Film: Bhangra Paa Le
Cast: Sunny Kaushal and Rukshar Dhillon
Director: Sneha Taurani
Rating: 2.5 Moons
Sneha Taurani’s debut directorial Bhangra Paa Le starring Sunny Kaushal and debutante Rukshar Dhillon brings to us a bridge between the traditional forms of Bhangra from Punjab and western dance forms from all across the world. The musical drama impresses with its music and dance but fails to add magic with the storyline. Set in Punjab and London, the film takes the audience through a desi and videshi musical journey and also stars Shriya Pilgaonkar in a special role.
The story of Bhangra Paa Le revolves around college rivalry between the characters Jaggi (Sunny Kaushal) and Simi (Rukshar Dhillon) as they prepare for an international dance competition. The film follows two parallel timelines with a double role by Sunny Kaushal as Jaggi and Captain Singh. While Jaggi struggles to win the hearts of the audience with Bhangra in present, his grandfather Captain Singh (Sunny Kaushal) wins the love of his life Nimmo (Shriya Pilgaonkar) through Bhangra in the past. What follows next in this dance-oriented film is a series of Punjabi songs mixed with impressive Bhangra but weak and boring narrative.
Packed with elements of romance and showcasing transitions between the past and present time period, Bhangra Paa Le is a visual treat for all Bhangra lovers but its storyline looks forceful. The only saving grace is Sunny who perfectly acts and dances in this musical drama. Rukshar is not bad in her Bollywood debut. She adds the necessary charm and energy to the rather dull film.
As both Jaggi and Captain, not only is Sunny winning brownie points for his perfect look as a Sardar, but he is also impressive because of his impeccable bhangra moves along with co-star Rukshar. He has perfect screen presence, confidence and acting style but the film does not match up to his performance, overall. The supporting cast including Parmeet Sethi, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Naila Grewal also does a decent job.
Full marks and in fact extra points for the music and songs by JAM8, Rishi Rich, Yash Narvekar and A Bazz. The songs make this 2 hours 11 minutes film bearable at most of the points and add to the mood and are well choreographed. With more than 11 tracks, Bhangra Paa Le stands out with just the songs. The film also has a recreated version of Salman Khan’s and Shah Rukh Khan’s hit song Bhangra Paa Le from their film Karan Arjun. The editing is to the point of the film. The sets, costumes and production design are not that bad. The cinematography, sound design and the visual effects blend in well but it is the story of the film that makes it an unpleasant watch.
PeepingMoon gives Bhangra Paa Le 2.5 Moons!
