In ‘Jogi’, a Delhi neighbourhood of Sikhs finds itself being hunted down during the Anti-Sikh riots in 1984. The film is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
The entire narrative of the social issue-thriller-drama is set during the 1984 Sikh massacre, and the violence and hatred at the time against the community become prevalent themes in Jogi.
Jogi (Diljit Dosanjh) is just another Sikh residing with his family in Delhi. What they expect to be a normal day turns out to be straight from hell.
As a response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the entire city has turned against Sikhs, with murders left, right and centre.
In such turmoil, Jogi and his group of friends, predominantly Rawinder (Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub) and Kaleem (Paresh Pahuja), attempt to help the entire neighbourhood escape.
Tejpal, a corrupt local politician, is hell-bent on killing as many Sikhs as possible to elevate his reputation within the political landscape.
With criminals and police hunting them down, and Tejpal targetting them as well, Jogi and his friends’ fight for survival forms the crux of the movie.
Performances
Diljit Dosanjh gives a mesmeric performance as the titular Jogi. The actor has already proven his mettle in films like ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Good Newwz’, and this is another feather in his cap.
He is sincere in his portrayal. You can clearly see that this is a story close to his heart, and how much anguish he has about the incidents of the past.
Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, as Jogi’s cop friend Rawinder, matches him step for step. He expertly captures the character’s struggle with the conflict between official orders and friendship.
Hiten Tejwani, who plays Jogi’s friend-turned-enemy, Lali, is also excellent at bringing out the character’s stoic personality, and works as a foil Jogi and Rawinder and a part-antagonist.
Paresh Pahuja, as Kaleem, is another important cog in the machine and gives a decent performance. Even apart from the standouts, nobody looks out of place and this helps in making Jogi engaging for the viewers.
Positives
The movie is extremely fast-paced. The issue is introduced right at the start and the constant twists and turns leave the fates of the characters at threat throughout.
An important element of Jogi is the friendship between characters, and director Ali Abbas Zafar highlights this capably.
Jogi’s equation with Rawinder and Lali is one of the most interesting aspects of the film. Even while tackling a larger issue, it makes sure to throw light on the characters’ personalities.
The three prominent opposers, Jogi, Rawinder and Kaleem, all belong to different religions and unite for the common good. This unity is brought out implicitly and never seems forced.
Perhaps the biggest impact of the film is its ability to make today’s generation aware of the victims of the past and feel their pain. This incident is a giant stain on the country’s past and must not be forgotten, to ensure such mistakes are never repeated.
Negatives
The reason for Jogi and Lali’s animosity is far from impactful, and feels more like an attempt to insert romance than organic events.
All the characters are abruptly introduced and the viewers have to figure out their relationship with the existing characters later on.
This leads to confusion about their background. The film could have done a better job of introducing them at the start. This would also raise the stakes as the viewers would be invested in the characters.
Verdict
Jogi is a powerful film that might not have the most unique premise, but does an excellent job of narrating an intense tragedy.
This isn’t a film you should be missing out on. And if you’re still somehow unaware of the events of 1984, this should help you gauge the gravity.
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