Wehshi Jatt (1975)
Cast: Sultan Rahi, Aasia, Iqbal Hassan, Ghazala, Afzal Khan, Seema, Ilyas Kashmiri
Director: Hasan Askari
Synopsis: the film that began the legend of Maula Jatt and spawned countless sequels.
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

The film opens with tales of a massive feud over land between the goons of Ilyas Kahmiri’s Malik clan and the opposing Jatt clan. The clans are headed by the deranged father of pacifist Roshan, who licks his lips in anticipation of the bloodletting that beckons—“There are two things that improve with age,” cackles the demented old fogey, “one is wine, and the other is a good feud!” As Kahmiri’s hoods are duly murdering the old fart, he lets out a wail for “Maula”, and miles away, Maula, who is indulging in some jousting and luddi, somehow hears the death cry. The universe comes to a shuddering halt as Maula considers his explosive response—the feud rages on.

Next, we are introduced to feisty, motor-mouthed, buxom village belle Aasia, who has the locals drooling for her attention. Yet she has eyes only for Maula, even though she does not yet know who he is; his reputation alone is enough to secure her unwavering devotion.

Maula axes one of his enemies and is dragged off to jail by the cops, alerted by the pacifist Roshan. In jail, he announces his intention to destroy the entire enemy race. Malika (Kashmiri) and Maula are taken to prison, waiting for the day they can continue their deadly blood feud.

Later there is enormous excitement in the pind, when Maula’s release draws nearer, and Mukho the Jatti (Aasia), can barely contain herself. Still, the party is spoiled by the arrival of the hunter-brandishing Malkaniye (Ghazala), who proceeds to badmouth Maula to his closest friends and then makes off with the fellow’s Gandaasa (the blade-topped weapon synonymous with manhood). As the bristling Ghazala leaves, she taunts the Jatts to dare to get the gandaasa back from her clutches. Once again, the pacifist Roshan intervenes just when massive bloodletting appears imminent.

The Rampaging Ghazala comes across rustic hunk Iqbal Hassan – He is a true man who knows how to tame the most rebellious of vixens! He starts by seizing her feared hunter and taunts her to get it back. She vows to have his head in revenge for his bold indiscretion of confiscating her trusted hunter. However, hatred slowly gives way to love as Ghazala begins to warm to Iqbal’s considerable charms.

Meanwhile, Maula is released and informs his buddies that he is waiting for the day he can even the score with Malika, much to the disappointment of eternal and lone pacifist Roshan Jatt. Maula taunts Roshan to pick up his gandaasa like a true man, but Roshan argues that violence is not the answer, and Maula has no time for such pathetic idiocy.

However, due to the constant moaning of Roshan, Maula lies in court, infuriating his followers, who reckon he has sold out. The nowreleased Malika also mocks the “new peace-loving” Maula, and word gets that Maula has abandoned the feud and become a coward…but we all know that this surely cannot be.

The film winds down to its blood-drenched conclusion but not without a classic confrontation where Roshan’s principled stand and his lofty ideals come crashing down in the face of grim reality. Still, Maula finally realizes that this endless bloodletting cannot have anything but a disastrous outcome.

Wehshi Jatt

The film is a rollicking actioner filled with insane levels of violence, and it paved a path for the blood-drenched era of the Jatt films, predominantly starring Sultan Rahi (and later Shaan). The film is a turning point in Punjabi movies because it carved out a new genre that has continued to gain popularity and is surely a force to be reckoned with as we enter the new millennium. Wehshi Jatt is the film that began the legend of Maula Jatt and is thus one of the most influential films ever produced in Lollywood.

There have been countless sequels, some official and some not, and Maula Jatt, which became the most famous Lollywood film ever, is a direct remake of Wehshi Jatt.

Sultan Rahi growls, scowls, and yells maniacally throughout the film, as he did through countless subsequent epics. Aasia as Mukho Jatti has never been better and turns in a winning performance as the pind di Jatti—somewhat modelled on Hema Malini’s character from Sholay, which was such a roaring success across the border during this period. Seema is at her bellicose best as Daani, a role she went on to reprise repeatedly successfully in further Jatt epics. Wehshi Jatt has just been remade again (March 2002), with Shaan doing his best Sultan Rahi imitation.

When looking back over the history of Lollywood, this ultraviolent entertainer for the masses will undoubtedly deserve more than a mention as being a genre buster who kick-started the infamous legend of Maula Jatt.

Among the Maula Jatt-inspired films that were produced in the wake of the movie’s colossal success include Jatt da Kharaak, Ziddi Jatt, Jatt Bahadur, Jatt Soorma (1979), Jatt da Vair, Maula Jatt te Nuri Nath, Jatt in London (1981), Mirza Jatt (1982), Jatt te Dogar, Jatt Gujar te Nath, Shagird Maula Jatt da (1983), Uchcha Shumla Jatt da (1984), Jatt Qanoon da, Dushmani Jatt di (1986), Jatt Majhe da (1988), Yumla Jatt (1989), Maula te Mukho (1991), Roshan Jatt

(1993), Jatti da Vair (2000), Maakha Jatt (2001) Wehshi Jatt (remake—2002) and The Legend of Maula Jatt (2022)