Phillauri: Only Love is Real!
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| Image Courtesy: pinkvilla.com |
Reviewer’s Thumb Mark
Phillauri
is a tale of a woman called Shashi (Anushka Sharma), from a nondescript village
Phillaur not too far from Amritsar, who is stranded in time since 98 years
waiting for her missing beloved Roop Lal (Diljit Dosanjh) to return to her. This
story of Phillauri reminds me about many books Dr. Brian Weiss and his likes have
written on souls and the power of love to transcend time and eras to come back
again and again to be with their loved ones.
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| Image Courtesy: indianexpress.com |
The
film begins with the preparation of a Punjabi family to receive their young Canada
returned rapper son Kannan Gill (Suraj Sharma) for his pre-nuptial ceremony
with his childhood love Anu ( Mehreen Pirzada) in Amritsar. The young boy is
for a shock when he is advised by a family pundit that he being a ‘Manglik’
should marry a tree to ward off bad luck before he actually marries his love. Compelled
and cajoled by his lover and both the families the reluctant bridegroom-to-be
yields to tie the knot with a tree. Back from this so-called ritual he finds
himself haunted by a beautiful spirit who hovers around him puzzled not knowing
herself what she has to do with a boy who is all set to marry Anu.
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| Image Courtesy: ibnlive.in |
Debutant
Director Anshai Lal’s film deals with a tricky plot which tells us two love
stories parallel to each other one in 2017 and one that happened in 1919 in
pre-independent era between a village girl unknown to the world about her
talent to write soulful poems and a folksinger infamous for his casual affairs
with many young girls who fall for his soulful voice. The film has its highs
and lows. Kanan’s weed-puffing character initially attracts but slowly it loses
its charm because he continues to stay bemused to what is happening in his
life. A helpless, pleading and vulnerable bride-to-be Anu slowly fails to hold
the empathy of the viewers for long. Anushka Sharma ad Diljit Dosanjh’s charm
over shadows the characters of Kannan and Anu.
Having
said this kudos to the filmmaker and his team for coming up with a different
love story. The Biji (Grandmother) of the family and her love for old folk songs
and the one Baisakhi which she never want to remember is touching. The end for
sure shall move many.
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| Image Courtesy: indiatimes.in |
Anushka
as Shashi and Diljit Dosanjh as a folksinger are endearingly charming and
impactful. Suraj Sharma with his debut in Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi’ and then in ‘Million
Dollar Arm and Umrika is pretty good at trying his hand in comedy in Phillauri
as a bemused would be husband. Mehreen Pirzada is beautiful and hope she finds
more opportunity to excel as an actor. Manv Vij as Shashi’s doctor brother is
outstanding. He lives the character on screen. The songs are soulful and shall
stay with you for long.
Go
and watch Phillauri to know that “Love is an inner flowering. One cannot find
it outside. It is within. What you find out shall leave and what is inside shall
stay with you forever because love is immortal”!
Life Connoisseur Movie Rating: 3.25 /5
Cast: Anushka
Sharma (Shashi), Diljit Doasnjh (Roop
Lal), Suraj Sharma (Kannan Gill), Mehreen Pirzada (Anu), Nidhi Bisht, Manav Vij
Genre: Drama,
Fantasy
Director:
Anshai Lal
Producers:
Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma
Written by:
Anvita Dutt
Screenplay:
Anvita Dutt
Cinematography:
Vishal Sinha
Music by:
(Songs) Shashwat Sachdev, Jasleen Royal; (Background Score) Sameer Uddin
Production Company:
Fox Star Studios, Clean Slate Films
Distributors:
Fox Star Studios, Clean Slate Films
Date: 24th
March, 2017
Duration:
137 Minutes
Language:
Hindi
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