Jogi

Ali Abbas Zafar's 'Jogi' is set pat-in-the-middle of the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom in Delhi but is curiously disinterested in the transpiring violence.

For India in general and the Sikh community in particular, 1984 is a particularly emotive year, including for musician and actor Diljit Dosanjh, the star of ...

in June and July and continued in the U.K. “Peaches,” his single with the U.K.’s Anne-Marie was released earlier this month. Already a superstar of Punjabi-language cinema, Dosanjh’s breakthrough role in the Hindi-language Bollywood industry was “Udta Punjab” (2016), revolving around drug abuse in the state of Punjab. For Dosanjh, the year is particularly emotive because he was born in 1984, a few months before the cataclysmic events of June and October, and grew up hearing stories about that time. “Stories from that era have not been told and if there is an opportunity to tell them with a good team and platform, I do it.” In “Jogi,” directed by Ali Abbas Zafar (“Sultan”), Dosanjh plays the titular Jogi who takes it upon himself to heroically save his family and neighbors as politically-backed riot mobs in Delhi, including childhood friends from other communities, systematically target Sikhs during the 1984 riots.

Diljit Dosanjh, the protagonist in the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial, titled Jogi, has come out and said that a film like this should be dealt with, ...

1984 anti-Sikh riots deserve a better filmmaker and film than Jogi (2022), where Diljit Dosanjh's performance is the only saving grace.

Narrative is grim, but the film strings together elements of hope, courage, love and friendship.

The plot of Jogi revolves around the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The film takes you through the ...

And while the ending quote makes us realise that the idea of the movie was something very different, the Sikh Massacre became the centre of the movie. The first 10 minutes of the movie are enough to capture your attention and let you know that you’ve just selected a good movie to watch that won’t make you fall asleep in the middle. Jogi is a heartbreaking historical thriller that portrays the tragedy of the 1984 riots in Delhi which is a disaster that cannot and should not be forgotten. And with the help of his friends, this task doesn’t seem impossible. The film takes you through the desperation of a group of people during those three days who are trying to escape the city to seek refuge in Punjab. But what they are unaware of is the bloody storm that has already made its way into their lives.

Jogi, starring Diljit Dosanjh, is a realistic drama about the anti-Sikh riots. It delivers mainly because of the performances and screenplay.

Coming to the performances, Diljit is the heart and soul of Jogi. The cinematography and lighting do justice to its grim and heart-wrenching premise. Jogi then plays out as a survival drama as Joginder, with the help of a friend (Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub), tries to help his near and dear ones escape to safety. That said, it does manage to set the stage for an emotional exchange between two characters. Jogi begins with a scene in which the protagonist gears up to head out for some work. Jogi — out now on Netflix — is an intense and moving drama set against the backdrop of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

In Jogi, we see a symbol of Resistance who is not afraid to resort to violence when needed but is also equally compassionate and empathetic when the ...

Even in his final moments, Jogi is rebellious – he charges at Tejpal and punches him with all his might when he kills one of his kin. In his Resistance, Yogi often has to walk a tightrope and balance between his urge to fight the bigotry and his love for his community. Even though Jogi is acutely aware that the menace he is fighting affects not just him but his community – it is pervasive and transcends the confines of his dinner table where conversations on drinking happen in hushed tones and paranthas are a breakfast-staple. His ideas and spirit to fight bigotry are immortal but Jogi himself is mortal and is killed by Tejpal. As a result, in this battle between belligerence and love – it is the latter which wins. Wait for them to kill us?” asks Jogi as he sets out on a journey to fight the rioters and in a way, fight the communal hatred and bigotry which led to the Sikh genocide. Ultimately, Jogi’s urge to Resist comes with a caveat – he can fight as long as the authorities don’t come for his family and his people. In Jogi, we see a symbol of Resistance who is not afraid to resort to violence when needed but he is also equally compassionate and empathetic when the situation demands it. His emotions do resurface later – we see him tear up when he begs Lali to not kill his people to settle personal scores. Later, we see his eyes well up when he is forced to burn his house in Trilokpuri – but surprisingly, he doesn’t shed a tear this time. His journey to resist and fight for survival is not easy. They have burnt two gurudwaras, let alone houses!” tells a Sikh man to Jogi who is hiding with his family at Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.

Anti-Sikh riots of 1984 are without doubt one of the worst blots on the secular fabric of India. Nearly four decades may have passed since the horrific ...

He ferries them in a truck with the support of his friends one of whom is a Muslim and the other a Hindu, in keeping with secular values that the film ultimately cares to espouse. Wish we could say the same about the film as a whole. The rescue operation is mounted like a thriller and has a few heart-in-the-mouth moments. Its attempt to tap into the sentimental core is sapped of solid emotional connect except for a few moments close to the climax which anyway is overplayed. Caught in the crossfire of hatred and violence, the family too burns and amidst the tragic turn of events Jogi emerges as the saviour of Sikh community. As Jogi revisits this dark chapter in our contemporary history, what we expect is a sensitive and heartrending portrayal of the events that scarred a community and the nation.

Jogi is a nail-biting watch that keeps you wanting to reach the end in order to see the Sikh community finally get the freedom they deserve.

With all that being said though, Jogi is a nail-biting watch that keeps you wanting to reach the end in order to see the Sikh community finally get the freedom they deserve. Despite that, he tried his best to save his people which makes the movie a story revolving around the victory of good over evil and right over wrong. The Sikhs that were left to burn and die in cars, on the street, and inside their homes were all very jarring for someone who is learning about the brutal riots for the first time. The gripping truth about the way many innocent Sikhs were killed is overlooked in order to fit the plot of Jogi saving his neighbours and friends. One scene in particular that sent chills down my spine depicts Jogi and his cop friend, Rawinder, scanning the colony for carcasses of Sikhs in order to convince Tejpal. Jogi centers on a story of a man and his best friends who are all striving to save the Sikhs from being brutally murdered.

Jogi is an action drama film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and set in 1984 Delhi during the anti-Sikh riots that occurred following the assassination of ...

I wanted Jogi to succeed in his quest and I wanted to see the Lane 6 residents survive their ordeal. Diljit Dosanjh is masterful in his portrayal of a normal guy having to step up and become a hero in what’s an extremely abnormal situation. By nightfall, Rawinder offers to help Jogi and his remaining family members flee the city. The film starts by giving the viewer a brief historical context before introducing the main character and his family having breakfast on the morning of the riots. Kumud Mishra plays the main villain of the story, Tajpal, the municipal councilor who sees the riots as a way to advance his political career. In the film, Diljit Dosanjh plays the titular hero – a middle-class man caught in the crossfire determined to save as many members of his family and neighbors who reside at Lane 6 as he can.