Khaao Piyo Aish Karo review: Ranjit Bawa is impressive in this amusing but rambling story

The Tarsem Jassar- and Ranjit Bawa-starrer Punjabi-language film Khaao Piyo Aish Karo (2022) is the story of two cousins who do not tire of engaging in one-upmanship. Directed by Ksshitij Chaudhary and written by Rakesh Dhawan, the film also stars Gurbaaz Singh, Jasmin Bajwa, Prabh Grewal, Aditi Aarya and Hardeep Gill.

Jeeta (Jassar) and Mitha (Bawa) are cousins who live next door to each other and always try to outdo each other. Jeeta is an electrician and tries to improve his lot financially while Mitha experiments with different schemes to get access to different commodities. When Jeeta gets a loan for a dairy farm, the expenses start mounting and there is a long line of takers for the money. Anxious about the loan officer who comes calling, he gets himself into one situation after another, telling a hundred lies to cover up one. Mitha adds to the complications in his own way.

Although the film has funny moments and the comedy is fairly good, the story goes off in different directions with little reason. There are the romantic tracks of Jeeta and Mitha, along with that of Jeeta’s sister, which becomes a bit tedious after a point.

The film offers small glimpses into larger issues such as insurance agents preying on susceptible farmers, or towards the end when crucial issues about staggering inflation and lack of employment are addressed. However, since they have not been woven properly into the plot, all this sticks out like a sore thumb.

What does stand out in the film is the music, with the catchy, folksy ‘Maahi Ve’ taking the lead. Sung by Tarsem Jassar, it has Sufi influences and music by Mix Singh. However, the lavishly choreographed song feels out of place in the otherwise rustic ambience of the film. The same holds true for the title track, which is catchy but has production design that is out of synch with the rest of the film. ‘Wagdi Raavi’ and ‘Phulkari’ are also melodious tracks.

Ranjit Bawa’s character is funny and he is impressive in his performance, as is the character of Sundar, who has some of the best lines in the film. Overall, the film is good for a few laughs, but one wishes the team had laid more emphasis on the writing to fully address pertinent issues and present a more cohesive story.

Khao Piyo Aish Karo was released in cinema halls on 1 July.