Jogi trailer: Diljit Dosanjh struggles through the chaos of 1984 riots

Ali Abbas Zafar is known for making those larger-than-life entertainers. He tried his hand at the subject of politics in the fictitious web-series Tandav (2021). But the Netflix movie Jogi (2022) is Zafar’s first attempt at delving into a real-life tragedy. 

The film is based on the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in Delhi. The story follows a young student Jogi, played by Diljit Dosanjh, and his two best friends (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Paresh Pahuja). Their world is shattered as soon as the riots take place, forcing Jogi to act in order to save himself and his family. 

The most striking feature about the trailer of Jogi is the visual quality. The colour grading and the production design perfectly recreate the bygone era of 1984. The scenes of communal tension and riots also have an instant impact on you. Dosanjh, who has removed his turban for the first time in his career, appears quite believable in the role of Jogi.

The actor spoke about the show during its launch at Netflix’s Films Day event in Mumbai on 29 August. “This is the truth that Ali paaji and [producer] Himanshu [Kishan Mehra] sir’s  team has tried showing,” he said. “This is our truth that will be shown on Netflix. I am glad that this is coming on a platform from where it can be spread around the world. It is a story of three friends but that is just a backdrop.”

Speaking about taking on this project, Zafar said at the event, “I come from Delhi University. This story is from 1984. I was born in 1982. I was just two years old [when the incident happened]. But there are a lot of stories of people of 1984 that come to you when you stay or are around Delhi. So the reason to tell the story of Jogi was to find hope in the times of chaos. It is something that is very relevant today and will continue to be in the future.” 

Also starring Amyra Dastur, Kumud Mishra and Hiten Tejwani, Jogi is due to be released on Netflix on 16 September. 

Watch the trailer below and let us know if you would be keen to see the film.