Sarbala Ji movie review: Wedding drama meets comic chaos in this Gippy Grewal-Ammy Virk family entertainer
Cousins Sucha Singh (Gippy Grewal) and Gajjan Singh (Ammy Virk) are like chalk and cheese. Sucha Singh is the life of every wedding while Gajjan shies away from marriage, being more interested in embroidery stitches and crochet. When flirtation with Rajjo (Sargun Mehta) leads Sucha to a pronouncement that he is never to marry, he is utterly dismayed. Meanwhile, Gajjan is all set to marry Pyaaro (Nimrat Khaira) who is far from being the docile, embroidery-loving woman that he dreams of. Content with working at the farm, and shunning housework, Pyaaro is completely smitten and transformed in love, eager to marry her beau. However, there are few twists and turns to be navigated.
Watch Sarbala Ji movie trailer here:
The film is set at a time when men from the groom's family would sometimes have to travel for days to the bride's home. En route to the wedding, Gajjan Singh's party is intercepted by bandits led by Guggu Gill, who kidnaps Gajjan. Aside from the passing moments of terror unleashed by the dacoits, the comedy ensues even with the supposedly menacing men. A hilarious scene is when the dacoits decide that Gajjan is feeble-hearted and needs to be emboldened. They start training him and Gajjan is taught how to shoot.
The situational comedy relies on a few meandering scenes to keep the narrative chugging along at an even pace. The second half drags and a completely unexpected confrontation between the dacoits and their enemies feels largely motivated by a nostalgic throwback to Guggu Gill's dacoit films that ruled the box office in the 1990s. But the story takes an unexpected turn, leading to an inevitable confrontation, which nonetheless feels forced.
Written by Inderjit Moga, the film predominantly features the older traditions of riddles and wedding rituals along with the historical practices and customs of undivided Punjab. But it is the sharp dialogues that truly stand out, especially in the first half, adding comedic spark to the scenes.
Nimrat Khaira steals the show with her spirited performance and infectious verve. Her perfect comic timing paired with zingy dialogues is one of the highlights of the film. Ammy Virk moves seamlessly between comedy and action, channeling his impressive persona in Maurh (2023), seen in the dacoit scenes. Sargun Mehta and Gippy Grewal too give good performances that keep the momentum going. Stellar performances by Guggu Gill, BN Sharma, along with the rest of the supporting cast are commendable.
The foot-tapping title track is complemented by several rhythmic songs that add to the atmosphere for the film. 'Bhul Janeya' is a beautiful melody sung by Danny and composed by Tasho; Gurlez Akhtar's earthy voice shines in the folk-inspired 'Jatta Ve'; and Ammy Virk and Nimrat Khaira infuse vitality into the melodic number 'Zimmewari'. 'Garari' is passable, marking a shift from the rest of the tracks as a chest-thumping, forceful song in line with the action drama that unfolds.
It is refreshing to see multi-starrers in Punjabi cinema, with star power clearly reigning supreme in the excitement around this film. This feel-good comedy is sure to bring crowds to the theatres.
Sarbala Ji movie cast: Gippy Grewal, Ammy Virk, Sargun Mehta, Nimrat Khaira, Ghuggi Gill
Sarbala Ji movie director: Mandeep Kumar
Sarbala Ji movie rating: 4 stars
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'He got to know that I have done MA in English. Then he offered me a job in his office. I accompanied him everywhere he went. I had become more like his spot boy. I carried his bag, I would bring him tea, water. We became close. He would then add my names with other fighters in films. Because of him, I started to earn money. Eventually, when I started to make money, I realised maybe this is what God wanted for me. Then it occurred to me that I can become a stunt director. I left Veeru Devgan, and then joined Pappu Varma. They were new. I joined them. I learnt the ropes there for 2 years. I wasn't paid any money.' It was during this time that he met actors Jackie Shroff and Anupam Kher. 'Two years later, I began to receive work. From 1983, I started to work as a stuntman, I also played duplicates to actors. In the '90s, I received my break as a stunt director.' 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