Udta Punjab

2016

2h 26m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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92%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

The insurgence of substance abuse among the young in the Indian state of Punjab through the stories of a rock star, a migrant laborer, a doctor and a policeman.

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Shyam N

What a powerful movie. If seen through a myopic vision it might appear just as a problem with Punjab as the title suggests. But this is just setting backdrop for the story to progress. This is an issue that grasps our nation and being ignored. Drug abuse amongst youngsters is the most common. Coming to the movie, I didnt find a single under-performing actor kudos to the director for this. Shahid and Alia were absolutely stunning but not taking any credit from Dilji, Kareena and all other actors. The last scene speaks more volume than anything in the movie, the sheer look of despair at the end summarizes the problem to the dot. Music is fantastic catering all the flavors and in my personal opinion Ikk Kudi probably stands out as the best becomes it shows the character arc of Tommy. Highly recommend the movie -MUST WATCH

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Rosana B

Lindo e triste filme, vagamente baseado no abuso de drogas pela população jovem no estado indiano de Punjabe, muita violência e abusos, uma realidade muito triste principalmente em países subdesenvolvidos como a Índia e o Brasil, doloroso de assistir em alguns momentos, principalmente na violência contra mulher, algo tido como tão normal, justificável e punitivo... Uma excelente produção, um alerta para os jovens indianos, uma denúncia corrupção, e um grito de esperança...

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

It is just a matter of coincidence that I happened to know about Anurag Kashyap just before Udta Punjab was going to come in controversies. I had watched Bombay Velvet, which I don't think is a good way to learn about a director's work (later on I got to know Return of Hanuman was also made by Anurag Kashyap so that settles that). And when this film was stuck in controversies, it got leaked and everyone watched it. I didn't see it back then since my 12th class was going on, but I did see it a few years back. And boy have we grown as an audience! Udta Punjab is basically something every OTT show is doing nowadays. I really like how Anurag Kashyap isn't afraid of CBFC. He made Gangs of Wasseypur parts 1 & 2 which are now being copied to make most OTT shows, then he made this film, which talks about the drug problems in Punjab. Kashyap's films are always very grounded and unlike most Bollywood directors, he is actually interested in making them look that way. Other directors want to keep their films grounded, but always add unrealistic things which make their films a washer-man's dog: Neither realistic nor unrealistic. Anurag Kashyap, however, goes all out on the ghetto look and touch, which is very well reflected in this film. No wonder why it got so much censored. Udta Punjab tells the story of four different perspectives when it comes to drug consumption in Punjab. There is Tommy Singh aka Gabru (played by Shahid Kapoor and the only character from this film whose name I remember), who is a drug addict and has just realised the errors of his ways. Now he is trying his best to become clean, but the life he has already created beforehand does not allow him to become a better person. There is Alia Bhatt who is a Bihari immigrant who has been kidnapped and is now being used for sexual favours. There is Diljit Dosanjh who is trying his best to capture the drug mafia when his own younger brother has become a drug addict, and then there is Kareena Kapoor Khan who is a social worker, working alongside Diljit to prevent drug consumption in Punjab. Everything about this film is excellent. The acting, music, story, cinematography, everything lands in place. There are no plot holes in spite of having so many subplots, and in the end all of that comes together. Tommy Singh was my favourite character, and every time he was on the screen I just wanted to see him. When he was gone I would wait for his scenes to come, since his story was the most suspenseful. The film does have some parts where the characters talk like how people don't usually talk like in real life, like the part where Tommy is in jail and the two kids tell they were addicted to drugs and that's why they killed their parents. The way they talk sounds very unrealistic. Then Alia Bhatt also did not suit a Bihari look at all. She was clearly looking black faced and her accent sounded awfully fake. But other than that I don't have any problem. Udta Punjab is one of those films that I'd call era-defining. It not only exposed Pahlaj Nihalani's hypocrisy in deciding what is correct for the Indian audience and what isn't, but it also helped in getting him kicked out and bringing Prasoon Joshi in his place. Today a film like Udta Punjab can be easily made, but the society's mindset 5 years ago was very different from now. This is a very positive change and I hope we see the same decline in people getting offended over historical and religious depictions in films and OTT shows.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Crazy acting no storyline

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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M-Waseem A

More Hindi movies like this!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/26/20

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ryan f

I loved this movie. It was very well acted all the way around and took on a very serious subject and did it well.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Abhishek Chaubey

Director

Shahid Kapoor

Tommy Singh

Kareena Kapoor

Dr. Preet Sahani

Alia Bhatt

Kumari Pinky

Diljit Dosanjh

Sartaj Singh

Satish Kaushik

Taayaji

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Udta Punjab: Trailer 1

3:09

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Namrata Joshi

The Hindu

I came out of the screening with Balli's cries ringing harsh in my ears. They are haunting me. Still.

Oct 26, 2016

Full Review

Pradeep Menon

Firstpost

In an industry that is so strongly driven by the star before anyone else, such film choices by the young (and the young-at-heart) is a stellar change.

Oct 25, 2023

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Rahul Desai

Film Companion

I can’t think of a better actor as the popstar version of Kabir Singh...

Feb 9, 2023

Full Review

Anna M.M. Vetticad

Firstpost

It is hard to believe that this uneven treatment of a grave issue has come to us from the director who delivered Vidya Balan to us in all her electrifying glory...

May 9, 2019

Full Review

Rahul Desai

CatchNews

With this film, though, Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor may gain admirers with a clear understanding of this distinction. Only, these fans would rather be with them than be them.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 6, 2019

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Pooja Pande

BookMyShow

Udta Punjab has released amidst all the controversy and the hype, and has gotten people questioning whether it's worth all the hype. Well, it is.

Jan 17, 2019

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Synopsis

The insurgence of substance abuse among the young in the Indian state of Punjab through the stories of a rock star, a migrant laborer, a doctor and a policeman.

Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Screenwriter: Abhishek Chaubey
Production Co: Balaji Motion Pictures, Phantom Films
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Hindi
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.0M
Runtime: 2h 26m