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Written and directed by Rakesh Dhawan, Kudi Haryane Val Di, starring Ammy Virk and Sonam Bajwa in the lead roles, brings a freshness to Punjabi cinema with its exploration of cultural differences between the states of Haryana and Punjab. Dhawan explores the cross-cultural theme with the backdrop of wrestling to create an enjoyable drama.
Shivjot (Ammy Virk) is the only son in a family of wrestlers but has no interest in wrestling. Carefree and lazy, he reads poetry in the hopes of finding a partner who will make his heart skip a beat. As luck would have it, his gaze falls across the wrestling arena, and he finds Neelam (Sonam Bajwa), the daughter of Mann Singh Dahiya (Yashpal Sharma), the proud owner of an akhara or wrestling ground. Unlike Shivjot, Neelam is passionate about all things wrestling, and in a turn of events, Shivjot finds himself as the coach of Mann Singh’s wrestling team, just as a ploy to get close to her. But when Mann Singh’s arch-rival Sheeshpal throws down the gauntlet, Shivjot must rise up to the challenge and prove himself to be worthy of Neelam’s love.
Both Haryana and Punjab have traditionally been known for the sport of wrestling, with Haryana gaining fame for producing champion wrestlers in the country. But unlike the recent Hindi films Dangal (2016) and Sultan (2016), which examined the overall sport and the various issues that plague it, Kudi Haryane Val Di deploys wrestling as a backdrop to the romance of Shivjot and Neelam, foregrounding mostly the entertaining elements of the sport. The pride and rivalry between various akharas in Haryana becomes a natural plotline to create tension.
The differences in language, cultures and even food, make for some hilarious moments in the film, but the overall message is of being one entity. There is a scene with a discussion around saag with Punjabis thinking of it as one thing but the Haryanvis meaning another. In an interesting scene, Shivjot’s mother tells veiled Haryanvi women about how she stopped bothering about wearing a veil soon after marriage.
Notably, both Haryana and Punjab share extremely patriarchal attitudes towards women and in a laudable move, the film advocates for women’s rights. Neelam’s father gives his assent to his daughter choosing her life partner, even though he does not belong to the same community. He highlights the need for her consent, telling her fiance, “I can get my daughter married to you but you cannot settle your family without her consent.” An important message for a state where the predominantly male Khap panchayats continue to dictate social norms, including rules for marriage.
Circling the periphery of the narrative is the almost unnecessary track of Jung Singh (Yograj Singh) looking for his daughter Laali, who has run away from her home to pursue her studies and avoid getting married off by her father. While there is a social message here as well, this avoidable track leads to a needlessly protracted ending.
Along with a good pace and overall production quality, the music of Kudi Haryane Val Di does not disappoint as well. The foot-tapping title song “Ikk Hai Ikk Hai”, which celebrates the two states, and “Jaatni” are upbeat dance numbers. Although formulaic in its unfolding of events and inevitable conclusion, the feel-good comedy keeps the momentum going, and the climax adds some surprise elements to keep one riveted till the end.
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Ammy Virk and Sonam Bajwa deliver good performances in the film. Bajwa’s role as a Haryanvi kudi is a testimony to her talent, as she gets the accent down perfectly and effortlessly commands every scene. Yashpal Sharma ably represents the Haryanvi Jaat, and character artistes Honey Mattu, Hardeep Gill, Seema Kaushal, Mahabir Bhullar, and Yograj Singh bring levity and humour.
This Ammy Virk-Sonam Bajwa starrer is certainly worth your time.
Kudi Haryane Val Di movie cast: Ammy Virk, Sonam Bajwa, Ajay Hooda, Yashpal Sharma
Kudi Haryane Val Di movie director: Rakesh Dhawan
Kudi Haryane Val Di movie rating: 4 stars
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