Shukrana

Directed by Simerjit Singh, Shukrana is the latest Punjabi film to highlight gender issues while exploring some of the cracks within a joint family set up. Starring Neeru Bajwa, Amrit Maan, and Jass Bajwa, the movie examines individual agency of women, particularly in its treatment of young widows. Jeona (Jass Bajwa) and Veeran (Neeru Bajwa) are a happily married couple who live in a joint family. Jeona is the glue that holds the family together and he quells any murmurs of dissent with his good nature and largesse. As a loving and supportive husband, he encourages his wife to continue to work after her marriage, countering some opposing views at home. As luck would have it, the perfect life of the couple is jolted when Jeona dies in a freak accident. An expecting mother, Veeran’s life is turned upside down and she must figure out her place as a single mother, while encountering societal prejudice and patriarchy.