In the documentary “Mija,” the music manager Doris Muñoz wonders aloud in voice-over if her brothers resented her for being the only person in their Mexican immigrant family with U.S. citizenship. She concludes with what could’ve easily been a throwaway line: “How could they not?”

But her delivery is so full of raw emotion that it breaks the film open and sets a poignant tone for this coming-of-age story from the director Isabel Castro. Poetic in its musicality yet rooted in the mundane, “Mija” sheds fresh light on the longings of a new generation of Mexican Americans making music that reflects the nuances of their realities on both sides of the border.

Shot in vérité, and including the use of camcorder footage from Doris’s family, the film follows Doris as she works behind-the-scenes with her Gen Z singer-songwriters (Cuco and later, Jacks Haupt) all while helping her parents navigate the green card process. Castro favors close-up silhouettes of her subjects paired with the sparing use of Doris’s confession-like voice-over that sounds just above a whisper. And when we eventually get to hear Doris sing from her own considerable depths, we know that she too is a star. The subtitles in “Mija” are loose some Spanish, and Spanglish, is translated, some isn’t. A subtle choice that might point to Castro, much like Doris and her artists’ songs, making a decision to forgo explanatory commas and simply let the ineffable, untranslatable parts of their story breathe.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar who has previously helmed high-octane spy thrillers like Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Bharat (2019) and the political web series Tandav (2022) presents an emotionally charged fictitious tale that is set amidst 1984’s anti-Sikh riots in India. Many films and web shows based on the same premise have been created in the past, including Amu (2005), 31st October (2016), Grahan (2021), and others. What makes this film unique is the concept that it focuses on courage, friendship, humanity, tragedy, and hope. This 116-minute drama is both moving and captivating. But, the film’s best moments are fuelled by Diljit Dosanjh’s towering performance.

The film begins with Jogi and his family going about their daily lives, but they are soon interrupted by the devastating news of Indira Gandhi’s assassination. This led to outrage and hatred toward Sikhs, resulting in a mass massacre of people from the community. Rather than being self-centered and only concerned with saving his family, Jogi enlists the help of his childhood friends Ravinder Chautala and Kaleem Ansari to save hundreds of others. Jogi faces obstacles from counsellor Tejpal Arora (Kumud Mishra), the main instigator of the riots in East Delhi, and Laali Katyal (Hiten Tejwani), a police inspector who is assisting him in carrying out his plan. Will he be able to aid his people?

‘Jogi’ showcases the atrocities committed during that horrific incident. However, it’s not a full-on action film or a period drama; rather, it’s an emotional story that spends time in establishing its characters and gives the audience heartfelt and moving stories of people’s suffering. Ali Abbas Zafar has cleverly used close-up shots to make it more dramatic and impactful, particularly the sequences in which Jogi removes his pagg (turban) and tears flow continuously from his eyes it leaves you in shivers. The editing, sound design, and action choreography are also top-notch. The BGM by Julius Packiam and songs with moving lyrics by Sameer Uddin add gravitas to the plot.

You can’t craft a solid film without good writing, and that’s where the efforts of Zafar, who has co-written the screenplay with Sukhmani Sadana, shine. The writers have seamlessly woven moments of high drama, tragedy, and action into the narrative. Knowing more about Jogi’s companions and backstories may have helped viewers understand their relationship better. However, one can easily overlook this, as the detailed writing ensures that every character in the film has an emotional curve that allows the audience to identify with them.

The story progresses through its central character Diljit Dosanjh in and as Jogi. Previously, he appeared in the National Award-winning Punjabi film ‘Punjab 1984,’ which has a similar plot line. He once again delivers an outstanding performance. As his supporting friends, Paresh Pahuja and Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub play their part well. Kumud Mishra performs commendably as Tejpal Arora, making you loathe him. Hiten Tejwani plays Tejpal’s right-hand man, Inspector Laali Katyal, convincingly. Laali, clearly, has a turbulent history with Jogi, and his backstory is well etched.

With intricate writing and high-impact performances, ‘Jogi’ conjures strong feelings of finding hope in the midst of devastation and tragedy. This heart-moving tale of humanity and friendship will leave you with a heart full of emotions.

Prakash Jha has always aced depicting rustic flavour truthfully as a director or actor, but he outdoes himself as Matto Pal in this film. For the daily wage construction labourer, his bicycle is everything. For 20 years, he has ridden it to the city for work every day and struggles to keep it in working condition. With an ailing wife and two young daughters, Neeraj and Limka, to provide for, Matto cannot afford to buy a new bicycle and repairs his current on his own to save money. His world comes crashing when a tractor runs his bicycle over, damaging it beyond repair. What it entails for him, how he manages to buy a new cycle and whether it brings him better days form the rest of the narrative.

The film is just like village life slow-paced, simple and uneventful. This saikil saga may not be of much consequence, but, it holds layers of harsh realities that the poor rural population must face shoddy school system, lack of clean water, electricity and medical facilities, and how politicians take advantage of villagers’ naivete. The bicycle symbolises the cyclical poverty that Matto is stuck in.

M Gani’s direction is good, but the movie seems to stretch unnecessarily, and not much happens. The picturisation is on point, whether long shots of fields or narrow lanes of a hamlet or the overcrowded hospital. Prakash Jha and all the other actors get the twang and dialect perfectly but it also becomes tough to follow the dialogue and loses its charm after a point.

Prakash’s performance is the best part of the movie. Whether as a doting and helpless father, a pushover embarrassed of being weak, a disappointed man stuck in the loop of poverty and yet an optimist, he will win your heart. Aarohi Sharma as Matto’s elder daughter, Neeraj, Dimpy Mishra as his friend and a cycle repair shopowner lend able support and are convincing in their parts.