Ajit Rai

Indian-origin Canadian filmmaker Tarsem Singh's Punjabi film Dear Jassi won the second-highest award at the 3rd Red Sea International Film Festival held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He received the Silver User Award and a cash prize of 30,000 USD. The film is the story of a young couple who desperately wants to be together but is separated due to time and societal expectations. Its story has been written by director Amit Rai.

The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar of T Series, Vipul Shah of Vakau Films, and others. This film is based on the true story of the life of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu of Canada who came to Punjab and fell in love with a poor boy from a lower caste and later after a lot of struggle, married her in a court of law. However, her family did not accept him. The couple gets divorced and also meets a gory end.

Pavia Sidhu, Yugm Sood, Vipin Sharma, Baljinder Kaur, and Sunita Dheer have played the lead roles.

Director Tarsem Singh made a special request to the media at the festival: he wanted them not to use the term ‘Honour killing’ for the murder of the couple since it is perceived as a legitimate killing to avenge the violation of norms.

The world premiere of this film was held on 11 September at the Toronto International Film Festival. For some unknown reasons, the show Dear Jassi was canceled at the last minute at the 54th International Film Festival of India held in Goa.

The director adapted William Shakespeare's famous play Romeo Juliet, A true tragic love story has been created in the backdrop of Punjab with an original inspiration. The film begins with two folk singers singing in a vast green field in Punjab.

Both of them are singing the song of Bulleh Shah in which they say that even if you break the temple and mosque, do not break the heart full of love. After the murder of the two lovers Jassi (Pavia Sidhu) and Mitthu (Yugm Sood), the film ends with the songs of the same two folk singers.

We hear a voice-over commentary by the character who is their murderer. The trial of the case has been going on for 21 years and the killer is yet to be punished.

Tarsem Singh has filmed many scenes in an artistic manner, such as Jassi and Mitthu looking at each other from their respective rooftops in the village of Punjab. This scene alludes to the balcony scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

More than the excitement of finding each other, the two lovers show extraordinary patience and determination for a dignified life. The making of the film is simple and realistic, every scene happens with simplicity.

The movie also shows how travel agencies that are meant to help those wanting to travel from one country to another are discouraging them and committing fraud. On the other hand, the police complicate the process by seeking bribes and are always engaged in the service of big criminals. The specialty of the film is that Tarsem Singh has created the final brutal scene with sensitiveness filming without it looking so gross and gory.

The film has elements of Punjabi comedy before the climax. 'Kafka's Nightmare prevails throughout the film giving a feeling to the viewer of something drastic happening in the next scene.

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Writer Amit Rai has an eye for detailing, so much so that on the morning of Jassi and Mittu's wedding night, a blood stain on the bed sheet scares the young lovers as the room service waiter knocks on the door. Similarly, Mittu's wait for Jassi's call from Canada outside his friend's PCO in the cold midnight is also poignant.