The Indo-Canadian co-production promises to be a stirring depiction of the plight of illegal migrants to Canada. It is indeed a tale of survival in the globalised world but the perils and the ensuing threats don’t fall in place naturally. They rather seem manufactured by smart editing.

Many Indians leave in search of a better life, convinced that a dollarwielding pauper is more respectable than a rupee-wielding pauper.

Surkhaab exposes their naivety, albeit with dignity, despite an awry third act that threatens to dilute the strength of its hero. As a frustrated Kuldeep wryly notes, Jeet eventually lives up to her name. In a way, this film does too.

Surkhaab is perhaps one of the finest examples of those small budget films which start with a good intention of dealing with a relevant issue, but then fall into the trap of making it ‘safe’ to ensure a box office hit.

Surkhaab is extremely relevant and a poignant tale of survival that deserves to be seen.

An out-and-out vanity project that takes itself far too seriously, Surkhaab lacks the strength to go all the way either to become a masala thriller or to blossom into an insightful take on the exploitation of immigrants. Because it wants to do both, it ends up doing neither.

A cross-over film which has its moments, but is bogged down by its screenplay and acting.