Dark tale, new high

Udta Punjab
Hindi (A) Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh
Director: Abhishek Chaubey

Finally, it’s here for all to see (and hear). Tommy Singh, the rock star, gets on a pulsating stage and thrusts around with lyrics that have everything to do with drugs. He also rhymes the lines. “Coke-cock,” anyone?

It’s raw. And too real for comfort. Udta Punjab lays bare every single nerve of a state throbbing with substance — snorted or injected. The ‘stuff’ has seeped into every household, only to erupt later as unimaginably different and dirty highs.

Police and politicians ensure a steady supply as long as they get a share of the filthy pie. The tentacles spread far and wide, but nothing happens till they strike close home.

Punjabi star Diljit Dosanjh gives a convincing performance as a cop shaken into action when his kid brother lays hands on the deadly cocktail, available for Rs 50 a bottle.

Assisting him in the clean-up is Kareena Kapoor, a doctor who runs a de-addiction clinic. These two seem to be the only sane souls in the “powder” land of Punjab.

The strongest thread in the drug charade is provided by Alia Bhatt, the Bihari labourer caught in the drug mafia. She makes for a disturbing picture, with her powerful transition from an aspiring hockey player to a sex slave brutalised by maniacs.

The characters are all profane, mostly talking in expletives. Shahid’s Tommy is a brilliant nut, reflecting a culture where lunatic idols spoil an entire generation. Yes, they all raised censor hackles, but they also made a riveting cinema that has an anti-drug message plastered across it.

It’s a devastating tale of too many thuds. But Udta Punjab soars, telling it.