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Maurh

Farhad Dalal
By-
Farhad Dalal
Rating
3.5 Star popcorn reviewss

Introduction

Onto the final release of the weekend and I finished watching the new Punjabi movie Maurh which is now streaming on Zee5. I feel that there are two aspects to the Punjabi Film Industry – one that makes powerful content in the form of CAT and Kohrra, and the other, some mindless comedies that have now reached a saturation point. The content in films in particular fall under the latter category which hasn’t quite allowed the content to rise as per the writing ability of the industry. And hence films like Maurh become that much more important, given that they try to tell a story which is against the herd.

I was just casually reading about Maurh and I got to know that the film is based on a true story from the 1800s wherein two individuals did rise from the oppressed to fight the oppression against the British and local lardlords. Instantly, I knew that this was a story waiting to be told and I was quite curious given that I knew nothing about the concerned individuals. So then does Maurh manage to impress, lets find out!

Story & Screenplay

Based on true events, Maurh follows the story of two individuals Jeona and Kisna who fight against the oppression of the British and the local landlords. The story here may not be novel from its core but this is presented almost like a Cowboy film from the West and it is this aspect of the film that makes the drama interesting. The screenplay standing at about a 135 minutes does make for a compelling viewing in a drama which is path-breaking for the Punjabi Film Industry.

The drama does open with the introduction of the principal characters while acquainting the viewers with the kind of oppression that people in the area are accustomed to. The dusty landscape does paint a picture of fear amongst the people who are meant to oblige with the higher officials or get killed instead. The writers do well in clearly demarcating the lines between different sects of people. So you have the oppressed people along with local bandits who fight for their cause on one side, and the British and the wealthy landlords on the other side. The environment is created with purpose wherein one of the characters decides to join the Bandits to fight for the cause. And thus a game of valiancy, bravery and betrayal begins.

The proceedings are engaging and engrossing that focuses on the shifting character dynamics between the characters. While the drama largely remains predictable, you are witness to smaller nuances that does make for a compelling watch. The events did remind me of the Hindi film Shamshera although this is a superior product to that film in terms of storytelling. The twist at the halfway mark is staged very well, even with the set of events prior to the main event, that added a lot of urgency to the drama. What follows is a cat and mouse chase with bouts of revenge thrown in.

I quite enjoyed the action set pieces that were a part of the narrative in the final 40 odd minutes. But the action without the required set of emotions wouldn’t quite work most of the times. And because you are invested in the characters and their journeys, you are also engrossed in the action set pieces. The finale act was a fitting end to the proceedings(if at all it was a little hurried) wherein the writers took care on not diverting from the historical facts and I quite liked the efforts there. Overall, the drama is largely predictable but scores with the setting and an intrinsic screenplay that manages to impress!

Dialogues, Music & Direction

The dialogues are extremely well written and the dialect of Punjabi used adds to the authenticity of the drama. The music is good although a few songs stall the flow of the drama. The BGM is pretty good and enhances the drama at multiple places. The cinematography captures the dusty landscapes of the area wonderfully well, adding texture and complexity to the drama. The editing is pretty crisp as well. The costumes define the characters really well. For instance, there is a clear demarcation between the class divide between characters represented by costumes designed by Tejinder Kaur. Director Jatinder Mauhar does a wonderful job firstly by breaking the shackles by opting for a lesser explored genre in recent times. And he backs it with some compelling and engaging moments that does keep the viewers interested all throughout. The direction was pretty good here.

Performances

The performances are really good here. Naiqra Kaur as Parsini has a sweet presence and has her moments to shine. Richa Bhatt as Bishni is first rate and holds her own in many scenes. Kuljinder Singh Sidhu as Jaimal is wonderful to watch. I quite liked the presence of Marc Randhawa as well who is excellent as Chatra. Paramveer Singh and Jarnail Singh are stupendous to watch as well.

Amiek Singh Virk as John Hurton doesn’t quite look British but he is intimidating in his demeanor and mannerisms that makes up for the same. He is excellent to watch. Vikramjeet Virk as Dogar is brilliant as one of the antagonists and his body language is spot on for his character. Dev Kharoud as Kishna is endearing and does a sincere job with his character who is wonderful to watch. Ammy Virk as Jeona is simply brilliant and she does a wonderful job with his immaculate screen presence. He excels in multiple combat sequences as well.

Conclusion

Maurh is a compelling Western drama with great performances that is possibly a path-breaking film for the Punjabi Film Industry. Available on Zee5.

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