Nigah Marda Ayi Ve movie review: Star-crossed lovers come together in this entertainer

Harman and Scarlet thus find themselves as unwilling partners on a road trip as they intend to crash the honeymoon of people they love. Motivated by getting back the love of their life, the two get to know each other, bickering, fighting, and plotting along the way. However, Scarlet’s sister Jessica (Nisha Bano) is desperate to get her sister back and launches a massive hunt for her.

The road trip forms a major part of the film where the duo embark on  various adventures. They steal a car, meet a rather funny drug peddler, have a run-in with the cops, amongst other things. While these incidents keep the momentum going, they become a tad tiresome as they take a long time to get to their plan. However, the journey provides for stunning cinematography by Sam Malhi as he captures the beautiful English countryside and its undulating, vibrant landscape dotted with fields of lavender.

Nigah Marda Ayi Ve focuses on the idea of love and togetherness, drawing inspiration from Romeo and Juliet, the legend of Heer-Ranjha, and others. There are also scenes where Scarlet and later Harman recite lines from Shakespeare’s play, which is a first in Punjabi cinema! Although the predictable, inevitable realisation of love draws from the stuff of legends and comes with its own problems, Harman finds a novel, very contemporary way of getting Scarlet’s sister to see their love.

While Harman’s character is pretty straightforward, there are facets to Scarlet’s personality that are stressed upon but are ultimately left up in the air. Jessica emphasises on multiple occasions that her sister has major anxiety issues and is a bit unstable but that remains largely unaddressed. It almost seems like Scarlet’s unpredictable nature is linked to her anxiety in some strange way.

Sukhpal Kaur Brar has tried to create some distinct costumes for the lead pair. Bhullar’s attire is dotted with embroidered shirts, and loose, lined unbuttoned shirts for a breezy summer look, while Mehta mostly wears flowing dresses with a retro touch, paired with large, dangling earrings. Ideal attire for a cheery holiday look.

Mehta who made her Hindi film debut with Cuttputlli in 2022, has had a fabulous run last year with the Punjabi blockbuster Saunkan Saunkne, the acclaimed romantic film Moh, comedy Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne. In Nigah Marda Ayi Ve, she is a bit hammy, especially in wafer-thin scenes that rely on her to carry them through. Bhullar is passable in his portrayal of the one who is hopelessly smitten. The duo, who featured together in Surkhi Bindi (2019) and recently in Sohreyan Da Pind Aa Gaya (2022), share a good chemistry overall.

The music punctuates the journey of the lovers aptly with Hashmat Sultana’s rustic voice singing “Ik pardesi”, a song of love and longing. The dance number “Rog Mera Yaar” and soulful romantic ballad “Mallo Malli”, both sung by Gurnam Bhullar are notable as well. The title song is also an upbeat reworking of the traditional song “Laung Gawacha”.

Nigah Marda Ayi Ve is an attempt at creating a road trip film which carries within it a realisation. Notwithstanding the protracted screenplay with a bloated middle, the film is entertaining and has its moments.

Nigah Marda Ayi Ve movie cast: Gurnam Bhullar, Sargun Mehta, Nisha Bano, Adi Chugh
Nigah Marda Ayi Ve movie director: Rupinder Inderjit
Nigah Marda Ayi Ve movie rating: 3 stars