Jogi Review (2022 Film): Outstanding Performance By Diljit Dosanjh With Excellent Screenplay By Abbas

Jogi, now streaming on Netflix, is a powerful movie about the anti-Sikh riots of 1984. Even though it has made-up characters, the movie does a good job of showing how the disaster affected real people.

‘Jogi’ Review

In Jogi, we follow the heroic journey of a seemingly average man. We are now in the year 1984. Joginder Singh, often known as Jogi (Dijit Dosanjh), and his family reside in Delhi’s Trilokpuri neighborhood, on Lane No. 6. Heer’s son, Prab (Samarjit Singh Mahajan), who is the son of his sister Heer (Charu Kumar), and his brother-in-law Tajinder (K P Singh), also reside in the area. 

In 1984, on October 31, the Prime Minister of India was murdered by her Sikh bodyguards. Therefore, Sikhs in the Nation’s Capital become targets of violence, often at the behest of senior government officials. Tejpal Arora (Kumud Mishra), the MLA of Trilokpuri, figures out that if he murders Sikhs in his area, he will have a better chance of being elected to the Lok Sabha. He gives the go-ahead for the rioters to assist in the massacre of Inspectors Kuldeep and Chautala (Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub).

 In Trilokpuri, the assault begins first. The store and Tajinder both perished in the flames. The Sikh residents of Lane No. 6, including Jogi, his family, and Heer, seek safety at a nearby Gurudwara. Chautala, a long-time friend of Jogi’s, is opposed to the murder of innocents for any reason. In the Gurudwara, he sees Jogi and tells him that they are both in danger and that they should flee to Punjab together.

Instead, Jogi flatly refuses, making it plain that he and everyone else in the temple are planning to flee. Chautala sees everything from his vantage point. He comes up with a way out. It’s with regret that Jogi decides to shorten his hair and remove his turban so that he doesn’t stand out as a Sikh. 

After that, they go to see their mutual buddy, trucking entrepreneur Kaleem Ansari (Paresh Pahuja). Kaleem prepares a truck, and the two others load up a third of it with weapons and supplies. Jogi directs the children and the elderly to board the truck as it is driven to the Gurudwara. He then operates his vehicle toward Mohali, Punjab’s neighboring city. For fear of being stopped and frisked, Chautala drives his police car alongside the truck. Inspector Katiyal, aka Lali (Hiten Tejwani), an old adversary of Jogi’s, finds out about the latter’s plan. That’s why he goes to Tejpal to vent his frustration. The rest of the movie is what happens after that.

Excellent Screenplay By Ali Abbas Zafar

The love tale of Ali Abbas Zafar and Sukhmani Sadana is touching, but it also has some obvious commercial elements. Among the several films about the anti-Sikh riots in Hindi and Punjabi cinema, JOGI is the most notable. The screenplay by Ali Abbas Zafar and Sukhmani Sadana is straightforward but entertaining. The second half, which consists largely of flashbacks, isn’t as effective. The lines spoken by Ali Abbas Zafar and Sukhmani Sadana are quite powerful. 

The direction by Ali Abbas Zafar is really tidy. The topic is somewhat specific, but he approaches it professionally. He also avoids going too far outside the norm when catering to the masses. Both the chaotic scenes and the more sentimental ones are handled expertly. Moreover, he does a great job of increasing the tension. All in all, the concept of religious identification is well conveyed. Conversely, the tempo drags in the opening act.

Further, Ali’s performance significantly declines after the halfway point. At the moment when the stakes are highest, he veers off course during the flashback scene with Kammo (Amyra Dastur). There’s no denying the significance of this track in illuminating the tensions between Jogi and Lali. Nonetheless, the director should have opened with a romantic number. A better grasp of the dynamics between the characters would have benefited greatly from this. If the audience had known this, they would have understood why Lali was embarrassing Jogi in front of the MLA. 

“Jogi”- Story Synopsis

The main character of Jogi and his family are quickly introduced at the beginning of the story. The assassination and subsequent disturbances become the main storyline. A few memorable passages from the first act include Heer’s denial about her husband’s murder, Jogi’s haircutting, and Jogi’s apology to his mother. The scenario where Jogi is forced to enter his supply farm with the Sikhs hiding in his truck in order to escape from the MLA’s henchmen is tense. It’s exciting to witness the chaos at the Karnal Toll Booth.

It’s hard to find the right words to express how poignant the scenario is at the Mohali Police check station. The scene where Chautala brilliantly organizes a full assault on the Gurudwara deserves special acclaim. The retrospective section is interesting, but, as was previously mentioned, it occurs far too late in the narrative. Lali’s about-face is puzzling and difficult to understand. This story’s climax really hits home. 

What About The Performance?

The comedic actor Diljit Dosanjh is well known for his roles in this genre. In JOGI, he has no room to be playful, so he gives a serious performance. His actions and demeanor are so convincing that we believe he is weak and threatened, even as we anticipate his retaliatory response. Kumud Mishra shines as the adversary. It comes as no surprise that Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub gives a brilliant performance. 

Generally, Hiten Tejwani is a respectable person. Amyra Dastur is beautiful and would do nicely in a supporting role. The assistance of Paresh Pahuja is invaluable. The influence of Neelu Kohli, Jogi’s mother, is undeniable. Apinderdeep Singh (Jogi’s brother), Harnoor Babbar (Tejpal’s daughter), Noyrika (Shehnaaz), Kaleem’s wife, and Arvinder Singh Gill (Jogi’s father), Charu Kumar, Samarjit Singh Mahajan, K P Singh, and Apinderdeep Singh (Sukhi) are all fair.