Tragically, Anushka Sharma’s home production Phillauri, featuring Diljit Dosanjh, is neither humorous enough to be deemed a rom-com nor propelled by ample heft to be called a historical epic. It is neither this nor that. Instead, it is exasperating for the possibilities it throws open but fails to explore.
Some films work better on paper than on film Phillauri is one of them. Sad, but true. One can only imagine how excited Anushka Sharma must have been to play a ghost in a film about a restless spirit trying to find closure for her incomplete love story from 98 years ago.
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It’s a clever premise, evoking nostalgia as well as history, infused with poetry, music and drama. However, the execution falls flat. The poetry is more corny than epic, and the music, barring the Sahiba track, is at best, serviceable. This is an inexcusable lapse in a film that takes viewers into the Punjabi heartland on two levels the present and the past each captured in contrasting color palettes: one rusty and rugged, the other peachy and saturated.
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The Theme Of Love Fails To Register
Unfortunately, the theme of love transcending two lifetimes barely makes an impact. For a large part, Phillauri meanders through the lavish labyrinth of a big fat Punjabi wedding with the same misdirected gusto as Vikas Bahl’s Shaandaar. However, the characters, in principle, are quite interesting in the way they respond to the presence of a friendly ghost in their bustling home. The pacing, however, does the film no favors. What seems like noble ambitions are brought down with a thud due to sluggish storytelling. Perhaps the makers of this film should take a cue from Anaarkali of Aarah, which was released the same week, to understand how effective pacing can elevate a film.
Anushka Sharma makes for a pretty ghost. But Shashi, as a character, feels like an extension of Anushka’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil role, only with a blingy apparition effect and the added quirk of being seen only by Suraj Sharma’s character, Kanan. If only the narrative had transitioned to the past with more finesse and balance, rather than misplaced enthusiasm, the film could have been far more engaging. Shashi’s village-bound romance with the neighborhood poet (played by Diljit Dosanjh) is drawn with faint brush strokes, as if the storyteller had all the time in the world. Their relationship develops through a series of vignettes, inserted into the plot’s oscillating memory-chip with little room for plausibility.
Meanwhile, in the present, Kanan’s (Suraj Sharma) wedding to the beautiful Anu (newcomer Mehreen Pirzada) is threatened by the presence of a ghost who has been released through a bizarre ritual. Suraj’s bewildered reactions to local superstitions are spot-on, making one wonder if the role was tailor-made for him. Unfortunately, he is given little substance to chew on, as the plot simmers on slow-burn mode sometimes so sluggishly paced that it tests the patience of even the most patient viewer.
A Film Struggling To Justify Its Own Jokes
Curiously, despite its languid pacing, the film fails to bring a sense of depth or reflection to its theme. Throughout the fidgety story, the competent actors seem to be waiting for the dialogues to become less cheesy and the plot twists to evolve and mature. One of the film’s early comic sequences, where Kanan panics upon seeing the ghost, leading to a misunderstanding involving a servant boy who believes he is being seduced by the groom is stretched to its breaking point. The joke is dragged out unnecessarily, with painful explanatory footnotes attempting to justify its presence. At times, Phillauri feels like an edifice constructed to impress with little to support its ambitions except a sassy appetite for spirit-hunting and a zest for a self-created melodrama .
To its credit, Phillauri does have redeeming qualities. The homage to history in the climax is bold and thought-provoking, making one appreciate the director’s willingness to go against the grain. Some of the period detailing is intriguing, especially the scene depicting the advent of the gramophone, where characters’ awestruck expressions capture the magic of that era. If only the film had more such moments, it could have left audiences with a sense of wonder rather than skepticism.
Diljit Dosanjh On Phillauri
In throwback interview Diljit Dosanjh has shared his excitement about Phillauri with me. He revealed, “When Anushkaji came to me with the film I wasn’t sure I’d do it. But when I heard the film’s climax I was completely sold. She has a terrific role. But so do I .So brilliant is the story idea that I wonder why I didn’t produce it!”