<p>Udta Punjab<br />Hindi (A) Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh<br />Director: Abhishek Chaubey<br /><br /></p>.<p>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?<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />It’s a devastating tale of too many thuds. But Udta Punjab soars, telling it.<br /><br /></p>
<p>Udta Punjab<br />Hindi (A) Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Diljit Dosanjh<br />Director: Abhishek Chaubey<br /><br /></p>.<p>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?<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />It’s a devastating tale of too many thuds. But Udta Punjab soars, telling it.<br /><br /></p>