Punjabi cinema, sometimes metonymously referred to as Pollywood or Punjwood is the Punjabi-language film industry centered around the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n state of

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

, and based in Amritsar and Mohali. The cinema of

has its beginnings with the 1928 production of '' Daughters of Today'', the earliest feature film produced in the region. The first

sound film A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

, ''

Heer Ranjha ''Heer Ranjha'' (or ''Heer and Ranjha'') ( pnb, , ਹੀਰ ਰਾਂਝਾ ) is one of several popular tragic romances of Punjab, other important ones being "Sohni Mahiwal", "Mirza Sahiban" and " Sassi Punnhun". There are several poetic na ...

'', using the

sound-on-disc Sound-on-disc is a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or play back sound in sync with a motion picture. Early sound-on-disc systems used a mechanical interlock with the movie projector, while more recent syste ...

technology, was released in 1932. Since then, many films have been produced in Punjabi cinema, a number of which have received international recognition. Many actors and filmmakers started their careers in Punjabi films, a number of whom have acquired international reputations, and a number of whom have found greater financial benefits in careers in larger film producing industries.

History

Film operations started in the 1920s in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

, the provincial capital of

British Punjab Punjab was a province of British India. Most of the Punjab region was annexed by the East India Company in 2 April 1849, and declared a province of British Rule, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British co ...

. The first silent film, '' Daughters of Today'', was released in 1924 in Lahore; the city had nine operational cinema houses. Movies shown at these cinemas were mostly produced in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

and

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, and seldom from Hollywood and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. ''Daughters of Today'' was a brainchild of G.K. Mehta, a former officer with the North-Western Railways who, much like H. S. Bhatavdekar, had imported a camera into the country. Mehta continued to produce newsreel coverage for companies abroad and delved into further film projects but his dedication gave way when he promptly left the film industry for more profitable ventures. But it was to be later in 1929–1930, when Abdur Rashid Kardar's '' Husn Ka Daku'' was released, that the film industry had established in essence in Lahore's Bhati Gate locality. Kardar, a professional

calligraphist Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

, was accompanied by his fellow-artist and friend Muhammad Ismail, who would make the posters for his films.

Sound films (1930s–1946)

Although Kardar had worked with G.K. Mehta on ''The Daughters of Today'', he felt he needed to continue working and stay active in the industry. Alongside Ismail, he sold all his belongings to set up a studio and a production company under the name United Players Corporation, in 1928. Set up at Ravi Road (now Timber Market), the duo hired actors to work with them on their projects. Shooting was mainly done in daylight and limited their productivity, but the area they encompassed was enriched with locations, including important landmarks. The duo modeled their work on American and English films with influences not just prevalent in actors' attires but the movie titles and expressed a desire to seek all means necessary to make a sound film of their own. Actors who worked for the studio included Hiralal, Gul Hamid, Nazir, Pran Sikhand, Kaushalya Devi, Gulzaar, Mumtaaz and Ahmed Deen. ''Husn Ka Daku'', also known as ''Mysterious Eagle'', Kardar's directorial début would firmly add him into the directors guild. Produced by Hakim Ram Prasad, the 1932 released ''

'', originally titled ''Hoor Punjab'', was the first Punjabi sound film ever made. Hakim provided the studio with the equipment necessary to direct the sound film, marked as the last directed by Kardar in Lahore, starring M. Ismail while launching the careers of Rafiq Ghaznavi, Nazeer and Anwari. Bhati Gate (cropped)

Produced by Indira Movie Tone, Krishna Dev Mehra released his directorial début, '' Pind Di Kudi'', in 1935. The sound film, Pind Di Kudi was produced in Calcutta and released in Lahore and introduced young Noor Jahan as an actor and a playback singer. Due to the success of this film, interest in Punjabi films started to escalate; therefore, in 1938, with the assistance of Madan Mohan Mehra, K.D. Mehra released his second Punjabi sound film, '' Heer Sial''. Studios started to open and many actors, filmmakers and technicians shifted from

and Calcutta to Lahore. Prominent names included

Shanta Apte Shanta Apte (1916–1964) was an Indian actress-singer who worked in Marathi and Hindi cinema. Renowned for her roles in films like ''Duniya Na Mane/Kunku'' (1937) and '' Amar Jyoti'' (1936) under the Prabhat Films banner, she was active in In ...

, Motilal, Chandra Mohan, Hiralal, Noor Jehan, Mumtaz Shanti, Wali, Syed Attahullah Shah Hashmi, Krishna Kumar, and Shanker Hussain.

Baldev Raj Chopra Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008) was a famous Indian director and producer of Bollywood industry and television series . Best known for directing Hindi films like ''Naya Daur'' (1957), '' Sadhna'' (1958), ''Kanoon'' (1961) ...

