Released Date : 9 June, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 4.5/5
Story: A simple villager in colonial-era Punjab, Jeona Maurah is forced to take up arms to avenge the death of her bandit brother Kishna. Besides seeking revenge against Dogar, another dacoit who betrayed Kishna, Jeona is also determined to destroy the exploitative land tax mafia that colludes with the Indian king and the British and impoverishes the villagers. The film ends with Jeona, an ardent worshiper of Naina Devi, taking a leap of faith from a cliff in her temple after being surrounded by British forces. In real life, Jeona was killed in this fight, not by jumping off a cliff, but by being shot by the British, Maurah ends the film on a positive note.
Review: A period drama, the narrative opens in a vast desert in Punjab, harboring gangs of dacoits who loot villages. Set against this wasteland, the film strikes a visual metaphor for the barren lives of the villagers of Maurah. Struggling to maintain their land against tyrannical landlords and corrupt kings, brothers Kishna (Dev Kharod) and Jeona (Amy Virk) Kishna becomes the first bandit to avenge the injustice against the system, Jeona is forced to follow in his footsteps after Kishna is killed by the king and the British captain.
While Dev Kharoud is no stranger to the action genre, Amy Virk makes a dramatic foray into it with Maurah. Depicting Jeona's life story, Ammi delivers powerful dialogues, perfect for a bandit baying for blood.
Cinematographer Jatinder Mawhar is as much credited with recreating Punjab's notoriously desolate deserts as the director. With a sandy wash on the screen, the costumes take on a tinge of sepia and earthy shades, focusing the narrative sharply on the theme of oppression.
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With Maurh, Amy sheds her hitherto image of romantic idiot or comic. Her thunderous performances are also attributed to equally challenging roles played by Vikramjit Birk, who plays her nemesis in Dogar, Kuljinder Sidhu, who betrays Kishna, Sunny Sandhu, who plays a staunch loyalist.
Singer Jasmine Sandlas, who makes a special appearance and adds the only touch of color on screen in her saffron dress, is another surprise. Away from her pop image, Jasmine dons the avatar of a folk singer with impressive perfection.
What dampens the narrative somewhat is the lag in the screenplay. While the film celebrates the details, it doesn't bring out the emotions of the characters with as much force.
However, Maurh's drama, acting, is worth watching for its cinematic appeal. It's a joy to see how far Punjabi cinema has come with comedy as well as genres, and Maurah is truly exemplary.
