Sukhpreet Kahlon
New Delhi, 11 Nov 2021 14:57 IST
Binnu Dhillon and Gurnam Bhullar offer an amusing tussle of male egos in this enjoyable family drama.
Written by Raju Verma and directed by Pankaj Batra, the Punjabi film Fuffad Ji (2021) stars Binnu Dhillon, Gurnam Bhullar and Jasmin Bajwa.
Swirling his keys and twirling his moustache, the son-in-law of the house, Arjun Singh (Dhillon), walks in and the entire household runs around to make him feel special while he tries to find a problem where there is seemingly none.
With a fragile ego, Arjun Singh takes full advantage of his exalted position as the uncle and spins tall tales, expecting everyone’s rapt attention and service. But underneath all that, he genuinely cares about his nieces and treats them like his own daughters.
One day at the village fair, Chand Singh (Bhullar) rubs Arjun Singh the wrong way. In an unexpected turn of events, Palli (Bajwa) gets married to Chand Singh, making him the fellow son-in-law with Arjun Singh. The second half of the film then focuses on the tussle for power between the two sons-in-law.
Light-hearted in tone, Fuffad Ji creates the rustic ambience of a village where the traditional family plays out an exaggerated version of the obsequious hospitality, underlining the exalted position that a son-in-law enjoys in the wife’s maternal home. The second half becomes a tad slow but overall the film is enjoyable, weaving in an anti-dowry message and the social message that sons-in-law should behave like sons of the family and not expect servility from their in-laws.
Dhillon is fabulous as the uptight uncle and shows versatility in his performance. Bhullar looks handsome as a turbaned Sikh and brings an innocent charm to his character, being the perfect foil to Dhillon’s starched personality. Jasmin Bajwa brings freshness to her able performance. Veterans Hobby Dhaliwal, Malkeet Rauni and others create the perfect atmosphere for the family drama to unfold.
The title song, lively dance numbers ‘Boliyaan Na Paaun’ and ‘Gal Ban Jau’, and the romantic number ‘Aapan Dowein’ stand out for their enjoyable music. This is a family entertainer with a fresh storyline and notable performances.