- Date of Release: 29 November 2024
- Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Language: Punjabi
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Jahankilla
Introduction
The theme of the new Punjabi film is similar to that of the Hindi film Lakshya. Both the protagonists of the two films are essentially unemployed with an uncertain future that is staring right back at them. But the difference lies in their economic backgrounds – Karan(Hrithik Roshan) was from a privileged background which in a way made his choice of entering the Indian Army (eventually), also coming out of a state of privilege. Shinda (Jobanpreet Singh) on the other hand, doesn’t boast of that kind of a privilege. In fact, his lower economic background is at the fulcrum of his times in his village which itself doesn’t boast of any opportunities in terms of employment. Hence, you often see him whiling away his time with fellow peers of his, a duration that sees him fall in love with Simran(Gurbani Gill). But the measure his economic status can also be determined wherein his love story comes with a rider – he has to lie to continue to be with the person that he wishes to. And hence, the journey of Shinda is automatically indicative of a more broader journey featuring the youth of the country who continue to be unemployed, which is a rather unfortunate situation to be in. The same is further hinted in the tale through a couple of other characters – Ghabrati (Jashn Kohli) and Sanju (Jeet Singh Panwar), who find themselves in a similar life situation as Shinda. And hence, it hardly comes as a surprise that the trio (individually speaking), do not choose their fate – in fact, it is fate that chooses them as they enroll in Jahankilla, a police academy dedicated to the first responders, a place where they begin their bromance in a place that doesn’t allow them room for indiscipline.
Story & Screenplay
I must admit that I wasn’t fully invested in the drama from the first scene, and much had to do with its flawed world building. The entire template of kicking off the story in the current timeline with a voiceover, reminded me of the template of 3 Idiots that was superbly executed. But that had a premise in the current timeline of finding the character of Rancho, as opposed to the simplistic recall value featuring a character here. But my major issue was its tone-deaf comedy that didn’t always land even as it ought to have, even as the focus shifted to the past. This is not to say that the drama was a complete trainwreck, in fact I began to resonate with a couple of the characters even though the tone around them was a little playful even while addressing the issue of unemployment. But the more I began exploring the drama, the tone began to settle in slowly, or more specifically, I got accustomed to the tone of the drama that remained consistent, to the film’s credit.
The drama essentially wishes to be viewed as a comedy, majorly with the unfolding of events at the academy that are a lot of fun. Yes, the tone remains frivolous but the drama is packed by several ingredients which would potentially take you back to your college days, and your times with your friends. And the moment when there are no rules in play, a bit of a dichotomy because the setting here is an epitome of discipline that is prevalent in the air, you are invested in the bromance between the characters who share their moments of highs and lows together. This includes breaking the laws of the land together that results in a series of montages wherein you see them being reprimanded. Yet, there is a sense of innocence related to each of the three characters that instantly makes them affable.
The only hook in the screenplay is the issue of unemployment that plays out in the background, an issue that doesn’t allow each of the three characters to ‘dream’. It is rather ironic here that Karan Shergill from Lakshya chose his destiny, while the characters here just do not have the same luxury. In fact, the trio much like the ones in 3 Idiots have a ‘Virus’ in their life in the form of their instructor Ustaad Sewa Singh (Parkash Gadhu), who is strict with the disciplinary rules but you also get to see his humane side. The brief commentary on the prevalent hierarchy within the academy is also a potential trigger point that doubles up as a conflict for Shinda, who soon finds himself cornered after a scuffle with his senior who happens to be the son of an influencial father in the police force. And hence, the second hour is dedicated to this conflict while still retaining the frivolous tone of the first hour.
The drama here is essentially focused on the transformation of Shinda in his pursuit for his dreams while being in the academy, and I did feel that a little more emphasis could have been given on his ‘alternate’ journey. The same is represented through a montage but it needed a little more depth to truly make it an inspirational journey, because the journey that he aspired for is the toughest examination of this country. The focus lies on the other side, and his conflicts with the authorities that often double up as obstacles for him. While this is good, the meat of the journey lay on the other side which ought to have been tapped a little more. But you can make out that the heart of the drama is at the right place – often distinguishing between right and wrong rather well including a rousing speech on unity that did account for a good watch (although slightly fragmented with its placement). The events leading up to the final act are good but by itself, the journey of Shinda transforming into who he eventually ends up being remained incomplete for me. The missing link was his ‘final stretch’ that would have followed the dilemma that he found himself in, on having to choose one path out of the two at the end. My question remained on how did he pursue his final journey, even as the drama wished to assume that ‘All Iz Well’ now. That aside, the screenplay does have its moments and makes for a decent watch overall.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are decently penned, fun in parts but at times I must say that the lines turn tone-deaf. A slightly mellowed approach would have resulted in an even better impact. The music is quite good here, and the songs do convey a certain set of emotions, although a couple of songs do disrupt the flow of the drama as well. My little gripe here would be related to the BGM – it didn’t work for me because it was leading me on to anticipate a gag that would play out seconds later. You wouldn’t ideally need the BGM to convey the comedic portions of the drama, leaving it strictly on the actors to pull-off the one-liners. The cinematography comprises of frames that compliment the setting of the drama really well. For instance, most of the drama plays out at the academy and through the frames, you are transported to that setting while often being a bystander to the madness that involves its three protagonists. The editing is a little fragmented but it doesn’t hamper the movie watching experience of the drama while doing well to transfer the emotions from one scene to another. Director Vickey Kadam does a good job here, particularly with the characterization and the setting of the drama, which in a way is the core of the film in many ways. Although I wasn’t in full agreement of the tone of the drama initially, credit to him for atleast keeping it consistent throughout the film. The director also does enough to elevate the impact of a few scenes beyond the writing.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here by the members of the cast. Abhishek Saini, Gurinder Makna and Aashish Duggal manage to do a solid job in doubling up as searing obstacles in the life of Shinda. Sandeep Aulakh as Salman has his moments to shine and does a good job. Gurbani Gill as Simran has a charming presence onscreen that works wonderfully in her favour. She manages to tap into quite a few emotions despite a limited screentime, and she is quite impressive here. Jarnail Singh and Satwant Kaur as Shinda’s parents are first rate. Harpreet Singh is good as 69 too. Parkash Gadhu as Ustaadji might seem to be tough with his demeanor but his character arc is an epitome of sincerity and earnestness wherein he definitely leaves a mark. Jeet Singh Panwar as Sanju began slightly on an off-note with his comedy, but he slowly found his mojo and manage to deliver an affable performance. Jashn Kohli as Ghabrati is a lot of fun to witness, and credit to his wonderful comic timing that quite a few jokes land even as you are witness to him using his expressions, rather effectively. Jobanpreet Singh as Shinda has a towering screen presence and a wonderful personality that is further elevated through his solid performance. He does manage to tickle your funny bone at a few junctures while also delivering a set of emotions that makes you want to root for his character. He delivers a pretty good performance here.
Conclusion
Jahankilla is a fun entertainer highlighting an important issue of unemployment which makes for a decent watch, overall. Available in a theatre near you.
