Ajay Kumar at 15:26, 21 September 2023

2023-09-21T15:26:56Z

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{{short description|2023 drama film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Dear Jassi
| image =
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Tarsem Singh]]
| producer = Rajesh Bahl Sanjay Grover Bhushan Kumar Krishan Kumar Vipul D. Shah Tarsem Singh Ashwin Varde
| writer = [[Amit Rai]]
| starring = Pavia Sidhu Yugam Sood
| music = Kanwar Grewal
| cinematography = Brendan Galvin
| editing = Tarsem Singh
| studio = Creative Strokes Productions Infinitum Productions Oedipus Productions T-Series Wakaoo Films
| distributor =
| released = {{film date|2023|9|11|[[2023 Toronto International Film Festival|TIFF]]}}
| runtime = 132 minutes
| country = India Canada United States
| language = Punjabi English
| budget =
}}

'''''Dear Jassi''''' is a drama film, directed by [[Tarsem Singh]] and released in 2023.<ref name=bramesco>Charles Bramesco, [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/sep/10/dear-jassi-review-hollywood-maximalist-makes-first-indian-movie "Dear Jassi review – Hollywood maximalist makes first Indian movie"]. ''[[The Guardian]]'', September 11, 2023.</ref> A coproduction of companies from India, Canada and the United States, the film is based on the real-life story of [[Murder of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu|Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu]], a Punjabi Canadian woman who ran afoul of her family when she fell in love with and chose to marry a working-class man they did not approve of.<ref name=grierson>Tim Grierson, [https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dear-jassi-toronto-review/5185337.article "‘Dear Jassi’: Toronto Review"]. ''[[Screen Daily]]'', September 10, 2023.</ref> <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/tarsem-singh-opens-up-about-dear-jassi-his-first-film-to-be-shot-in-india-news-318417|title=Tarsem Singh Opens Up About 'Dear Jassi', His First Film To Be Shot In India|publisher=outlook india}}</ref>

The film stars Pavia Sidhu as Jassi and Yugam Sood as her love interest Mithu, as well as Gourav Sharma, Sukhwinder Chahal, Sunita Dhir, [[Baljinder Kaur]], Karan Arora, Abhinash Bachchan, Kam Bains, Paras Bajaj, Rajni Bajaj, Avni Batra, Ranjodh Beli, Aman Bhogal, Harinder Bhullar, Mahabir Bhullar, Suchi Birgi and Roopa Cheema in supporting roles.

==Critical response==
Charles Bramesco of ''[[The Guardian]]'' wrote that "Like so many high school theater iconoclasts before him, Tarsem differentiates his iteration of Shakespeare’s dog-eared narrative through context, in this instance the byzantine Kafka nightmare of immigration. On top of the animosity from Jassi’s parents, border control agents conspire to keep our lovers apart after Jassi is sent back to the Great White North, separating them with a wall of documents, deadlines and fees. At every stage, a brutal khaki-clad police force can and must be bribed to forge papers, look the other way or do just about anything else. The emotional peaks rise not from the main couple’s ardor, but from the extraordinary fortitude and determination that the simple act of moving from one country to another demands of ordinary citizens. Forced to navigate an intentionally discouraging institution with minimal guidance, a brazenly unjust series of hurdles designed to devalue and restrict life itself, Mithu hits more poignant notes in his fight for the freedom of mobility than in his quest for his beloved."<ref name=bramesco/>

For ''[[Screen Daily]]'', Tim Grierson wrote that "Singh Dhandwar fashions lovely moments when this pair’s relationship first blossoms. Especially satisfying is the contrast between the homes where Jassi’s and Mithu’s families reside: hers is taller, and so when he stands on his rooftop to look up at her on her rooftop, it’s a clever visual allusion to ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''’s famous balcony scene. But like [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], ''Dear Jassi'' is heading toward heartbreak, with the filmmaker delivering the brutal final scenes without sensationalism."<ref name=grierson/>

==Distribution==
The full extent of the story, and the fact that it ultimately revolved around a murder, were not promoted in advance of the premiere,<ref>Proma Khosla, https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/dear-jassi-review-tarsem-singh-dhandwar-tiff-1234904615/ "‘Dear Jassi’ Review: Tarsem Singh Dhandwar Delivers a Breathtaking Emotional Gut Punch"]. ''[[IndieWire]]'', September 11, 2023.</ref> so as to heighten the initial impact of the twist in what had been presented in the early marketing as a simple romance film.<ref>Baz Bamigboye, [https://deadline.com/2023/09/tarsem-singh-interview-dear-jassi-tiff-1235548300/ "Hollywood Filmmaker Tarsem Singh On Shooting ‘Dear Jassi’, His First Film In India; Helmer Talks Of Mothers And Murder"]. ''[[Deadline Hollywood]]'', September 15, 2023.</ref>

The film premiered at the [[2023 Toronto International Film Festival]], where it was named the winner of the [[Platform Prize]].<ref>Steve Pond, [https://www.thewrap.com/american-fiction-wins-toronto-film-festivals-audience-award/ "‘American Fiction’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s Audience Award"]. ''[[TheWrap]]'', September 17, 2023.</ref> In his acceptance speech, Singh made an impassioned plea for media to stop using the term "[[honor killing]]" in relation to stories like Jassi's, on the grounds that it can create the impression that the murder was justifiable.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|26542557}}

{{Tarsem Singh}}
{{TIFF Platform Prize}}

[[Category:2023 films]]
[[Category:2023 drama films]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:Canadian drama films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Tarsem Singh]]
[[Category:Films about honor killing]]
[[Category:Punjabi-language films]]
[[Category:English-language Indian films]]
[[Category:English-language Canadian films]]

Dear Jassi - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 15:26, 21 September 2023