Bandaa Singh Chaudhary Review: Arshad Warsi, Meher Vij starrer depicting the harsh reality of 1980s Punjab hits the mark with its emotions

Film:
Bandaa Singh Chaudhary

Director: Abhishek Saxena

Writers: Shaheen Iqbal, Abhishek Saxena

Cast: Arshad Warsi, Meher Vij

Platform: In theatres

Runtime: 114 minutes (1 hour 54 minutes)

Bandaa Singh Chaudhary Review

Abhishek Saxena’s Bandaa Singh Chaudhary is a historical drama based on true events that amplified in Punjab post the 1921 Indo-Pak war. The film – which talks about the Hindu genocide and communal disharmony that gripped Punjab from the 80s to the mid-90s, is centred on the life of Banda (Arshad Warsi) – a Hindu living in Punjab and his struggle to safeguard his home and be allowed to live in the place he was born and brought up.

Joining Banda in his fight against the armed separatists of the Khalistan movement is his wife, Laali (Meher Vij), his family-like neighbours and their entire pind (village). The film not only shows how a common becomes a warrior to keep his family and home safe, but it also showcases the love and brotherly bond the villagers share. Scroll below to read out Bandaa Singh Chaudhary review.

What’s Works

The realistic representation of the communal violence in Punjab during the 80s and 90s and the acting – especially of Arshad Warsi, are the biggest highs of this film.

Technical Analysis

Direction

Abhishek Saxena has done a commendable job when it comes to directing Bandaa Singh Chaudhary. The director has managed to showcase the budding love and marital bliss of Bandaa and Laali with innocence and raw emotions. He has also done justice in showing the trauma the villagers go through every time the militants come to their village – either to eradicate the Hindus or extort money from them. Despite some cinematic liberties, he has done justice in showcasing the gritty side the state had to witness and endure from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s as true as he could.

Story & Scriptwriting

Co-written by Shaheen Iqbal and Abhishek Saxena with screenplay dialogues by Iqbal, Bandaa Singh Chaudhary takes the audiences back to 1980s Punjab with its realistic writing and dialogues. The narrative showcases the reality of what the Hindus in Punjab and those close to them experienced during the dark period. The story brought to the big screen is brutal and touches the heart with its rawness. The film’s editing is also on point and doesn’t seem too lengthy.

Music

The film’s music is catching and will leave you humming the film’s title/theme song, Sum Bandeya even after the end credits roll. The film’s music album has something to suit every mood or occasion you want to celebrate.

Star Cast

Arshad Warsi has embodied the personality of a Hindu staying in Punjab perfectly thanks to his diction and mannerism. Meher Vij too as Lalli, shine bright as the force that will not let her husband fail. The other characters have also done justice during their limited screen time.

Conclusion

Overall, Bandaa Singh Chaudhary is a must-watch as it showcases a dark and gritty side of Punjab that not many in the rest of India know about. Despite its emotional songs and catching BGM, the film still manages to capture the cruel and bloody aspects of Punjab during this time.

Watch the trailer of Bandaa Singh Chaudhary here:

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