There is no non-preachy way to make a film about the drug menace in Punjab. It always runs the risk of turning into a documentary. But when there is a filmmaker like Abhishek Chaubey at the helm of things, the raw data and statistics are material enough to get you high. He is riotous from the opening scene in which a discuss thrower from across the border flings a kilo of heroin towards India and drugs come flying into Punjab. When you decode it, you realize that Chaubey makes so many statements sans words. Punjab is a crucial border state that is falling prey to drugs. Can you imagine the far reaching consequences if matters aren't taken into hands pronto?
Udta Punjab walks on a tightrope, shifting between irreverent and insightful. Profanities are hurled, songs about coke and cock are sung and yet, there are deep conversations amidst shocking revelations.The grim tone finds respite in dark humour, as the director stays true to his style of narration, laced delicately with wit. You'll find yourself chuckling in the strangest parts, smiling to yourself at incorrigible instances. And when the drama plays out, you'll find yourself pondering over the issue over and over again, wondering if we've woken up too late to save Punjab.
