Review: 'The Legend of Maula Jatt' has got us saying 'Nava aya ae sohneya'

On a sweltering, eerie day in Punjab, a village finds its voice in a brawling young man with a Gandasa. A messiah rises from the ashes in a bid to fight a barbaric, corrupt clan. Behind him is a dark past and ahead of him is a burning desire to avenge the blood of his parents.

A lot of nerves, action and fascination lie before, after and in between the interval of The Legend of Maula Jatt.

While the first-half builds up the motivation of the plot, the latter half peaks with a thrilling climax. What does not change, however, is a continuous effort to mind-boggle the audience.

TLoMJ is a fight of good versus evil. It is a fight of right versus wrong. It is the fight of Maula Jatt versus Noori Natt.

It is truly rare for Pakistani cinema to witness a story where the villain is as powerful as the hero. The first was perhaps Younas Malik’s Maula Jatt (1979), where strong character developments gave Pakistani film industry superstars like Sultan Rahi and Musutafa Qureshi. 

And now, amid much hype of Bilal Lashari’s reboot, it is safe to say the magic has been recreated with Fawad Khan and Hamza Ali Abbasi with the support of Mahira Khan, Humaima Malick, Gohar Rasheed and Faris Shafi.

Maybe it is Maula’s hunger for justice, or Mukkho’s unapologetic love for him, maybe it is Noori’s psychosis or Daaro’s fearless aura, but TLoMJ is a movie you would want to watch again.

The film does come with its concerns too, and rightfully so. With language being a barrier and an impactful 70’s namesake as the benchmark, Lashari has a lot to debunk.

An advice to cinema goers, however, is to not compare the new version with the original one. While the main plot line remains the same, Lashari has created something miles apart from its predecessor and not just because of technology. It is a generational shift, it is bold and beautiful in its different sense.

For those, who do not find themselves well-equipped with understanding of Punjabi, the producers have not let language become a barrier. The movie has subtitles and adapts an easy dialect to simulate the experience.

Another big concern for many Maula Jatt lovers has been the absence of songs in Lashari’s version. People, who have developed a taste for Punjabi films are big advocates of music and insist a cinema experience is truly complete when infused with a range of peppy dance numbers. For all those, the movie serves a crisp background score, a nostalgic script and fascinating visual tricks. While this might not make up for the melodies, it does provide a compelling mix of entertainment.

A lot of ups and downs, delays and legal setbacks later, TLoMJ has lived up to, if not surpassed expectations. It is an initiative never seen in Pakistan before. It is truly a labour of love.

It comes amid efforts to revive a cult classic. It may not borrow much from the original, but it brings a life of its own on screen. More than anything, it is a saviour to otherwise struggling Pakistani film industry.