singh was born around 1876 in the village of Rurka Kalan, near Ludhiana district. Arjan, a robust six-footer in his youth, was known for his strength and never accepted any injustice. He broke a police officer’s arm to stop him from harassing a poor person. Though he became known as Arjan Vail, he never engaged in physical altercations with weak people,” he told The Indian Express.

 

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“During the 1947 Partition riots, he also assisted several Muslim families… He saved the life of Ralla Teli, one of his Muslim friends. He kept Teli’s gold and silver safe, and later Teli’s son came back to collect it. He later joined the Punjabi Suba movement and also received recognition from the Punjab government after the state was formed. He actively worked for the welfare of his village,” Virk added.

Arjan Vailly’s two friends Modan Kaukia and Munshi Dango also find mention in folklore. Virk claimed that he was also in touch with the great-grandson of Dango, who lives in Vancouver.

According to Virk, Arjan Vailly died at Rajindra Hospital in 1968.

The song in ‘Animal’

Singer Bhupinder Babbal’s rendition of Vailly’s famous fight at the Roshani festival, in the form of a song in the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer ‘Animal’, has once again created a sensation. The opening verses of the song are: ‘‘Khaade vich daang khadke, Othe ho gayi ladaayi bhaari, Arjan Vailly ne, Ho arjan Vailly ne o paer, Jod ke gandaasi maari.” It can be roughly translated as: “The trouble started when the sticks came into play. Arjan Vailly joined his feet for a powerful blow of the gandaasi (wood chopper).”

The song is about a fight that took place between Vailly and his two friends with a group from Pandori village during the British era. The fight was over a girl, resulting in chaos during the Roshani festival as both sides collided.

According to folklore, the Pandori group was bigger but Vailly had skills with the gandaasi. The folklore also mentions the arrival of the police to diffuse the situation at the festival. Jagga Daku, Jatt Jeona Maur, and Arjan Vailly are all famous names from the British era, remembered in folklore for challenging the law of the land.