Synopsis

Dilsher, a simple village man from Punjab, has set out to meet his fiancé in London. Before meeting her, he bumps into the hot-headed Gulab, a single child of divorced parents, embittered by the experience of her parents and searching for true love. But their meeting takes an unconventional turn when they (unintentionally) end up sharing intimacy for one night. What follows is a story of realization for both as they experience that they are each other’s, true love.

Cast & Crew

  • Jagdeep SidhuDirector
  • Ammy VirkActor
  • Sonam BajwaActor
  • Nirmal RishiActor

Story

Gulab (played by Sonam Bajwa) is seeking the kind of love embodied in her grandmother’s stories of her husband- pure and honest. Disillusioned in her parents who are leading their own lives after being remarried to their respective new spouses, Gulab ends up on the metaphoric trail of kissing every toad in search of her prince charming. And meeting Satveer, who hails from Punjab, is another toad experience, leaving Gulab sad and angry. In portraying Gulab in all her moods, Sonam is so deep into the skin of the character that it's tough to tell the actress and her on-screen character apart. Kudos to Sonam for putting in a compelling honesty to Gulab, her highs and her lows, her tantrums, and her mellowness. This is perhaps one of the most challenging roles of her career as she plays a pregnant woman and emerges victorious, effortlessly. Ammy Virk, who plays Dilsher aka Shera, is repeating his simpleton role from the previous few outings, however, in Sher Bagga, his character’s innocence stems from the purity of a true lover.

As the two end up unintentionally spending one intimate night together, the credit for tackling this awkwardness, which is for the first time on screen in a Punjabi film, goes to director Jagdeep Sidhu. Also the writer of the film, Sidhu is fast mastering the dexterity of complex stories in Punjabi films. Gingerly masking the love-making scene, Sidhu is playing a strong narrator through his direction by commuting a bold scene into the narrative through its aftermath, rather than filming the scene per se. A great connection for modern audiences, the story is revealing, yet shy of any visual boldness that may bring blushes while watching it with elders in the family. While veteran actress Nirmal Rishi, who plays Shera’s grandmother, is not her usual boisterous old lady on screen, nevertheless even in this story she doesn’t lose her punch.

Sher Bagga remains a turning point in Punjabi cinema and celebrates modern relationships minus their crudity while reiterating the fact that pure love is still around.