Punjabi families in the midst of high drama, traversing the cultures and locations of Punjab and London should be declared a no-go for all filmmakers and screenwriters. How many times can the magic of Jab We Met and Queen be rehashed for the big screen? Heer Express is a sweet film, but it does commit the cardinal cinematic sin of being all-too-familiar, a little too often.Â
Director Umesh Shukla (who has previously made movies like 102 Not Out and Oh My God!) presents Heer Express as a clean, old-school family entertainer. The kind of movie that tugs politely at the heartstrings while serving a handful of soft laughs and life lessons. On paper it has the ingredients: an earnest newcomer, Divita Juneja playing Heer, as the likeable heroine, seasoned character actors who know how to hold a frame Sanjay Mishra, Gulshan Grover, Ashutosh Rana, and a premise that shifts from Punjab to London so you get family sentiment mixed with a fish-out-of-water vibe. Trouble is, the film mostly stays on the tracks of predictability and never builds enough steam.
Performance-wise the movie is serviceable. Divita Juneja is an exciting discovery. She’s sincere on screen and carries the film’s emotional weight better than the script deserves. Prit Kamani and Ashutosh Rana provide welcome support, and there are moments where Sanjay Mishra and Gulshan Grover quietly lift the proceedings with small, lived-in touches. Audiences seem to notice and like the lead’s warmth even if they grumble about the rest.
Where Heer Express falters is structure and stakes. One could say that the bland screenplay, cliché beats and manufactured crises neither surprise nor deepen the characters. Scenes that should land emotionally feel preordained, and the film’s attempts at comedy don’t often land, which makes the tonal shifts feel clunky rather than charming. The pacing occasionally drags, and many plot turns feel like they belong to a movie that would have been more forgivable a decade ago.
On the technical front the film is tidy but unremarkable. Competent cinematography and a safe musical palette that never quite lodges itself in memory. When a film trades on sentiment rather than invention, it needs either a razor-sharp script or an exceptionally evocative sound/visual design; Heer Express has neither.
If you love family dramas that follow a comforting, familiar blueprint and you came for performances and a gentle vibe, you’ll probably enjoy parts of it. If you want sharper writing, surprises, or something emotionally risky, this one won’t satisfy.
Bottom line is, Heer Express is a clean, well-meaning film with a capable lead and a few sweet moments, but its insistence on safe, clichéd storytelling keeps it from being memorable. Watch it if you’re in the mood for a warm, undemanding evening. Go in with low expectations and you might come out smiling.
Also Read:Â Heer Express Trailer: Hilarious Family Drama Introducing Debutant Divita Juneja
Crime Today News
