Angrej

Cast

Plot

The film starts in modern-day Pakistan. An unnamed youth (Varun Sharma) is having problems with his girlfriend after she agrees to a match with a foreigner. The youth has secretly sold his father's scooter so that he could buy a gift for his girlfriend. He is invited to his friend's house, where a guest from India, Angrej, has come to his pre-partition home. Angrej originally starts a conversation with the boys about pre-partition India. When partition broke out, Aslam Cheema, his Muslim best friend, dropped Angrej's family to Amritsar while Aslam's family took over their house and property, where they are currently sitting. The youth, however, is in a bad mood and complaining about his girl problems and how his scooter was "stolen." Angrej immediately tells that the youth sold his scooter, so that he can buy a girlfriend a gift. When the boys ask how he was able to find out, Angrej begins his love story.

In 1945, Angrej, (Amrinder Gill) known as Geja to his family, is a hardworking young man. In his aunt's village, a man that looked at a girl was shot in his thighs and groin by the girls father. He has a fight with his father about going to his paternal aunt's village for a carnival with Aslam (Binnu Dhillon), when his grandpa shows up and scolds his father, allowing Geja to go to the carnival. At the carnival, he falls in love with a girl named Maarho (Aditi Sharma), for whom he buys sweets and almost buys jewellery for. They meet in the woods with Aslam as his wingman, where Angrej confesses his love and asks to hold Maarho's hand, which was considered a vulgar sign of Public Affection in 40's India. Maarho is afraid and they both run away out of fear that someone will see them. That night, Angrej and Aslam stay at Angrej's Paternal Aunt's place. To get an opportunity to meet Maarho again, Angrej tells Aslam to give a Rooster's Crow, so that her family thinks it is dawn. When they meet secretly, Geja proposes marriage to Maarho, who in reply says that he must marry her through a matchmaker, so that her parents can approve. However, their escape is difficult as Aslam's rooster crow woke up the entire village.

In the morning, the news is spread that a person similar to Aslam was spotted giving a rooster's crow, resulting in him going into hiding. Meanwhile, Angrej attempts to convince his parents to get him married to Maarho. He does so by asking his mother what are the signs that a young man is of marriageable age. After showing all these "symptoms" of marriageable age, Geja's household finally admits to let him get married. However, his mother has an "episode" when he reveals that he's "found" a girl. His sister in law, however, agrees to be a matchmaker for his wedding to Maarho.

Later, when Angrej goes to inform Maarho of the impending marriage proposal, he is caught by Maarho's father, holding hands. Almost instantaneously, a venomous snake bites Maarho's father, paralyzing one side of his body and taking away his ability to walk or talk, to the couple's relief. Then comes in Haakam (Ammy Virk), a rich Horse Owner from Lahore distantly related to Maarho's mother, who also falls in love with Maarho and agrees to take care of her father and mother. While Angrej is getting ready for his marriage, he decides to sell his buffalo, telling his family it escaped, so that he can buy Maarho jewelry. However, Maarho tells Angrej that her mother doesn't want her to marry someone who lives in earthen houses. In reality, Maarho "loves" Haakam due to his wealth. Leaving Angrej in the countryside, Maarho goes to meet Haakam, who has brought a Radio Set for Maarho from Lahore, initially scaring her. Angrej sees this exchange and leaves to his own village with a broken heart.

The next day, Angrej's paternal aunt's husband comes to invite the family to his daughter's, Angrej's cousin, wedding. His family thinks Angrej is depressed due to his buffalo "being stolen." To cure Angrej's depression, Aslam comes out of hiding and steals Maarho's radio set, destroying it to cheer Angrej up, saying "She broke your heart, we'll break her radio."

