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Movie Review: ‘Carry On Jatta’

��Carry on Jatta�۪ is in a string of Punjabi movies hitting the UK cinemas this year that promises to be different and on the next level of Punjabi comedy films. Well if you have comedy kings like Gurpreet Ghuggi, Binnu Dhillon and Jaswinder Bhalla in the star cast, one would expect nothing less. Leading the way are Bhangra music sensation Gippy Grewal (on a super high at the moment with Yo Yo Honey Singh on Angrezi Beat) and the gorgeous and immensely talented Bollywood star, Mahie Gill, who won the critics best actress award for her work in ‘Dev D’ (2009). She was also paired opposite Arbaaz Khan as Nirmala in ‘Dabangg’ (2010) and is currently shooting for ‘Dabangg 2’ to be released later this year.

The trailer for the movie is averagely good but one can possibly not anticipate what this movie has in store. The music by Jatinder Shah who does most of Gippy Grewal�۪s music has done pretty well on the Punjabi music scene and helps build up anticipation for this romantic comedy. Director Smeep Kang does not have a huge line up of major credits to his name but he has done some good ones in this genre and his work seems to be getting better with time. One does not expect a stunning high budget production from ��Carry on Jatta�۪ but a well laid script could change its fate at the box office.

The movie is a story of a lazy but charming spoilt Jass (Grewal) who lives with his elder brother Goldy (Dhillon), sister-in-law and a stingy father played by Bhalla. Jass�۪s father and brother are no good lawyers and can�۪t get along with any tenants that they keep in their house. Jass spends less time at his business of bricks setup by his father and more time with his good-for-nothing friend Honey played by the amazing Ghuggi. At a friend�۪s wedding he comes across Mahi and instantly falls in love. She wants to get married with someone who does not have a family like her which he overhears and creates a web of lies to impress her and lands up getting married to her on the first trip to meet her caretaker. Things get more difficult for him when Mahi lands up at his house when looking for a place to start off their married life. He creates another web of lies by bringing in his friend Honey as Mahi�۪s husband and introducing him as his younger brother to Mahi.

To add more stories to the confusion Honey wants to get married to his girlfriend Preet, played by B4U VJ Khushboo Grewal. But since her family won�۪t approve getting married to a waster like him, he poses to be the son of Jass�۪s lawyer father. Honey gets married to Preet without Jass knowing and her family drop her off at Jass�۪s house too after the marriage. Jass now returns to find 2 wives in his house and a whole lot of confusion! The laugh riot continues while lies keep building and so does his dilemma of sorting out the mystery which could lead to a number of broken hearts and trust in him.�� What happens next is irrelevant as the journey so far will have you falling off your seat with a tummy hurting with laughter.

The dialogues, story and screenplay by Naresh Kathooria are just perfect by Indian film industry standards. He could have written this for a Bollywood movie and it would be a hit of those levels. The story is not inspirational or new in any respect as it will remind of the latest situational comedy ��Housefull 2�۪ (2012) which is pretty much on the same lines. But ��Carry On Jatta�۪ has a class of its own because of the Punjabi flavour and culture that it brings out making it a much better watch than ��Housefull 2�۪ if you don�۪t care about the A-list cast and expensive London shoot.

The performances are just brilliant by Ghuggi, Dhillon and Bhalla on the comedy front and will have one holding their belly at every scene. Dhillon and Bhalla are amusing with their overacting at times while Ghuggi delivers comic timing perfection.��Gill and Grewal deliver good chemistry together under Kang�۪s direction. Grewal lacks expressions in many scenes but surely has the talent to get better with time and become the most sought after Punjabi star being the complete package he is with his voice. The movie has another big advantage on the music front with a very attractive and all-rounded soundtrack that has been paid good attention. Marjawan is a must listen romantic lounge track while Roula Pai Geya is perfect for Punjabi weddings all around the country. The songs have been shot well enough to stand by themselves as music videos. A 2 hours and 10 minutes edit keeps the film tight and avoids any unwanted scenes keeping the audience hooked throughout.

Mahie Gill and Gippy Grewal in 'Carry On Jatta'

It is a rare sight in a British cinema screen to see audiences clapping, whistling and falling of their seats with laughter. ��Carry on Jatta�۪ is everything one needs in a situational comedy entertainer. It has a good cast for a regional Punjabi language film with a right mix of all the amazing flavours of that culture including music, dance, romance, scenic locations and the typical clich̩s. The dialogues have a punch in every scene without being bold or irritating. The direction is crisp and to the point while the performances are good with some room to grow. Punjabi cinema would have not seen a comedy like this before which should do well at the box office not just in India but also internationally. This movie should help bring Punjabi cinema into the main-stream limelight. A recommended watch with the entire family!

Rating ��� 4.25/5