Sarsa: Concept Note

This is a story of contemporary Punjabi youth. The Punjabi youth is being dubbed as drug addict, turbulent and quarrelsome. This film is an insider’s narrative, representing contemporary Punjabi Youth. 

The corrupt practices and cruel politics in educational institutions are degrading these institutions. It is also making poisonous impact on the society as a whole. Living in this vicious atmosphere the characters of this film are not aloof of its evils. They are part and parcel of the ambience around. The youth is advancing to indulge in organized crime. The political structures as well as socio-economic conditions are responsible for such violent degeneration. Despite the dominant phenomena of degeneration the ray of hope is still alive among youth. Although they are drug addicts, turbulent and quarrelsome but they understand life very well. Rather they are very close to life.

In Panjab University Chandigarh, there are two rival groups of students, one lead by ‘Harjang’ and other by ‘Fateh’ are fighting for hegemony. Both have been patronized by political parties. Patronization keeps on shifting with changing political scenario. Politicians use students as muscle power to capture booths, businesses and settle political scores. University has been turned into a minuscule of the bigger political scene.  ‘Sikander’ belongs to a backward village and has come to study in Punjab University Chandigarh. After the Murder of Fateh he takes refuge to cold-blooded violence. Sikander’s group corporatizes the illegal businesses under political patronage. They capture cable network, sand mining, hotels and real estate. Their rival group is equally violent and competes against them on every front. They negotiate their animosity in student elections. Their public narrative is voluble but they win elections with brutal force of money and muscle. Here the use of money and muscle may not be at the scale of general politics but it sounds that university is a perfect theatre for political rehearsals. Meanwhile Sikander has a soft corner for his former girlfriend ‘Beant’.

Beant is a confident girl studying in University. She wants to live life on her own terms i.e. equal terms with everyone. Her life-style symbolizes her conviction towards life.  She continues to live her way despite being victim of emotional break up and crude gender violence. Beant thinks that main reason of violence is rooted in society, contemporary political culture and insensitive educational institutions. She intends to change the atmosphere which is congenial for violence. In the passage of struggle she realizes that she is not alone as victim or as crusader.

Beant and her friends challenge both groups in elections. They respond to their voluble narrative with logic. The small minority comprises diversity of students. For them questioning the political hierarchy is a response to a call of history. They are sure that they can avoid this call but morally they are bound to respond. Their response questions the basic nature of educational institutions and role of youth in politics. They link their response to historical events and process which have contributed to make our society humane and compassionate. The film leaves the audience with lots of unanswered questions.  Audience all over world can relate to the film as it represents contemporary Punjab in finer details which is not very different from other regions. 

Note: Name of a character was changed later.