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Maa Tujhhe Salaam (Action Movie ,2002)  Starring
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Review
Tinu Verma’s directorial debut “Maa Tujhhe Salaam” is a kitsch-ridden action packed drama with an overdose of patriotic jingoism.
Apart from cashing on Sunny Deol’s Desh Bhakt image, the film raises the burning issue of Kashmir through a story that is
overtly anti-Pakistan.
The film is set in the beautiful valleys and ravines of Kashmir. Major Pratap Singh (Sunny Deol) is a brave and fearless soldier known
for his valor in the battlefield. Thanks to him the terrorists had to beat a retreat many a time while infiltrating into the Indian
side of the line of control. In other words he is a true desh bhakt who wouldn’t think twice before sacrificing his life for
Bharat Mata. Sounds clichéd? Wait! There is more to come.
Sans his military dress, the major turns into a lover boy romancing his dream girl Sonia (Tabu), a military intelligence officer,
around the idyllic locales.
The camera then zooms into Jhonabad, a small town located close to the border in the high altitude ravines of Kashmir. Lala Sultan (Tinu
Verma) is an influential man in Jhonabad thanks to a long ancestral lineage that gets him the respect of all and sundry in this town.
But in reality he is a traitor who collaborates with the dreaded Pakistani terrorist Gulbaksh (Sudesh Berry) to help more and more
militants infiltrate through the LOC and wage a war for freedom in Kashmir.
As a henchman for all his shady dealings Lala relies upon Albaksh (Arbaaz Khan), an orphan raised by Lala. Albaksh works like a slave
for Lala, not knowing the dastardly motives behind Lala’s deals. And when the truth dawns on him, it is already too late.
Meanwhile Sonia detects Lala’s undercover activities and informs Pratap about it. When confronted with him Lala plays a clever gambit.
He puts all the blame on Albaksh and saves his own skin. Poor Albaksh is left alone to bear the brunt for Lala’s treason.
But Pratap is not the one to easily get deceived by Lala’s trickery. When he comes to know from Albaksh that Lala is planning to
infiltrate a large band of mercenaries through the Jhonabad border, he is left in a strange quandary. There isn’t enough time to
mobilize the military forces to encounter such a large number of terrorists. So Pratap and Albaksh decide to put their life on line
and join hands to abort the infiltration attempt.
Sunny Deol plays the stereotypical patriotic hero once again with fervor that reminds one of his performances in “Border” and “Gadar”.
Once again he is seen mouthing heavy and jingoistic dialogues at the top of his voice and scoffing at the enemies. Tabu, however, is
wasted in a role that merely marginalizes her into doing the special pelvic-savvy item numbers.
One surprise of the film is Arbaaz Khan who shows a fresh intensity playing Albaksh. Besides his finely worked-out beefcake physique
that makes him a good choice for the role, Arbaaz’s emotive range seems to have broadened considerably.
Film’s director Tinu Verma had a remarkable ensemble of actors at his service but what he did not have was a gripping script to tell
the story. All who are pro-Pakistan are scoffed at in the film while pro-Indians are praised to dizzy heights.
A story need not necessarily be anti-Pakistan to make a pro-India statement. One could have a neutral script that could take an
objective view.