Movie Review of Punjabi Film Ardaas starring Gurpreet Ghuggi, Ammy Virk, BN Sharma, Mandy Takhar, Isha Rikhi, Rana Ranbir. Directed by Gippy Grewal.
Star cast: Gurpreet Ghuggi, Ammy Virk, Sardar Sohi, B.N. Sharma, Rana Ranbir, Karamjit Anmol, Mandy Takhar, Isha Rikhi, Mehar Vij, Zora Randhawa, Harby Sangha, Hobby Dhaliwal and Gippy Grewal
Director: Gippy Grewal
Producer: Aditya Singh, Pushpinder Singh, Aman Khatkar
Music: Jatinder Shah
Genre: Social Drama
Censor Details: U (135 Minutes)
Synopsis: Gurmukh Singh (Gurpreet Ghuggi) is a middle school teacher in a government job. He is transferred to a new village away from his home. Upon reaching the village he meets up various characters – Lottery (Rana Ranbir), Shambhu Nath (Anmol), Asa Sohi (Ammy Virk), Subedar (B.N. Sharma), Binder (Mandy Takhar) to name a few. All of them have their own set of problems in their life including Gurmukh who has lost his wife Bani (Mehar Vij). Gurmukh teaches others to be content with what they have and believe in Ardaas and prayers to Waheguru. Will Gurmukh’s belief in Waheguru put the lives of all the characters on a right path? Or will something go wrong on the way? Watch Ardaas to know more…
Review: Ardaas talks about the present situation of Punjab – Drug Addiction, Bank Loans, Farmer Suicide, Missing Husband and much more about the lives of 7-8 people, not remotely connected or associated with one another but living in the same village and get affected in the process. Ardaas is more of an emotional journey. 5 to 6 different stories unveil in those 135 minutes [a concept that’s popular in Bollywood and soon catching up here as well] and each makes a striking statement.
Gippy Grewal’s first venture as a Director is one of those films that don’t deviate from the core issue. It may not be foolproof in terms of writing, but the execution is so compelling that one overlooks those minor blemishes in the narrative. Point worth noting is that Gippy himself is the Writer here. He’s done both the story and screenplay himself which is an effort worth appreciating. However, Gippy Grewal has executed this sensitive subject with gloves, handling each of the stories with utmost care.
At times I felt that the story was moving from one character to another at a very brisk pace which sometimes works in favour and sometimes against of the film. Dialogues by Rana Ranbir were compelling. I liked a few of Gurpreet Ghuggi’s dialogues where he teaches others the true meaning of life and how one should live life. Great job at the dialogues.
From a learned scholar who is a school teacher to an orphan postman; from a retired aged father and his daughter to a struggling lover and singer at the dawn of his career; from an angry and burdened old age farmer to a small cute girl who has unbreakable trust in Waheguru: Ardaas follows the lives of people from all strata of Punjab’s villages as they tackle the aftermaths of unfortunate incidents in their lives that bring out the best and sometimes the worst in them.
Ardaas looks at the common tragedy i.e. Different shades of life, but diversifies into 6-7 different stories at the very start itself. Each of those stories and the characters depicted in those stories are relatable. If you haven’t witnessed these people, there’s a possibility that you may’ve heard or read about them somewhere. They feel so close to the hearts of the viewer.
Amongst these stories, the ones that leave a stronger impression are Gurpreet Ghuggi-Mehar Vij’s story and Ammy Virk-Sardar Sohi’s story. Rana Ranbir’s story may not appeal as there isn’t any conclusion shown about his story, while Mandy’s story has its fair share of moments, but is not as impactful as some of the other ones.
Every performance in the film is applaud-worthy. Ghuggi is virtually in each and every scene of the film (90% at least) and carries the film on his shoulders. Rana Ranbir is marvellous. Watch him in the letter reading scene with such great conviction. It’s superb! Ammy Virk is fantastic. The actor makes his part appear so real. Mandy Takhar is equally competent, conveying so much even when she is silent. Mehar Vij was equally convincing. She had a small part but executed it with brilliance. Isha Rikhi had a small role and did okay ish.
Sardar Sohi is a surprise. Watch his emotional breakdown at towards the middle and you know that how great is an actor he is. B.N. Sharma is superb and so is Karamjit Anmol. His scenes with Gurpreet Ghuggi are incredible. Hobby Dhaliwal and Zora Randhawa are under utilised. Rest of the support cast provided good to average support. Mostly good.
Music by Jatinder Shah was all right. Daata Ji and Kaawan Wali Panchayat were great and my picks from the album. Cinematography by Baljit Singh Deo was convincing. He’s great at this job.
On the whole, Ardaas is a well-intentioned film that should win praise and box office rewards for its execution and performances. Do watch it!
