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Udta Punjab - A Turbulent Flight into Darkness

Sonali Garg

“Addiction is like being in a house. A house that’s on fire and you are in the bathroom getting high instead of getting out” (Yadav, 2020). Drug Addiction is one of the top causes of premature deaths in the world. Substance Use Disorder is a complex, life-threatening mental disorder characterised by a compulsive intake of substances like alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs, despite being cognizant of its indelible consequences. Those who are addicted to such substances develop distorted behaviours and thoughts (What Is a Substance Use Disorder, n.d.).

Cut to Punjab, the land of the five rivers, renowned for its rich culture, is mired in drugs, cartels and corruption. The 2016 Indian-crime film, Udta Punjab wades into the insurgence of drug-abuse among the youth of Punjab. A state famed for wrestlers and wheat, Punjab serves up drugs faster than parathas and lassis (Iyer, 2017). Through the poignant narration of interwoven tales of four characters, the director, Abhishek Chaubey, brings the prevalence of drug use in Punjab to the fore, unravelling the psychological effects of Drug Addiction on society. The film emphasises that demographic divides and geography are no barriers when it comes to this scourge. The stand-out performances in this film depict the harrowing moments of withdrawal management. In this article, I will discuss Punjab’s drug menace through the agency of the portrayal of drug addiction in Udta Punjab.

The film pivots around Tejender "Tommy" Singh (Shahid Kapoor), a famous rockstar plagued by drug-addiction, masquerading as an Alpha male, and an unnamed Bihari migrant labourer (Alia Bhatt) who accidentally falls into the drug mafia while attempting to sell a pack of stolen drugs. Dr Preet Sahna (Kareena Kapoor), is a privileged young doctor who strives to awaken people to this drug crisis and encounters police inspector Sartaj Singh (Dilijit Dosanjh) who visits her clinic for the rehabilitation of his heroin-addict brother.

The opening scene of the movie depicts a man from Pakistan hurling a packet of heroin over the India-Pakistan border, the main entry point of drugs into Punjab (Chaubey, 2016, 0.03.20)​​. The meandering rivers along the Indo-Pakistan border are a popular route for smugglers, who establish ingenious plans and networks with Indian couriers to escape the watchful eyes of border security personnel (Bhargava, n.d.). Once the drugs make their way past the border to the nearest village, they are packed into small packets of Chitta so that local peddlers can sell them to customers. Often, migrant labourers, poor farmers and addicts are employed to transport these drugs to larger cities like Amristar and Ludhiana (Bhargava, n.d.).

Alia Bhatt’s character in this film, however, is not that of a hired peddler. She accidentally falls upon a packet of stolen drugs, which she ​​perilously decides to sell. Little did she know that this valourous act would boomerang back, when the original owners of the heroin find her. Her captors abuse her, rape her and forcibly inject her with lethal drugs, resulting in her becoming a drug addict. Bhatt’s accurate portrayal of withdrawal symptoms is highly admirable, as seen in her struggle against the urge to take these lethal shots. In one scene, we see Bhatt restlessly curled up on the floor, holding her stomach, biting her knees, and vomiting, attempting to control her craving (Chaubey, 2016, 1:57:56).

Udta Punjab is complemented by some chartbuster soundtracks. The spreading tentacles of the extremist Punjabi music industry propel the drug trade in the state, by glorifying and glamorizing drugs. Songs about drugs and addiction sell as much as love songs. Tommy’s (Tejender Singh) drug addiction is core to his music repertoire, attracting the youth, who are encouraged to indulge in such substances. In the second scene of the film, Tommy is seen to be rocking the stage with his performance of the song Chitta Ve (Chaubey, 2016, 0:05:10), which describes the lure and dangers of heroin addiction. Chitta, the most commonly used drug in the state, is a synthetic drug that comprises of heroin, and some other lethal substances, dealing in which became a veritable business. According to the Punjab Opioid Dependence Survey, which was conducted in 2015 in 10 districts in the state by the Ministry of Social Justice & empowerment, the estimated size of the opioid-dependent population in Punjab is 2,32,856, the most common opioid drug used by this group being Chitta or heroine, followed by opium and its by-products (Bhargava, n.d.). Tommy’s character is accurately portrayed in the film since it rings true with the prevalent scenario of the music industry in Punjab. His dependence on drugs becomes evident when he paces restlessly, fiercely resisting the urge to kill himself. However, Tommy’s out-of-control lifestyle has been criticized for being in stark contrast to the reality of many addicts in Moga (one of the film's locations), who struggle with loneliness, depression and bankruptcy (Dua, 2016). Chitta addiction is an expensive habit to sustain, so once an addict's opportunities to beg, borrow and steal are exhausted, he/she becomes a peddler in exchange for a fix.

Often, policemen like Sartaj Singh are also a part of this nexus. Sartaj Singh was a minor yet ignorant player in the corrupted law-enforcement system of Punjab, who let trucks filled with narcotics pass through, upon being handed a hefty bribe. Close to 100 Punjab police personnel have been arrested for smuggling drugs or abetting the trade since 2014. The distribution networks could be patronized by not only rogue policemen but also influential politicians (Singh, 2018). According to Patil (2018):

Drug smuggling networks have proved to be resilient for decades, and will not be easy to dismantle—not when a conspiracy involving the drug syndicates, politicians, and rogue elements of law enforcement agencies keeps it afloat. Breaking this nexus will require political will and a multi-pronged approach, focused on capacity-building in the security agencies, better border management, better implementation of the counter-narcotic regulations and a sustained de-addiction campaign. (para. 16).

As we have seen, drug use, and its effects, have medical, social and economic dimensions, and pose an intense governance challenge for the state. However, Punjab is not the only state which is notorious for Drug Addiction. Other Indian states are also plagued by the evil of drug abuse, but dismantling the whole global network that drives the illicit trade requires a much larger national effort (Patil, 2018). Today's media is overflowing with inaccurate depictions of grave issues like substance abuse. However, the script, direction and acting in Udta Punjab produces immaculate depictions of individuals caught in the cycle of addiction, as well as the suppliers who make it all possible. Chaubey excellently sheds light on the seriousness of such issues, and the desperate need to tackle the spiralling menace of drugs.


References

Bhargava, K. (n.d.). The Chitta Economy: How the business of drugs works in Punjab. The Economic Times. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/et-explains/the-chitta-economy-how-the-business-of-drugs-works-in-punjab/articleshow/65634397.cms?from=mdr

Chaubey, A. (Director). (2016). Udta Punjab [Film]. Balaji Motion Pictures; Phantom Films.

Dua, R. (2016, June 15). Broken men and homes: Udta Punjab's stunted lives. The Times of India. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/broken-men-and-homes-udta-punjabs-stunted-lives/articleshow/52763208.cms

Iyer, M. (2017). Udta Punjab Gives You A 'substantial' High [Review of the film Udta Punjab, by A. Chaubey]. Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/udta-punjab/movie-review/52768749.cms

Patil, S. (2018, April 18). Punjab’s Unshakable Drug Smuggling Networks. Gateway House. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.gatewayhouse.in/punjabs-drug-smuggling/

Singh, J. (2018, July 5). Punjab Police battles 'drug-taint'. The Tribune India. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/punjab-police-battles-drug-taint-615877

What Is a Substance Use Disorder? American Psychiatric Association. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/what-is-addiction

Yadav, A. [@arjittyadav]. (2020, December 7). Addiction is like being in a house. A house that’s on fire & you are in the bathroom getting high instead of getting out. [Tweet]. Twitter. https://mobile.twitter.com/arjittyadav/status/1335779563813523456

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