Jagjeet Sandhu-starer crime-thriller 'Please Kill Me' ticks all boxes

'Please Kill Me' ticks all boxes: The recently released Punjabi movie is exactly what one expects from a crime-thriller movie on an OTT platform.

To go with the many advantages of an OTT platform is a common disadvantage that one tends to delay watching a movie/series thinking that it won't go anywhere for days, weeks, months and even years.

Although I am not late by years or even months for that matter, I still feel that I should've watched the recently released Punjabi movie titled 'Please Kill Me' on the same day it had released. The reason I say this is because it deserved to be watched much before than last night.

For starters, Please Kill Me is different. It's refreshing. Honestly speaking, it left me surprised! The movie will doubtlessly make you wonder as to why more such crime thrillers aren't made in the Punjabi film industry especially when there are artists who have it in them to make or be part of them.

Before moving forward, it is of vital importance to mention the name of director Prem Singh Sidhu. Had it not been for various reasons, Sidhu would've made his directorial debut at least a couple of years before Please Kill Me. Sidhu, who has also written the screenplay and co-written the dialogues (with Vikram Chouhan and Jassi Jaspreet), is worthy of earning applause for what will go down as his maiden job as a writer-director.

Speaking in an interview with Punjabi Mania, Sidhu compared heartfelt appreciation especially from within the film industry for Please Kill Me to any blockbuster movie released in a cinema hall. In addition to this, Sidhu talked about how the delays in his unreleased movies never "bothered" him.

"Honestly speaking, the delays never bothered me. I was confident of my abilities that one day I will surely have a release as a director," Sidhu told Punjabi Mania. "My wife has played a huge role in this. She ensured that I never think about this or feel that my movies aren't releasing. We both share a common ground with respect to concentrating on our work without thinking about the results in terms of achieving stardom.

"Let me share something which my grandfather used to tell me and has stayed with me till date. Living your life is primary and what you do to live a life is secondary. If this secondary part affects your primary part, you won't enjoy anything in life. Since I am a very cheerful and enthusiastic person, I can easily differentiate between the primary and secondary part."

For people who follow the Punjabi film industry, it is no hiding to the fact that Sidhu has a couple of unreleased movies with some serious potential in 'Desi' and 'Zindagi Zindabad'. With people having watched Please Kill Me now, a blessing in disguise for Sidhu might come in the form of better response to these movies whenever they release in cinema halls.

Sidhu, who remains confident about Zindagi Zindabad's release in the near future, shared an anecdote with respect to how the buzz around the movie earned him accolades and kept him going in the last two years or so.

"You know that Zindagi Zindabad's first-look poster had created an instant buzz. I had observed people treating me differently after the release of the poster. We were showing the movie to someone in Mumbai and he took a fag break after just 20 minutes and informed Amneek Sher [Singh aka Kaaku, producer] bhaji that he should sign me for 4-5 movies right away.

"So, these things kept me motivated. But then the movie couldn't release and industry's perception also changed bringing me to the same place. However, had I got affected by all those things, I wouldn't have been able to do justice with Please Kill Me," Sidhu added.

Another thing which doesn't need any hiding is actor Jagjeet Sandhu's liking for the crime genre and grey-shaded characters. With Sandhu himself confirming the same time and again, it was just a matter of time for him to thrive in a movie such as Please Kill Me. Sandhu, who steals the show whilst doing the heavy lifting, has added another feather in his cap in the form of Please Kill Me.

Sandhu's successful portrayal of Lakhwinder Singh aka Lucky in Please Kill Me has busted many myths around a lead actor of a crime-thriller involving action sequences. The conviction with which Sandhu has nailed the part speaks highly of him. Being asked about the rationale behind signing Sandhu for this role, Sidhu provided with a detailed explanation ranging from the importance of an actor's versatility and how it makes it easy for a director who is making a film for an OTT platform.

"My first requirement [for Lucky in Please Kill Me] was that of a versatile actor because the movie required him to play three different shades. I needed someone who had it in him to differentiate between the three shades. I was well-aware about Jagjeet's [Sandhu] potential. I have known him for quite a lot of years now. My wife [Amrat Sandhu Sidhu, costume designer of Please Kill Me] was his classmate in M.A. [Theatre]. At that point in time, we were unmarried but were dating each other. It was to watch their rehearsals that I used to visit their department. Since I have seen multiple plays of theirs, I knew that Jagjeet can play different characters.

"You know, whenever I would sit around with friends from within the industry, everyone used to appreciate Jagjeet as a comedian and this really irked me. I would tell them that he isn't just a comedian. He is a versatile actor but hasn't received that kind of opportunities till now.

"I believe that you face more challenges when you have to make a movie for an OTT platform. As a director, you know that a movie which is being made for a cinema audience will be compared to other Punjabi movies only. Moreover, a cinema hall comprises of a big screen, surround sound and audiences which enrich your experience [of watching a movie].

"On the other hand, a movie made for an OTT platform will largely be watched on a mobile phone. No big screen or surround sound. No fellow audiences which affect the human emotion. Hence, better content has to accommodate for all those things. Furthermore, viewers won't review Please Kill Me leniently because it has released on Chaupal [regional platform]. They have a paid subscription of both Netflix and Chaupal. So, they are well within their rights to compare a Punjabi movie on a regional OTT platform to any movie of the world irrespective of the budget or any other restriction. Therefore, it becomes your responsibility [as a director] to pick the best possible actor for your movie. Someone who will portray the required character aptly. If your character is strong, your director has conceived it well, your actor is adept, all these things are enough ingredients to replace the cliched 'heroism'," Sidhu further said.

In addition to Sandhu, Karanveer Khullar (Gurjot) and Mohanty Sharma (Panji) also make their presence felt in their respective roles.

Since I generally criticize Punjabi movies for having unnecessary and forced songs merely to increase the runtime, it would be unfair to not mention that Please Kill Me doesn't even have a single song. Yes, you read that right!

"The producer [Bhagwant Virk] had suggested me to at least keep a theme or a promotional song. But I was of the opinion that if I don't make a good movie, your theme song would have no value. Secondly, I had a belief on our experiment and was confident of not diluting it by adding the cliched formulas. How will a viewer come to know about my potential if I do the exact same thing which many have done in the past?," Sidhu added on another facet which makes Please Kill Me different that other Punjabi movies.

Much like a large chunk of movies, Please Kill Me also has a few shortcomings and most of them are from a technical point of view. Having said that, the shortcomings are acceptable mainly when the whole team has managed to put on display more than just a passable movie in their presence.

NOTE: Excerpts from Prem Singh Sidhu's interview were updated on October 10.