Award-winning Journalist-Filmmaker R. Paul Dhillon, the Writer-Director and Producer (Three-in-One) of the feature film DESI ANGREJ: The Fusion Generation is an amazing multi-talented individual.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the World Premiere of Dhillon’s film at the International Film Festival of South Asia that was held at the Surrey City Hall last November which gave me an earl look at the film and thus my review here.
The Film is full of comedy, romance, culture, religion, history and psychological aspects. The past, present and the future have been interwoven. Other salient features of the Film are: it was filmed in only 19 days, the majority of the actors and actresses are local, some like co-star Thugpun a first timer and many from different ethnicities like Chinese-Canadian and French-Canadian. Even though it was made with a small budget, the Film has a look that is very high budget quality and themes which really hit the reality button.
The Film has succinctly displayed the Fusion as well as the Confusion of our three generations in Canada. In fact, our cultural, religious and psychological facets have created much confusion than the clarity for a much simpler, straightforward and fearless living.
According to Dhillon’s film, we have become fused masses. There is a need to put a fresh fuse in our minds and overpower the fear of traditions.
For me, the Film says that “ Between Two Stools, One Cometh to the Ground”. Either be a Desi or be an Angrej. To be both, there is a need to chalk out a route between the traditional and the modern. The State, no doubt, is ‘inclusive and multicultural’, but we are not.
The Film is thought-provoking and worth watching. It will be released in theatres in Spring 2019 – watch out for the Date!
Mr. Zile Singh is much respected Link Columnist, writer, a Vipassana Meditator and has a Post-Graduate Diploma in Human Rights. He can be reached at [email protected]
