A simple villager, Maggar Singh Sandhu, loving called Girdhari Lal by his father, falls in love with every girl he meets, weaving dreams of his marriage with her. In his journey to find his bride, he encounters seven women but fails to marry any one of them.
REVIEW: One of the most ambitious films of Gippy Grewal till date, ‘Shavan Ni Girdhari Lal’ is out to restore faith in love in its real form, simple and sweet. The largehearted Girdhari (Gippy Grewal), is a man typically in love with the cliched idea of love. He maybe a simple man, but he is no simpleton, and likes to set the record straight with anyone who mistakes his simplicity as foolishness. With seven popular actresses from Punjabi industry, the film is thoroughly entertaining in its first half as Girdhari is wooing every pretty girl. Gippy is in his element as Girdhari- rustic, robust and completely immersed in the character. Credit goes to him for characterizing Girdhari as a fine balance between unpretentious and wise. The actresses playing his love interest, Himanshi Khurana, Payal Rajput, Tanu Grewal, Surilie Gautam, Sara Gurpal, Neeru Grewal and Yami Gautam (yes, she is the surprise element in the film), share fleeting screen spaces as delivered through the narrative. By doing so, the plot stays strictly focused on the title character of Girdhari, a feat that writer Rana Ranbir (who also plays a role in the film), and director Gippy deserve kudos for.
As Girdhari chases his bride, the film takes on serious undertones towards the end when Girdhari is lecturing others on the magnanimity of love that surpasses it in its romantic connotations only. He justifies falling in love several times by using the analogy of his love for his family, reminding everyone that love being pure can flow unrestrained towards a lot of people, in this case, towards seven girls. Using Punjabi sonnets on love to do this lecturing, while Gippy had noble intentions, the film dragged a little too much than required over this, taking away its entertaining factor in the climax. As for who does Girdhari marries in the end, we will let you watch the film to discover that for yourself.
The title track by singer Satinder Sartaj is generously melodious and nostalgic of old-world charm.
Despite its huge star cast and leading ladies of Punjabi cinema, ‘Shava Ni Girdhari Lal’ is about Gippy all the way.
