Diljit Dosanjh : sadly, Anushka Sharma’s home production Phillauri, starring Diljit Dosanjh, is neither amusing enough to be classified as a rom-com nor pushed by enough heft to be called a historical epic. It’s neither this nor that. Instead, it is frustrating because of the opportunities it presents but does not pursue.
Certain films operate better on paper than on film. Phillauri is one of them. Sad yet true. One can only image how thrilled Anushka Sharma must have been to play a ghost in a film about a restless spirit seeking closure for her unfinished love story from 98 years earlier.
It’s a creative notion that evokes both nostalgia and history while also incorporating poetry, music, and drama. However, the execution falls short. The poetry is cheesy rather than epic, and the music, with the exception of the Sahiba tune, is at most passable. This is an egregious failure in a film that transports spectators to the Punjabi heartland on two levels: the present and the past, each depicted in contrasting colour palettes: one rusty and rugged, the other peach and saturated.
The Love Theme fails to register
Unfortunately, the notion of love crossing two lifetimes has little impact. For the most part, Phillauri wanders through the extravagant maze of a huge gigantic Punjabi wedding with the same misguided enthusiasm of Vikas Bahl’s Shaandaar. In general, the characters’ reactions to the presence of a friendly ghost in their lively home are rather interesting. However, the pacing is detrimental to the film. Slow storytelling brings what appear to be lofty intentions crashing down. Perhaps the makers of this film could learn from Anaarkali of Aarah, which was released the same week, about how great pace can improve a film.
Anushka Sharma makes for a lovely ghost. However, Shashi’s character feels like a continuation of Anushka’s part in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, but with a blingy apparition effect and the added peculiarity of being seen only by Suraj Sharma’s character, Kanan. If the story had transitioned to the past with more elegance and balance, rather than impulsive exuberance, the film may have been significantly more compelling. Shashi’s village-bound romance with the local poet (Diljit Dosanjh) is depicted in light brush strokes, as if the storyteller had all the time in the world. Their connection evolves through a series of vignettes put into the plot’s oscillating memory chip, leaving little space for realism.
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Meanwhile, Kanan’s (Suraj Sharma) wedding to the lovely Anu (newcomer Mehreen Pirzada) is put on hold by the appearance of a ghost who has been released through a strange procedure. Suraj’s perplexed replies to local beliefs are dead on, making one wonder if the part was designed specifically for him. Unfortunately, he is given little to gnaw on, as the plot simmers on slow-burn mode, often so sluggishly paced that even the most patient viewer is tested.
A film trying to justify its own jokes
Surprisingly, despite its slow pace, the film fails to provide a sense of depth or meditation on its issue. Throughout the fidgety drama, the capable actors appear to be waiting for the dialogue to become less corny and the plot twists to deepen and mature. One of the film’s early comedy sequences, in which Kanan panics after seeing the ghost, leads to a misunderstanding involving a servant boy who believes he is being seduced by the groom, is overly long. The joke is extended needlessly, with awkward explanatory footnotes attempting to explain its inclusion.
Phillauri sometimes feels like a building built to dazzle, with little to back up its claims other than a snarky thirst for spirit-hunting and a penchant for self-created melodrama.
To its credit, Phillauri has redeeming characteristics. The climax’s homage to history is daring and thought-provoking, demonstrating the director’s willingness to deviate from the norm. Some of the period detail is remarkable, particularly the scene showing the introduction of the gramophone, in which the individuals’ stunned looks reflect the wonder of the time. If the film had more such moments, people could have left with a sense of awe rather than scepticism.
Diljit Dosanjh on Phillauri
In a flashback interview, Diljit Dosanjh expressed his delight about Phillauri to me. He added, “When Anushkaji approached me about the project, I wasn’t sure I’d do it. But once I heard the film’s climax, I was absolutely sold. She has an excellent role. But so do I. “The story idea is so brilliant that I wonder why I didn’t write it!”
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