Maula Jatt trailer review
There is no doubt that the new Maula Jatt (2022) film is going to be a cinematic treat if the trailer is anything to go by. Sweeping vistas and stunning scenery dominate this new adaptation which looks like it has been set in some imagined Mughal-era state/jageer with decaying havelis and forts, rather than in a 1970’s basic Punjabi village like the original 1976 film.
Where the first Maula Jatt was honest and simple in its depiction of rural Punjabi folk, a film to appeal to the masses – this version is a textured work, in an opulent village-scape, featuring architectural renders with royal, vintage, 19th century vibes. The treatment has an epic feel, it’s a more sophisticated version, no doubt, in a rich setting making it look more like an amalgam of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali production with an Ertugrul touch! It’s fun to see how Punjab dey puttar have morphed into GoT-like, (as in Game of Thrones type) characters; or something out of classic Hollywood movies like Ben Hur or Cleopatra but set in rural Punjab! Their movements have swagger, the dialogue delivery is dramatic, the pace is epic, and the message is woke!
It’s as woke as the original Maula Jatt where the hero and the villains are a parable for good and evil on earth. The good guys are the upholders of justice in this world and the bad guys are out to get the main protagonist: Sardar, Jatt da puttar, Maula Jatt who seems to take on everyone with powerful panache – everyone is excited to see Fawad Khan return to the silver screen in this role. His female lead Mahira Khan also seems to match his on-screen energy. Actors Humaima Malik, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Gohar Rasheed also look very promising and I loved the intense romantic scenes – finally some real PDA – we hope! What struck me most, however, is the way the actors speak Punjabi – it doesn’t have the authentic village lilt of the original Maula Jatt – it’s the way the elite in Punjab have spoken Punjabi for generations, quite like Urdu without the guttural intonation. The non-Punjabi speaking in the cast sound as if they don’t know the vernacular of the Land of Five Rivers much! Now we just need to see the rest of the film to see how it all pans out! Exciting for sure!
