CLASSIC SMASH-HIT
The usual posturing, gung ho violence, demented machismo peppered with the occasional saucy dance number completes the magic formula prepared so lovingly by Madame Sangeeta, and for some inexplicable reason this film turned into a bumper success while so many that appear utterly identical in style, execution, plot, subject matter and indeed cast seem to fail dismally. Why does a film like Sher-e-Lahore score a bull’s eye while twenty others just like seem to miss the mark? We haven’t a clue, but perhaps some of the elements that contributed to its success were the fact that Madame Sangeeta has managed to keep the pace of the film from flagging at any time during proceedings and is helped by a weird background score, some typically loaded dialogues and reasonable performances – the film is never boring.
The film is a blue print of the typical revenge based Lollywood Punjabi formula in the Maula Jat mould – loads of shouting and comic book machismo, tons of violence, the glorification and worship of guns, a strong bellowing mother figure, loaded dialogues, fat men running around with toy guns and some super saucy crowd pleasing dance numbers.
Of the performers Shaan does his Sultan Rahi thing with relish, growling ferociously and cackling grotesquely when the moment calls for it. Moammer Rana has learned how to shout like a proper Punjabi hero and has thus recently gained acceptance as a “proper hero”. Saima, as ever, looks older than Shaan but is effective in providing some comic relief along the way. She too performs some crowd pleasing dances but nothing to match the vulgarity of the Nirma numbers.
The surprise package of the film is the stupendous return to the screen of yesterday’s man-eating siren Madame Sangeeta who turns in a riveting performance and even joins the slightly younger girls for a climactic song and dance! Madame Sangeeta shows that her unique beauty is like the finest wine; improving with the passing of time till it reaches a vintage level. Here not only does the Madame show that she hasn’t lost her magnetic screen presence but in fact that he beauty has only improved with time. She now looks like an audition should be beckoning for the next John Waters production. Sangeeta proves that classic beauty is eternal and age just a flippant number!
Sher-e-Lahore was one of several aces that the Madame fired on her triumphant return to directing Punjabi films and currently she enjoys the status of being top dog (certainly not bitch) of the Lollywood Punjabi scene – a considerable feat or a dubious honour depending on how you view Punjabi filmdom.
