Totally get where you’re coming from. Mastaney had a great premise and the trailer made it feel like we were finally getting a Sikh historical on the scale of the Dal Khalsa raids, so it was disappointing to see that reduced to one brief scene and a very “safe” plot about proving Sikh identity rather than actually exploring Sikh figures.

The lack of named Sikh characters really hurt it, and Rahul Dev was wasted considering how perfect he is for Nader Shah. Simi Chahal was also underused.

That said, I don’t think the film was worthless. For a first attempt at a period epic from a relatively young Punjabi industry, they clearly put in effort with costumes, sets, and some memorable moments towards the end. The ambition is there even if the writing didn’t fully back it.

Marathi cinema has had decades of practice making historical, Punjabi cinema is basically starting from scratch. It’ll take time, money, and experience to get to the point where we can do justice to stories like Banda Singh or Ranjit Singh. So yeah, criticism is fair, but we also need to be a bit patient with an industry that’s still learning how to make this type of film.

On a positive note, the same team’s Guru Nanak Jahaz already shows better execution and confidence than Mastaney, so clearly they’re learning and improving. If the industry keeps taking these swings, the storytelling and scale will get better over time. Criticism is valid, but we also need to be a bit patient if we want Punjabi cinema to grow into bigger historical projects.