By Firdaus Ali
In Toronto
Director Tarsem Singh Dhandwar’s film Dear Jassi, based on shocking, true-life events that unfolded between Canada and India, won the Platform Award at the recently held Toronto International Film Festival.
The honour comes with an award of $20,000 CAD given to the best film in the programme, selected by an in-person international jury.
The film, which received its world premiere at the festival, was TIFF’s unanimous choice for the Platform Award this year for its honest and candid portrayal of a class and caste-ridden society that is quick to eliminate love and all things beautiful and pure.
The film is based on the true story of young Indo-Canadian woman Jaswinder Kaur Jassi whose mother and uncle ordered her kidnapping and murder after discovering that she had secretly married a rickshaw driver named Mithu, whom she met while visiting family in the village of Jagraon, Punjab.
While Jassi’s mother and uncle were extradited to India to face charges, they are now out on bail, while her husband Mithu still languishes behind bars facing several allegations and charges even 22 years later.
Tarsem’s latest film marks a new chapter chronicling the continuing injustices The seed to make the film was planted when Dhandwar read about the horrific murder of real-life Jaswinder Kaur Jassi in the newspaper way back in 2000.
Her story left an indelible impact on him and ever since, the idea of making a film about the tragic love story had been a “little monkey on his back,” revealed Dhadwar at a post-screening session at TIFF.
Set in rural India, the film opens with the Bulleh Shah’s haunting lines, “beshak mandir, masjid, todo, par pyar bhara dil kabhi na todo, is dil mein dilbar rehta….” sung poignantly by Sufi singer Kanwar Grewal.
While Dear Jassi marks the long-awaited return of director Dhandwar who is known for directing Hollywood-style, fast-paced science fiction films, in some ways, the film feels a bit empty and lacking the softness and humane handling of the sensitive subject of femicide.
Born in Jalandhar, India, Dhandwar went on to study film at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He has directed music videos for vocal artists En Vogue, R.E.M., Suzanne Vega, Lou Reed, and Lady Gaga. His earlier film credits include The Cell (2000) and The Fall (TIFF 2006), Mirrror Mirror (2012) and Immortals.
While this is his first foray into realism, Dhandwar is quick to show the romance between Jassi and the rural rickshaw driver but does not spend time explaining the class and caste structure to audiences, who are left to connect the dots in the film.
The film features Pavia Sidhu (Cruel Summer & Shrill) and Yugam Sood, who makes his debut with the film. The modern-day Romeo and Juliet themed film is set in Punjab in 1996.
While on a trip to visit her extended family in Jagraon, Canadian-born Jassi (Pavia Sidhu) meets Mithu (Yugam Sood), a sweet rickshaw driver who lives down the street but who is no match for her family’s wealthy social status.
Their attraction is pure and unconditional but is not strong enough to fight the wrath of Jassi’s family, who put status, class, and caste over everything else. The film revolves around the love of a young couple who are desperate to be together but are kept apart by time, distance, and familial expectations.
The sweethearts begin exchanging love letters, and Mithu starts making travel plans. But when Jassi sees her family lash out at one of her cousin’s suitors, she realizes there is no easy way to pursue their relationship. As their romance continues, we become so invested in their sincere and intimate love story that it is easy to forget what terrifying consequences could await them.
Dear Jassi captures the brutality and repercussions of hate. And also what lies on the other side of the beautiful sunset.
If you are brave enough to look, that is!