Hitting the right notes

Ratings: ***** Excellent | **** very good |*** good | ** Average | * poor

Punjab’s superstar Gippy Grewal channels the soft power of Sikhi in the film ‘Akaal: The Unconquered’ and delivers a hefty entertainer. The fictional story set in Punjab, right after Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s demise, is full on emotion, action and drama — valour being its mainstay.

Akaal, a family man, is also the saviour of his village that’s under threat from the devious Jangi Jahana. While Akaal’s family lives by the Khalsa principles, his antagonist follows no moral code. The two come face to face in a battle of good versus evil.

The film is mounted on a grand scale and extols the virtues of Sikhi in a spirited manner. It opens on how the ‘kachera’ (short trousers) of Hari Singh Nalwa was enough to send the Afghans scrambling for life. Gippy, who is the writer and director of the film, sets up a village where Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs live a cohesive and harmonious life. The enemy is morally corrupt, but no religion is forced upon them. Full of verses from Gurbani and replete with songs of valour, the film puts equal premium on the bonds within the family, in driving the battle narrative forward.

Gippy has graduated to a mature performance as an actor. His character demanded heavy action sequences and he delivers with great finesse. Facing him is Nikitin Dheer, who registers a majestic presence as a stylish Pollywood villain. He has got the build for the antagonist, and gives a tremendous performance. Mita Vashisht, as his evil sister, gets emotions on point, but Punjabi not so much (the film has been released in Hindi too under the Dharma Productions banner).

Nimrat Khaira as Akaal’s wife Sahaj Kaur portrays an inspiring Sardarni. An equal partner to her husband, a loving mother and a fierce warrior, she impresses with her acting and action chops. Prince Kanwaljit, Jaggi Singh and Apinderdeep Singh give befitting performances in roles in the negative shade.

Shinda gets the cutest lines, emotionally intense moments and some amazing action sequences. He is not the only Grewal scion meant for bigger heights. Ekom, who debuts in this film, has an impressive outing too.

Thanks to Gippy, we see Ghuggi in an intense avatar here; he carries the story on his firm shoulders as the wise old man.

Gippy has done fabulously well as a writer too. Music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is another big high. Even though it’s a period film, the beats in the background score are modern, and work pretty well. Cinematographer Baljit Singh Deo has done a fabulous job. It’s the action director, Siraj Sayed, who has managed to create a stunning spectacle with some fine archery and aerial combat scenes. Costumes by Sneha Kumar lend style to this period-action drama. While retaining mass appeal, ‘Akaal’ beautifully conveys how Gurbani can be a succour in one’s life, helping navigate tough times.

An entertainer with a message, ‘Akaal’ makes for a smashing cinema outing! The ending sure leaves room for a sequel.

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