Virsa is the story of Nawaz Ali and Ranvir Singh Grewal and their families. Nawaz Ali hails from Lahore in Pakistan and Ranvir Singh Grewal belongs to a village, Kartarpur, in Punjab, India. About 20 years ago, both of them migrated to Sydney, Australia, in search of work, where they met and became the best of friends. Gradually, their hard work paid off. Ranvir opened an Indian Restaurant. It did well and he could manage to lead a comfortable life but he was not as successful as Ranvir. Nawaz Ali was much grounded in his culture and values and this helped him to remain level headed and not get carried away by the comforts of life in Australia. He never lost sight of what was morally and ethically right and stood by his Asian Value.
On the other hand, Ranvir got carried away by his success. He felt that he was superior to the other Indians and Asians who were not as successful as he. He found merit in all things associated with the white folks- their lifestyle, their values and culture, their behavior and mannerisms- and looked down upon his Indian upbringing and values. He had no more use for ethics and morality. He became very conscious of his money, status and reputation. The difference in outlook and behavior drive the two friends apart until they reach a point where Ranvir stops talking to Nawaz. However, Nawaz still cares for his friend and tries to keep their friendship alive.
As Virsa answers these and other questions, it makes a strong statement about remaining true to one’s values, culture and upbringing even as we constantly adapt and adjust to the society around us. It explores ways of addressing the identity conflicts of immigrant Asians in westerns societies so that the succeeding generations can benefit from the best facets of both the cultures.
Release Date: 7 May 2010 Genre: Drama, Romance, Family Cast: Gulshan Grover, Shazia, Arya Babbar, Kanwaljeet, Mehreen Raheal, Naumaan Ijaas, Ruby, Aparna Sharma, Aman Dhaliwal Music Director: Jawad Ahmad Playback Singers: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Krishna, Jawad Ahmad, Richa Sharma, Fuad Ahmad, Farah, Sahir Ali Bagga, Amanda Khan