The never-ending magic of Punjabi movies

In a country where the film industry is dominated by Bollywood, Punjabi films are gaining popularity with dynamic performances and by bringing fresh concept on the 70mm. Of late, these movies are setting the cash registers ringing at the box office. And watching a Punjabi movie in a theatre is the most relaxing thing today, especially for a Punjabi.

In the last five years or so, there has been a sudden rush of Punjabi movies with a fair share of good ones, some even better than Bollywood movies. Audiences are flocking theatres to see these movies not only in Punjab, but also in Delhi and adjoining areas. Of course, these movies have a greater fan following in Canada, USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand.

My love affair with Punjabi movies began when I happened to watch Gippy Grewal-starrer “Carry on Jatta” in a video coach on my way back from Jalandhar to Chandigarh. All bus passengers had a laugh riot all the way forgetting the overcrowding and a bumpy ride.

From the days of comedy king Mehar Mittal, the Punjabi film industry has come a long way. Gurdas Maan and Jaspal Bhatti had ushered in the new wave of Punjabi movies with greater emphasis on music and comedy than ever before. And now the current crop of artistes has taken the Punjabi movies to a different level. We have Diljit Dosanjh, Ammy Virk, Binnu Dhillon and Gippy Grewal on the one side and Neeru Bajwa, Simi Chahal and Simran Kaur on the other, who can on their own grab and hold audience attention.

Then there are veterans like Jimmy Sheirgill, Gurpreet Ghuggi and Nirmal Rishi who add a flavour of their own. I believe they have the prerogative of writing their own script and making impromptu changes.

Watching movies like “Ardaas”, “Manje Bistre” or “Love Punjab” has given me an insight into the Punjabi culture, which I had always missed. I feel magnetically attracted to the life in small villages, the beautifully portrayed simplicity, the rustic humour and quick wit of the characters. Despite never having visited a Punjab village all my six decades of life, I feel that I have discovered my roots. These movies have brought back memories of the long forgotten Punjabi words and phrases which I remember my parents and grandparents conversing in.

Any Punjabi would easily identify with the story and characters of movies like Dana Pani, Rab Da Radio and Lahoriye. One feels movies like Belarus and Bambukat could only be made in Punjabi.

A lot of Punjabi movies have strong social message on drugs, education, dowry and corruption.

Comedy is the basic essence of a Punjabi movie. The mere sight of actors like Rana Ranbir, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Jaswinder Bhalla or BM Sharma generates laughter in anticipation. The producers have been bold enough to depict demonetisation also, beating Bollywood in its own game. Catchy music is another highlight and cinematography, production and editing are comparable to the much-touted Hindi movies.

Punjabi movies are popular with the younger generation too. Both our children, though they speak Hindi at home and with their friends, are die-hard fans of these films. Kudos to all those involved in their making. I hope we will have more of these movies to entertain us.

PUNJABI MOVIES HAVE GIVEN ME AN INSIGHT INTO THE PUNJABI CULTURE, WHICH I HAD ALWAYS MISSED