The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', September 11, 2023. A coproduction of companies from India, Canada and the United States, the film is based on the real-life story of
Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu
Jaswinder Kaur "Jassi" Sidhu (August 4, 1975 – June 8, 2000) was an Indo-Canadian beautician who was murdered in an honor killing near the villages of Kaunke and Khosa area of Ludhiana, Punjab, after traveling from British Columbia, Canada. She w ...
, 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.Tim Grierson "‘Dear Jassi’: Toronto Review" ''
Screen Daily
''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company.
The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...
'', September 10, 2023.
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
Baljinder Kaur is an Indian actress who has appeared in Haryanvi, Hindi and Tamil films.
Career
Kaur was born and brought up in the village of Bhondian near Bhogpur, Punjab. She developed an interest in theatre during her education at DAV Co ...
, 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
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' 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."
For ''
Screen Daily
''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company.
The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global film business. ...
'', 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
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''’s famous balcony scene. But like
Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
, ''Dear Jassi'' is heading toward heartbreak, with the filmmaker delivering the brutal final scenes without sensationalism."
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, so as to heighten the initial impact of the twist in what had been presented in the early marketing as a simple romance film.
The film premiered at the
2023 Toronto International Film Festival
The 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from September 7 to 17, 2023.Victoria Ahearn"TIFF reveals new programmers and other 2023 festival details" '' Playback'', April 20, 2023.
The most noted change from past years was tha ...
TheWrap
''TheWrap'' is an American online news website covering the business of entertainment and media via digital, print and live events. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman
Sharon I. Waxman (born c.1963) is an American author, journalist, ...
'', September 17, 2023. In his acceptance speech, Singh made an impassioned plea for media to stop using the term "
honor killing
An honor killing (American English), honour killing (Commonwealth English), or shame killing is the murder of an individual, either an outsider or a member of a family, by someone seeking to protect what they see as the dignity and honor of t ...
" in relation to stories like Jassi's, on the grounds that it can create the impression that the murder was justifiable.