Directed by Hollywood director Tarsem Singh, ‘Dear Jassi’, the story of honour killing of Jassi Sidhu in Punjab in June 2000 for marrying a village boy against her family’s wishes, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this week.
The film retells the tragedy of 24-year-old Jassi Sidhu who fell in love with Sukhwinder Sidhu alias Mithu, a kabaddi player of the same Sidhu clan, while visiting her mother’s village in Punjab.
Born at Maple Ridge near Vancouver, Jassi was murdered by her mother’s hired killers near Jagraon in Punjab while her husband was left for dead.
Opening with sufi poet Bulleh Shah’s ‘Kamli’, the film brilliantly recreates the tragic events of June 2000, beginning with the Indo-Canadian girl (played by Pavia Sidhu) falling in love with the rugged Punjab boy (played by Yugam Sood) during her first trip to Punjab.
The film has also been selected in the official competition category for this year’s BFI London Film Festival, starting early next month.
Directed by India-born filmmaker Tarsem Singh Dhandwar, the film also marks a debut for producer Sanjay Grover – the son of Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover, who was representing him at the Canadian screenings while his son was busy with a shoot in London.
“This is a heart-wrenching love story and my friend, director Tarsem, has done an extraordinary job,” said Gulshan Grover in a message from Toronto.
“Also, it’s a very special moment for me because ‘Dear Jassi’ is a film produced by my son Sanjay, his first independent film after working at Hollywood studios,” he said.
In the ’90s, on a trip to visit her extended family in Jagraon, Jassi (Pavia Sidhu) meets Mithu (Yugam Sood), a sweet rickshaw driver who lives down the street. She quickly falls for him, but their time is cut short as Jassi is expected to return with her mother to their home in Canada. 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’s no easy way to pursue their relationship. As their romance continues, we become so invested in their sincere and intimate love story that it’s easy to forget what terrifying consequences could await them.
