Udta Punjab (2016) Review!!!

Synopsis – A story that revolves around drug abuse in the affluent north Indian State of Punjab and how the youth there have succumbed to it en-masse resulting in a socio-economic decline.

My Take – This Abhishek Chaubey film has been in news from the time it has been announced. As production kept delaying actor Abhishek Bachchan walked out of the film to be replaced by Punjabi actor Diljit Dosanjh and once the film completed, CBFC (Center Board Of Film Certification) demanded 89 cuts including all reference to the state ‘Punjab’ in the film (including the title). When it seemed like producer Anurag Kashyap (with the support of the film industry – a rare beautiful sight) could finally take a breath of relief as due to the High court ruling in their favor, the film leaked on the internet two days before release. So is the film worth the hype? Not really! But I must say it was a bold and raw film which should be applauded for its genuine attempt. This film talks about the drug scenario in the youth of Punjab in a very relevant and realistic way. Following the three disclaimers initially, film is a pure truth under the camouflage of fiction. The film walks on a tightrope, shifting between irreverent and insightful. Profanities are hurled, songs about coke and cock are sung and yet, there are deep conversations amidst shocking revelations. Sure, you’ll find yourself chuckling in the strangest parts, smiling to yourself at incorrigible instances. But its the grim tone which director Chaubey showed in his previously wonderful yet under rated films Ishqiya (2010) & Dedh Ishqiya (2014) is what truly sucks you in. Unlike most interconnected storyline films in Bollywood, the four parallel lives are smartly woven together. The film follows Tommy Singh (Shahid Kapoor), a Bihari immigrant (Alia Bhatt), a junior police officer Sartaj Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) and Dr Preet Sahani (Kareena Kapoor Khan).

Tommy Singh is a popular singer and junkie whose image is built around macho posturing, drugs and partying, like a lot of the hard-edged Punjabi pop out there. There’s the unnamed laborer from Bihar, who finds 3kg of heroin in a field, tries to sell it and is soon in over her head. Through some stunning associative editing, Chaubey indicates that these two are somehow linked much before their stories actually intertwine. The other major characters are brought together in more straightforward fashion. Sartaj who, like all his colleagues, is happy to allow drugs to circulate in his area (his cut is Rs.10,000 a month). But when his younger brother overdoses, Sartaj’s path crosses with Dr Preet Sahani, who runs a rehab facility. After Preet chides the policeman for turning a blind eye to the problem, the two of them team up and try to find the link between local politicians, suppliers and dealers. From a logic standpoint, their fact-finding expedition is a little wishful, but it supplies one of the film’s few moments of beauty, as the shy Sartaj, emboldened by a drug he has been stabbed with, asks Preet out on a date. Chaubey and co-screenwriter Sudip Sharma move these four characters and a host of minor ones around like chess pieces, some of them running defense, others making sudden attacks. That the writing is profane is common knowledge after the censor troubles of the past few weeks, but the harshness of speech makes perfect sense, for this is a harsh film. In prison, Tommy comes across two fans of his. They rap a few lines from his first hit track, tell Tommy they idolize him, then reveal that they’re in jail for killing their mother. After a scene like this, it’s difficult not to curse, even if you’re an audience member. Director Abhishek Chaubey and his team have literally done a service to us by bringing a quintessential ‘education’ on brutal drugs such as cocaine, and the more extreme heroin and methamphetamine. How they trap everyone that gets in their way in any capacity, is one of the toughest things to genuinely portray. Every conceivable negative outcome of drug addiction is laid out in the plainest possible terms: penury, familial divide, self-abasement, violence, apathy. Unlike Hollywood ventures like Trainspotting & Requiem for a Dream, the film does not take a raw unpalatable route, but instead carefully curated a mix of usual Bollywood superficiality and their original intent. The trailer was not even a close representation of what the movie is about. It takes guts to do that. The film is a brave attempt and filled with nail-biting moments like Alia Bhatt fighting back from getting injected with drugs, her frustration venting out when she meets Shahid Kapoor after the concert and the chemistry between Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor are some of the highlights of the film. Here, it would seem packets containing drugs are raining down all over the state. This is not the Punjab that Bollywood has portrayed over the years — the land of yellow mustard fields, energetic dances and lively weddings. In this avatar, Punjab is engulfed in a drug-induced stupor. Teenagers slump around abandoned houses, surrounded by syringes and white paper. Huge consignments of illegal substances make their way around the state with the complicit approval of a corrupt police force, while politicians distribute deadly drug cocktails as election favors. Having said that, the film does have its set of issues to deal with.

With a 148 minute run time and four character tracks to follow, the screenplay feels overcrowded especially in the first half and resorts to contrivances in an attempt to resolve some issues. Of course with an ongoing issue it has no time to delve into socio economic factors that led to this crisis or to find a solution in the state. There is so much to rave about this film – its satirical tinge, crackling dialogues, the complex characters, the tendency to avoid being uni dimensional, giving a message without being holier-than-thou. And still, the over-indulgent director can’t help being himself. The clever gun fight sequence from Dedh Ishqiya makes a repeat in this case, which makes the climax of the film unconvincing and weak. Nevertheless It is to the credit of the four actors and the ensemble cast that the film is mostly a triumph. One of the most under rated leading actors of the lot (mainly due to his continuing streak of picking up terrible films) Shahid Kapoor returns after the unnerving Haider in a role that will shake you up. Shahid Kapoor ignites the screen with sheer madness. As the obnoxious Tommy Singh, Shahid is at his most zaniest, delivering a delightful turn, although a change of heart in his character (in the second-hour), isn’t convincing enough. Nonetheless, Shahid Shines! Diljit Dosanjh (who is already a superstar back in Punjabi language films) makes a confident debut! His boy-next-door charm infuses earthiness to the plot and without his support, the film would have lost solid ground during its build up. Kareena Kapoor Khan plays her part well. She lends her own air of professionalism to her character, which works because Preet is the only person who exhibits some kind of control. However the real star of the film is Alia Bhatt! If you thought Highway was the actress at her finest, wait till you watch her here. As the tormented & drug-addicted Bihari migrant, Alia transforms into the part. Her Bihari dialect is flawless & the range of emotions she displays, are simply awe-inspiring. When did the kid from Student of the Year become such a fabulous actor? Well, whatever the metamorphosis was – it surely has given the industry someone who is more than just a star, an actor who is bold enough to break boundaries. Its hard to believe she belongs to the Bhatt family, who have been forcing upon us a bunch of bad actors (except Emraan Hashmi of-course) for more than a decade now. Director Abhishek Chaubey takes a step forward with this film and created a niche subject never been attempted on Indian cinema before. Hats off to him and definitely to the producer Anurag Kashyap for taking his stand through out the controversies surrounding the film. On the whole, ‘Udta Punjab’ is a brave film which deals well with a grim subject and contains some exceptional performances supporting the cause.