Angrej :: Movie Review

Angrej directed by Simerjit Singh is a well made, ambrosial Punjabi flick which not only satiates the craving of Punjabi Cine audience but is a prima facie example that Punjabi Cinema is evolving in stature with time. The movie makes you nostalgic as it takes into the hinterland of Punjab that existed in 1940's in the most apt manner for which Simerjit Singh & his team deserves a big round of applause. During those times, Falling in love was an obvious forbidden act since the marriages were solemnized in most concealed rituals where brides and grooms were kept visually anonymous from each other. The movie in a jovial way showcases those times when the manner in which lantern used to be blown off by the groom on the first night was the only method to express whether the bride has turned out to be a desired one or not. The story as well as screenplay of Angrej that has been penned down by Amberdeep Singh is a collateral mix of innocent love, emotions, drama, wit, traditional wedding rituals making it a winner all the way. Angrej tells the story of its protagonist Angrej (Amrinder Gill) who dared to love and that too not once but twice during early 1940's. He falls in love heads over heels with a girl Maadho (Aditi Sharma) and meets her at secluded spots with the help of his bosom pal Aslam (Binnu Dhillon). Though, Angrej is madly in love with Maadho but she is not. At the same time, a rich guy by the name of Haakam (Ammy Virk) enters Maadho's life and she gets smitten by him. One fine day, Angrej catches Maadho along with Haakam and his heart gets broken. Maadho tells him that her parents want her to get married in an affluent family. A dejected Angrej finds solace in the company of his friend Aslam who tries his level best to pep him up. Meanwhile, Angrej along with his family travels to another village for the wedding of his cousin. At the wedding, he meets Dhan Kaur (Sargun Mehta) who is a charming, intelligent girl. On observing Angrej's behavior, Dhan Kaur is able to make out that Angej is dejected in love. On top of it, Maadho along with her family arrives at the marriage function. Dhan Kaur who has developed a liking for Angrej tries her level best to make things work out between Angrej and Maadho. Will Angrej & Maadho get married, Will Angrej be able to understand Dhan Kaur's feelings towards him is what forms the rest of the story. On the acting front, Amrinder Gill who proved his acting mettle via his last flick "Goreyan Nu Daffa Karo" is back with a bang. His subtle, restrained act as the main protagonist Angrej is a treat to watch. His innocent face expressions coupled with his dialogue delivery are bound to bring smile to your faces. Amrinder Gill is slowly but steadily honing his acting skills and is proving to be a dark horse in the long run. Do i need to write about acting abilities of Binnu Dhillon ? Binnu can be hailed as king of comic expressions and when it comes to comic timing, he virtually gobbles up everyone else present in the scene. Aditi Sharma who has done some Bollywood movies before, makes her presence felt in Angrej by giving an earnest performance. She has fit into the shoes of a typical Punjabi village girl effortlessly. But the actress who wins you over with her commendable performance in Angrej is Sargun Mehta. Sargun has made a smooth transition from appearing in TV Soaps to Big screen. She has portrayed the character of a strong, intelligent, emotional girl with utmost conviction which speaks volumes about her acting finesse. With her charming exuberance Sargun wins you over and by the time you exit the theater, you have already fallen in love with her character. Ammy Virk has also made his debut with this film and has come out impressive. He lends a certain charm to his flirtatious character with his acting skills. Not to forget, Anita Devgan ( Amrinder's mother) and Sardar Sohi ( Maadho's father) who with their apt comic timing are able to raise many a guffaws in the movie. Another aspect which makes Angrej a winner all the way is its brilliant technical finesse as each of the technical department has delivered the goods to the tee to recreate the bygone era. They have ably conjured up the era of 1940's with usage of perfect props, costumes, sets, dialect and music. The musical soundtrack of the movie composed by Jatinder Shah has all the ingredients in it to make it a chart buster. All the songs are good with "Kurta" standing out amongst others. The movie boasts of some enchanting visuals that have been captured intricately by its cinematographer, Navneet Misser. Navneet's usage of color palettes while filming the movie is audacious enough so as to represent romance in that era. A special mention of Raashid Rangrez (Production Designer) & Manmeet Bindra (Costume Head) for their effective contributions in their respective fields. The movie has been edited by Omkarnath Bhakri who has kept the run-time of movie to 137 minutes. His editing is crisp, wafer tight and never allows a dull moment to appear on screen. Now coming to the captain of the ship i.e. director Simerjit Singh who has really impressed with this movie. He has not ably extracted the best from his cast and crew but also crafted the story line eloquently on-screen. He has ensured the perfect detailing as per the era reflected in the movie and makes you reminiscent about the bygone era about which you have only read or heard. It is not easy to helm a movie that is set in bygone era while maintaining the interest of the audience alive but Simerjit Singh has done it and done it meticulously. Angrej has everything that you want in an entertaining movie ; rock solid content, striking performances, foot tapping music, heart warming banter, cultural values executed in luminous way. So, what are you waiting for......Go & watch Angrej at a theater near you at the earliest. It's a movie not to be missed.       

ROHIT SHARMA. 

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