punjabitalkies

The film is a stark representation of the clash of ideologies — the good,the bad and the ugly. Student union elections are the ground for future leaders,but how this ground is poisoned and the crop is allowed to wither away is the story of Sikandar. From the mafia mundeers on campus to the addicts

and the boys waving country pistols and teasing girls,Sikandar draws a picture of wars within Punjab,riddled with

a dangerous kind of violence. At the helm of this are national political parties,just as Shakespeare wrote,“Like flies to wanton boys,are we to the Gods,they kill us for sport”.

Mauhar earns points for bringing the Ram Gopal Varma genre of cinema to Punjab,particularly the one we got from Satya. His use of Sector 25 colony and Anandpur Sahib was a masterstroke,and so was his weaving in the element of women empowerment.

It was sheer delight to watch a film as a film,listen to Rabbi Sheirgill’s Chhalla and not just while away time on a cut-copy-paste version of just another romcom. Mauhar needed to build a little more on the background of the characters,but nevertheless,the film — in all its starkness,darkness and minimalistic approach — gives us a glimmer of hope that Punjabi cinema is in good hands. It also gives us a rising star,Kartar Cheema.