At his cousin's wedding, Angrej is made depressed again when he realizes that his cousin's best friend was Maarho, who is helping to oversee the wedding. In comes his cousin's other friend, Dhan Kaur (Sargun Mehta) a wealthy daughter of aristocrats, who helps him make Maarho fall for him again. First of all, Geja and Dhan make Maarho jealous by acting in love. Later, Haakam shows up as part of the grooms Baraat, complicating the whole plot. Haakam is then revealed as a playboy who hangs out with multiple women when he falls for Dhan. Haakam also agrees to help the groom see his bride before the marriage. It is also then revealed that Dhan Kaur also loves Angrej, not for his wealth, but for who he is. Haakam is unsuccessful in helping the Groom see his bride before the marriage ceremony.

To win Maarho back, Angrej sketches an incriminating drawing of Haakam holding Dhan Kaur's hand to show Maarho. When Maarho doesn't believe him, Angrej shows Maarho Haakam request Angrej to be his wingman in meeting Dhan Kaur, resulting in Maarho "loving" Angrej again. At night, Angrej gives Maarho milk after she didn't eat anything out of sorrow for her best friend in marriage. Later on, Angrej stops Haakam from forcibly grabbing Dhan Kaur's hand, with Maarho's father watching. After this, Maarho's father begins to approve of Angrej and shows less hostility. After the Baraat leaves, the four part their ways.

When he reaches home, Angrej begins to dress like Haakam did and finally goes to propose to Maarho. However, Maarho shamelessly gives her hand for Geja to hold, even saying that she will tell her parents that he is a rich Horse Owner just like Haakam. Angrej then realizes that he was in love with the wrong woman and truly loves Dhan Kaur. He then throws away everything he wore and goes to dress in commoner clothes. Angrej goes to express his love for Dhan Kaur, with her waiting at her home for him since the wedding, but then sees her future in-laws leaving after finalizing her marriage.

In the present day, the boys think that the story ended there, with Angrej losing both girls and unfortunately, his buffalo. However, Angrej says that one of them came with him to Pakistan and shows them the ashes of his "wife," for which he came to Pakistan to pour in his Home.

Aslam comes out of hiding again to inform Angrej that Dhan Kaur is getting married to Haakam, due to his wealth. Angrej races to Dhan Kaur's house, where Haakam's parents are discussing plans for the marriage with Dhan Kaur's Dad, who is revealed to be the man who shot the "lover" in the thighs/groin at the beginning of the story. Angrej attempts to tell the father that Haakam is a degrading Playboy who is not suitable for Dhan Kaur. The father believes that Angrej is not worthy of saying this since he is only a "peasant." Dhan Kaur's dad seems to have been convinced, but he instead comes back with his gun. Angrej refuses to leave or run, and right before the father pulls the trigger, Maarho's father shows up, vouching for Angrej. Maarho's father explains to Dhan Kaur's father that Angrej stopped Haakam from forcibly holding Dhan Kaur's hand. Dhan Kaur's father agrees, but he fears what society shall think if a love marriage were to happen between Angrej and Dhan Kaur. Maarho's father volunteers as a "matchmaker" and Dhan Kaur' gets married to Angrej.

It is unknown what happened of Maarho, but Haakam never gets married in the near future due to every girl he meets calling him "brother."

In the present day, Angrej finally pours Dhan Kaur' ashes as per her last wishes and the youth at the beginning finally getting texted back by his girlfriend.

Box office

Angrej made ₹4.05 crore (US$600,000) nett in its first weekend. It also opened well at the US box office, grossing $317,000 ahead of Bollywood film Drishyam, which made only $249,000 in its first weekend. At the overseas box office, it has grossed approximately ₹3.82 crore (US$570,000) from 80 screens on its first weekend. Angrej was second greatest hit movie of 2015 after Diljit Dosanjh's Sardaar Ji. Till 2nd weekend, movie has crossed more than ₹20 crore (US$3.0 million) internationally, it grossed ₹10.4 crore (US$1.5 million) only in Overseas markets. In its 3rd week Angrej dangerously effected the earnings of newly released Punjabi film Ramta Jogi. Angrej is the second highest-grossing Punjabi film in 2015 and the fourth highest-grossing Punjabi film of all time.

Critical response

The Tribune gave 4 stars out 5 to the film.

Awards & nominees

Angrej was screened at Sikhlens: Sikh Arts & Film Festival of 2015