Review: I am Singh

Film: I am Singh
Cast: Gulzar Inder Chahal, Puneet Issar, Rizwan Haider, Tulip Joshi, Amy Rasimas and other
Director: Puneet Issar
Rating: 0

We live for the turban, we die for the turban, I am Singh is all about the turban.

I am Singh, based on the trials faced by the Sikh and the Muslim communities after the 9/11 tragedy in America, revolves around the character Ranveer Singh (Gulzar Inder Chahal) whose life takes a turn after his brothers and father are mistaken for terrorists and attacked by a bunch of racists in America. The film is about a Sikh’s quest to find justice in a land now turned racist against any member of the South Asian community.

The cause was noble, the execution however…

First let’s try and see what the director (Puneet Issar) wanted to convey through this film; plight of the Sikhs post 9/11, principles of justice, liberty and peace, a united worldview, freedom of religion and pride in one’s own culture.

Now let’s talk about what one actually sees while watching this movie; lots of grunting, insane amounts of screaming (scream scream scream till the world is rid of all evil), over-acting (enough with the melodrama, the 80s are gone and never coming back) and bad cinematography. It would be highly unfair though if only the Indians are blamed for the emotionally scarring experience that the film is. The Americans too have made a generous contribution in this area.

The bunch of men who play the role of racist Americans and go about killing anybody from the South Asian community are straight out of some WWF match. There is a lot of grunting, flexing of muscles followed by screams of “We will destroy those Indians..aaagghhh”. If you close your eyes and just concentrate on the sounds, it sounds very similar to something fromJurassic Park.

There are some characters in the film who have no business being there at all. They have no role and add nothing to the film. Amelia White, played by Brooke Johnston, an American human rights activist and a lawyer has nothing to offer except being the love interest of Ranveer Singh but the film even fails to build on that aspect. Ranveer Singh is supposedly the protagonist but is mysteriously missing from some of the most important scenes (not that this reviewer is complaining, just wondering). He has only one expression on his face throughout the movie, a very intense and angry one at that, and no acting skills to speak of.

Hand gestures apparently are the way to express any feeling. If the turban is being talked about they physically point to their head, if an emotion is being expressed they place their hand on their heart and if the whole world is being addressed, then they must make sweeping gestures with their arms to make that clear.

Some of the most amusing scenes in the film are when they yell at Americans in Hindi. Their passionate declarations should be lost on a crowd that doesn’t speak a word of Hindi but all hail the power of Singhs, they understand and applaud.

By the end of I am Singh you don’t just want your money back, you want the last two hours of your life back.