Sukhpreet Kahlon
New Delhi, 04 Dec 2021 19:28 IST
Directed by Amberdeep Singh, the film depicts how the farmers’ protests fuel change in a small village.
Written and directed by Amberdeep Singh, the Punjabi-language film Teeja Punjab (2021) stars the director in the lead alongside Nimrat Khaira, Karamjit Anmol, BN Sharma, Balwinder Bullet, Hardeep Gill and Nirmal Rishi.
Bhagat (Amberdeep Singh) is a simple, happy-go-lucky farmer who does not take things seriously. His uncle, the sarpanch (BN Sharma), has his eyes set on Bhagat’s land and dupes him out of it.
Disgusted with Bhagat’s thoughtlessness and sheer stupidity, his wife (Nimrat Khaira) leaves him, underlining the significance of land for a farmer. Bhagat runs from pillar to post to get his mistake rectified but to no avail.
Meanwhile, the controversial farm laws are announced and villagers get together to make their voices heard in a democracy. As the farmers' protests gain momentum, the sarpanch, insecure about losing his seat to the Master (Balwinder Bullet), hatches a plan to ensure his position in the village.
The social drama lays bare the centrality of land to farmers and the ways in which illiterate farmers are blatantly taken advantage of. During the protests on the outskirts of the national capital, one often read moving stories of villagers braving the odds to keep up the pressure on the government to repeal the contentious laws.
With footage shot during the protests, Teeja Punjab portrays the unity of the farmers, their commitment to the struggle at great personal cost, and women’s contribution to the movement. This part of the film is powerful, poignant and undoubtedly moving.
Through the character of Bhagat and his journey, the film also portrays the rifts in the farmers’ movement, the suspicions, the disagreements between choosing non-violent and violent means, becoming the first film to depict facets of this formidable socio-economic movement.
However, the family drama becomes tiresome and the inevitable transformation in Bhagat’s character takes too long to come about. In fact, the film gains momentum only with the farm laws entering the narrative. The climax has a long-drawn social message with easy solutions and is not convincing. This is a real pity because there is an earnestness in Amberdeep Singh’s film and its concerns.
The performances are competent overall. The humour is in the witty dialogues. The songs are apt for the situations and Ammy Virk’s soulful ‘Naina Da Joda’ and Ranjit Bawa’s rousing number ‘Hakam’ stand out.
In the end, the film leaves us with a powerful thought that we all need to understand the value of our vote. With the Punjab assembly elections around the corner, this is definitely to be kept in mind.
Teeja Punjab was released in theatres in Punjab and other parts of North India on 3 December 2021.