Promo for Ekam: Son of Soil

[J Hayer]

Babbu Mann - Ekam movie traliar

 

[jsandhu]

cant wait ;D
april 9th

 

[Varun]

these agricultural films without bhaiye are as unrealistic as black comedies that don't address institutionalized racism.

chook da fatta, babbz.

 

[H.S.]

these agricultural films without bhaiye are as unrealistic as black comedies that don't address institutionalized racism.

chook da fatta, babbz.

really? thats what you noticed from the trailer?

 

[Varun]

I've watched the past 10-15 mediocrely produced, terribly-written films that the Punjabi film industry has come out with in the past few years. All are catered to NRI Punjabis, inspiring them to invest back in Punjab and present a static view that Punjab is still a agricultural belt (which it is) whose soil is sowed, tilled, and reaped by ethnic Punjabis (which it is not).

A filmmakers biggest responsibility is to show the truth. I don't think any Punjabi film has done that since Waris or Des Hoya Pardes.

 

[Navi Sandhu]

I've watched the past 10-15 mediocrely produced, terribly-written films that the Punjabi film industry has come out with in the past few years. All are catered to NRI Punjabis, inspiring them to invest back in Punjab and present a static view that Punjab is still a agricultural belt (which it is) whose soil is sowed, tilled, and reaped by ethnic Punjabis (which it is not).

A filmmakers biggest responsibility is to show the truth. I don't think any Punjabi film has done that since Waris or Des Hoya Pardes.

Ethnic Punjabis don't sow, till and reap their own land? Who does? I don't know about you, but my entire family and every farming Punjabi family I know of still does so movies like these still seem relevant. Maybe it's only in specific parts of Punjab where farming has become obsolete- maybe areas where most families/villages have settled abroad?

 

[COMTONDAJATT]

I've watched the past 10-15 mediocrely produced, terribly-written films that the Punjabi film industry has come out with in the past few years. All are catered to NRI Punjabis, inspiring them to invest back in Punjab and present a static view that Punjab is still a agricultural belt (which it is) whose soil is sowed, tilled, and reaped by ethnic Punjabis (which it is not).

A filmmakers biggest responsibility is to show the truth. I don't think any Punjabi film has done that since Waris or Des Hoya Pardes.

Ethnic Punjabis don't sow, till and reap their own land? Who does? I don't know about you, but my entire family and every farming Punjabi family I know of still does so movies like these still seem relevant. Maybe it's only in specific parts of Punjab where farming has become obsolete- maybe areas where most families/villages have settled abroad?

Bhaiyye from UP and Bihar and low castes do all of the heavy lifting for most Punjabi agriculturalists. Families have become smaller and kids in future generations do not want to be farmers so they are forced to get hired help. Major landowners live in the cities or in their giant havelis in the Pind and essentially just supervise to make sure they are not being stolen from. At least that is how I noticed my family's businesses in Patiala and surrounding districts.

It is kinda like the yeoman farmer myth that Americans had in the 1800s. That we were a nation of upright, hard working, virtuous farmers. Same way most Punjabis envision themselves when the reality is that most Punjabi farmers are in really bad shape because of debt, drought, competition from different states and overuse of the land since the Green Revolution. Hopefully this movie will do more than a cursory job explaining it.

 

[Varun]

Agree with Comton. And Nsandhu, if you're family still physically manages their land, then that's good for them. And those who have contracted their work to migrant workers (like my family), even that's fine. What I am against, though, is the social untouchability and discrimination these workers face. Its an unpopular side to be on but that usually is the case for the social justice of marginalized people worldwide.

I am sure this film will have great bhaiya jokes in it so we Jatts and landowning Punjabis can gloat our egoes while we are on our high horse/ghori/majj/tractor.

 

[Manjot]

Agree with Comton. And Nsandhu, if you're family still physically manages their land, then that's good for them. And those who have contracted their work to migrant workers (like my family), even that's fine. What I am against, though, is the social untouchability and discrimination these workers face. Its an unpopular side to be on but that usually is the case for the social justice of marginalized people worldwide.

I am sure this film will have great bhaiya jokes in it so we Jatts and landowning Punjabis can gloat our egoes while we are on our high horse/ghori/majj/tractor.

yeh we have all our property contracted...my nanke got Chugiya(?)s by their farms where all the bhaiyas can stay on their property and basically do all the labour...my cousins and maame still use the tractors n stuff..

 

[Navi Sandhu]

Punjabi land-owners don't just contract land to bhaiye. Farming land is also contracted to other Punjabi Sikhs who might only own 2-3 acres of land and to native Bazigars of Punjab. Bazigars might be confused for bhaiye, but actually have a large political influence in Haryana and Punjab and have made strides towards social acceptability. Being that we are NRIs, most of us are only exposed to middle-class/wealthy Punjabi estates in India and are familiar with the experiences described above. There is still a large population of small Punjabi farmers who depend solely on farming for income and harvest their own land.

Of course farming can't be romanticized in Punjab anymore- it's not b/c Punjabis no longer reap their own soil and we contract land to bhaiye, but because we have destroyed our soil with the overuse of chemicals and pesticides.

 

[J Hayer]

^+1

I think a lot of us NRIs, specifically Jatts are exposed to a biased view of culture. I remember going to India and getting the "assi Jatt haan" lecture from a distant after my 7 year old ass was playing with some kids of bhaiye (perhaps baazigar...im not sure to be honest). It's ridiculous and the reason so much of today's youth dont actually farm the land and rent it out -- theres a concept of feudalism which is far from the truth and is a mere show. khush ravoh, maujaan maroh