‘Adh Chanani Raat’ (Crescent Night) movie review: The charm of broken pride

Director Gurvinder Singh once again draws from the stream of Punjabi literature to complete a trilogy that captures the socio-political and economic life of the state

There is something about Gurvinder Singh’s universe that sucks you in, every time he unspools a story on his minimalist canvas. Perhaps, it is his honest approach where he could find hope and despair in broad daylight or a moon-lit night, and doesn’t require any fancy lighting to enhance the mood and create the art.

In his latest, which was screened at the Rotterdam Film Festival, and is being showcased at the ongoing Habitat International Film Festival 2022 in New Delhi, Gurivnder once again draws from the stream of Punjabi literature to complete a trilogy that captures the socio-political and economic life of the state, that is often celebrated on-screen, but seldom scanned with a scalpel and a paintbrush.

Here, Gurdial Singh’s writing provides Gurvinder with the foundation to take a creative leap. The celebrated Punjabi writer loves to find a beam of light amidst darkness. He often finds tenderness of love and brutality of revenge in one character. Singh turns his words into long spells of silence that play out on faces, bodies, and atmosphere, conveying the anguish of the unsaid hurt.

It is reflected in  Anhey Ghohrey Da Daan (2011) as well, which Singh adapted as his first feature film. Here again, it is on display as Singh tells the story of a convict called Modan (Jatinder Mauhar) who returns to his native village after spending years behind bars for eliminating his father’s tormentor.

While  Anhey Ghohrey dealt with the plight of Dalit Sikhs, here, Singh dissects the complex idea of honour and attachment to land among Jat Sikhs without making a show of it.

When Modan returns, he finds his elder brother has moved on and has made peace with their rivals. Unable to come to terms with the new reality, he moves to his ancestral home that demands repair, just like his life.

When Modan shows his inclination to marry, his mind fills with self-doubt. But his close friend Ruldu, while painting the old wall, as if he is covering the past, tells Modan that he is not an ordinary criminal; he has spent time in jail to save the family’s honour.