Review
Kala Shah Kala
Movie
Release Date: 14 February 2019
Starcast: Binnu Dhillon, Sargun Mehta, Jordan Sandhu, Karamjit Anmol, Shehnaaz Gill, Harby Sangha, Nirmal Rishi, Anita Devgan, B.N. Sharma, Gurmeet Saajan
Written & Directed By Amarjit Singh
Producer: Harsimran Dhillon, GS Dhillon, Navaniat Singh, Achal Kaushal, Karan Soni, Binnu Dhillon
Synopsis: Lovely (Binnu Dhillon) a happy go lucky & charming guy struggles to find a bride for himself, because of his dark complexion. Pammi (Sargun Mehta) is a young girl whose parents are finding a suitable groom for her but due to some reason are unsuccessful. At a friend's wedding Pammi falls for Jaggi and has no clue that behind her back, her parents have finalized her marriage with Lovely. How Jaggi and Pammi finally get to the 'train' of their dreams and how Lovely's 'dupatta lie' changes things for him is what you will watch in the freshly released film Kala Shah Kala.
Review: How many times do you watch a film that makes you wake up laughing to one of its dialogues the next morning? Well, I had a hearty laughter today morning thanks to Kala Shah Kala. The after effect of this film is pretty strong and on the contrary, the way its subtle message has been put across is wonderful. I told my father yesterday that you must watch this film Kala Shah Kala and he inquired about the star cast. The moment he heard Binnu Dhillon's name he said han fer ta hasaani honi and I immediately said no..this one's so not his typical kind of comedy film, this one's different, it's a romantic film with just the right amount of comedy..bus tusi dekh ke aeo, I said. Trust me, I don't recommend too many Punjabi films to him, and by the way the recent releases have turned out to be a disaster, the recommendations were waise vi nil.
Also Read: Uda Aida Movie Review: This One Is Not A Movie It Is A Pain!
So what is so different in this film han?
When I watched the trailer, I thought that this might be a Vadhiyan Ji Vadhaiyan kind of comedy which would be dragged, pushy but funny. I was so wrong. Kala Shah Kala emerged as an enjoyable, well-scripted look at the contrasts of social stigma. Not only did it give the world an insight into the problems faced by a comparatively darker skinned individual, but also humbly submitted that this notion cannot be changed but yes, things can go in one's favour if the intentions are right.
Kala Shah Kala is a love triangle between Lovely, Pammi and Jaggi. Lovely and Pammi are husband and wife and Jaggi is Pammi's lover. From their first night onwards, Pammi tries her best to keep Lovely away from her, so much so that she also adds a horror element to her drama. But this goes on only till the day Lovely's friends force him to sip a drink and talk to his wife. He does that and the truth comes afloat.
The entire film is a flashback story narrated by 'bua' played by Nirmal Rishi. She is also the vicholan of the pind who happens to be the reason for Lovely and Pammi's marriage. When the truth reaches bua, she promises the lover of their alliance but only after Pammi's brother gets married. This period of 15 days is the journey from Lovely the loser husband to Lovely the husband! (Can't reveal more)
Talking about performances, I must admit that this is one of those few films that has just the right amount of emotion coming from all the characters of this film.
Binnu Dhillon: The man has outdone himself this time. Though his make up made us cringe in every scene but the overall happy go lucky turned jealous lover portrayal was brilliantly done. Yes, he does offer his typical comedy style of punches but those are timed just right for the scene.
Sargun Mehta: Ah! Kudiye start eating something, you've gone too thin (Haha). Jokes apart, Sargun fits her role pretty well and the best thing about her character is her dramatic side. While actresses have started putting on layers of make up to shine bright, this actress looks just right on the screen. Her years of acting experience speaks loud for her in every frame. Her Punjabi speaking is also way better than many of those actresses who have spent their entire life in this industry but still dunno how to speak well!
Jordan Sandhu: This young man looked too handsome in the film and his cheesy yet charming character was a treat to watch. Unlike his Kaake Da Viyaah self, Jordan looked more prepared, and every bit of a lover boy in the film.
Karamjit Anmol and Harby Sangha were seen as Binnu's friends who are glued to him literally all the time. But they do offer a lot more than just punches this time. These two friends are a major source of encouragement to Lovely the demotivated husband who is just about to lose his wife to her lover. It was a pleasure to watch Harby in a much more tamed act.
Nirmal Rishi as bua was convincing and it was a relief to watch her as a mature, I-have-seen-life kinda lady. She's not her typical loud-mouthed character in this film but a smart senior who knows how to handle certain situations and emotions in life.
Actors like Anita Devgn, BN Sharma (a little overdone), Jatinder Kaur (delightful portrayal of a grandmother), Shehnaz Gill (appreciable work as Taaro), and more have added to the overall experience of the film with their roles and each one of them was curated well.
The storyline of the film moves forward in the most appropriate way presenting situations that are too close to reality and certainly not heroic. The wedding sequences in the film are not exaggerated with unwanted women singing songs but do present a dance number for the audience to change a pose after being glued to the front of their seats.
Also Read: Sargun Mehta Tells Us Exactly Why She Needed To Start Dreamiyata
Direction: Aided by good writing and great performances, Amarjit Singh clearly proves that he can masterfully fix a human drama in a tight, two-hour frame and give the audience a film to remember. Yes, the film looks highly inspired from Bollywood romances but hey! why not? At least the man has tried to bring that thing to Punjabi Cinema and for us, he has succeeded. But what's even more laudable is that each emotional scene is very smartly embedded with a comic punch to make you burst out into the wildest laughter possible at a time when your eyes are wet.
Music: The album is an average one with a mix of romantic, dance and fun songs. My favorite was the dream sequence 'Heer Nu Jawani' sung by Navjeet & Simerjit Kumar, composed by Jaidev Kumar and written by Harmanjit. I even listened to it on way back home :-)
