Punjabi artists have a different swag: Gippy

With some of the most popular Punjabi tracks to his credit — a few of which made it to Bollywood films, too — actor-singer Gippy Grewal enjoys a huge fan following in the Punjabi film industry. He recently grabbed eyeballs in the film Lucknow Central.

Asked about the craze that Punjabi artists like Diljit Dosanjh, among others, enjoy when they enter Bollywood, Gippy says that since they’re already established names in the Punjabi entertainment industry, they achieve popularity in the Hindi film industry as well.

“You see, we Punjabi artists belong to a different category and we have a different aura,” says Gippy. “We have a swag that’s different compared to other actors. We don’t copy other people or follow any trends. We have our own style, which is unique. The way we walk, talk, work — everything is our own.”

Recalling the time when he was shooting for Lucknow Central, Gippy says that everyone on the sets, be it senior artists or those junior to him, interacted with him quite informally, because he didn’t have any airs about his star status in the Punjabi entertainment industry. “Punjabi artists are really bighearted people and, somehow, everyone notices that,” he adds. About Punjabi actors venturing into Bollywood, Gippy says that this isn’t a new trend. Referring to some of the popular Punjabi names who made it big in Bollywood, he says, “We had Daler Mehndi who ruled Bollywood music. Gurdas Maan was big. Honey Singh and Baadshah became synonymous with Bollywood music too.”

Gippy Grewal