, later known as a director, started from the Punjabi film industry in Lahore, where he operated a film magazine called the ''Cine Herald''. Likewise,

Ramanand Sagar Chandramauli Chopra ( ; 29 December 1917 – 12 December 2005) known professionally as Ramanand Sagar, was an Indian filmmaker, editor, playwright, poet and an author. He is best known for making the television show '' Ramayan'' (1987-1988). The ...

, later a director, was associated with the ''Evening News'' and Syed Attahullah Shah Hashmi worked for the film newspaper, ''Adakar''. Bhati Gate is known to have produced some of most notable actors, writers and artists, but with tensions running swift towards the independence of Pakistan and India in 1947, most of the actors traveled into areas that are now a part of modern India. The industry left in Lahore would later be termed as

Lollywood Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore, previously the base for both Punjabi and Urdu language film production. Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since the partition of I ...

, a portmanteau of Lahore and Hollywood.

Post–Punjab partition

In 1947, the British province of Punjab was partitioned between India and Pakistan. West Punjab became part of Pakistan and East Punjab became part of India. This compelled Punjabi film actors, filmmakers and musicians to work in the Bombay industry, including actors such as K.L. Saigal,

Prithviraj Kapoor Prithviraj Kapoor (born Prithvinath Kapoor; 3 November 1906 – 29 May 1972) was an Indian actor who is also considered to be one of the founding figures of Hindi cinema. He was associated with IPTA as one of its founding members and establish ...

Dilip Kumar Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from ...

and

Dev Anand Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand (26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011), better known as Dev Anand, was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Hindi cinema, through a career that spanned over six decades. He was ...

and singers such as Mohammed Rafi, Noorjahan and

Shamshad Begum Shamshad Begum (Hindi: शमशाद बेगम, IAST: ''Śamśād Bēgam''; 14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013) was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. Notable for her distinctive voice and r ...

. In 1948, Roop K. Shorey directed the first Punjabi film following the partition of Punjab. Other notable films of the late 1940s included

Lachhi Lachhi ( pa, ਲੱਛੀ) is a 1949 Punjabi film. The film was a big hit. Hansraj Behl composed the music and Mulk Raj Bhakhri penned the lyrics. Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum,S.Balbir are the lead playback singers. Its so ...

(1949), Mundri (1949) and

Pheray ''Pheray'' is a 1949 Pakistani Punjabi-language film directed by Nazir Ahmed Khan.Posti'', '' Do Lachhian'' and '' Bhangra'' with some success but were not able to revive Punjabi cinema. Songs from the films would run for months and years on the radio resulting in a long-term audience for the films. Post-partition, the trend of comedies continued. One of the hit comedies was Mulkh Raj Bhakhri's ''Bhangra'' (1958), starring Sundar and Nishi. It was remade by director Mohan Bhakhri as ''Jatti'' in 1980 with

Mehar Mittal Mehar Mittal (24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)The ...

and Aparna Chowdhry, and it was again a commercial success. The music from the film was by

Hansraj Behl Hansraj Behl (19 November 1916 – 20 May 1984) was an Indian music composer, who composed music both for Hindi and Punjabi films. Early life and education Born in Ambala, British Punjab, Hansraj received his early education in music from ...

with lyrics by

Verma Malik Verma Malik (13 April 1925 – 15 March 2009) was a Bollywood film songs lyricist. He was an active freedom fighter during the British Raj. He wrote many patriotic songs and bhajans and recited them immediately prior to penning lyrics for fi ...

. Songs sung by Shamshad and Rafi like "Batti balkay banere utte rakhdi han, rah bhul na jave chann mera" and "Chitte dand hasnon nayion rehnde" were widespread hits. ''Johnny Walker'' (1957) was a hit. The big-budget romantic Punjabi film by director Padam Prakash Maheshwary, '' Satluj De Kande'', was released in 1964. This film starred Balraj Sahni, Nishi, Wasti, and Mirza Musharraf, with music by

. This was the only Punjabi film starring Balraj Sahni. It was a major hit and earned a

National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...

. ''Satluj de Kande'' was telecasted three times on the public TV channel Doordarshan in India. In 1969 the religious film '' Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai'' starring

, I. S. Johar, Vimmi, Som Dutt, Nishi, Suresh, and David Abraham was released. The film was the first really major successful Punjabi film in post-independent India, with a major cultural impact on

Punjabi Sikhs Punjabi Sikhs are adherents of Sikhism who identify linguistically, culturally, and genealogically as Punjabis and are native of Undivided Punjab region of Indian Subcontinent. Sikhism is an Indigenous religion born and brought up in Punjab ...

at home and abroad, and is credited with the revival of the Punjabi film industry in India. People stood in kilometre-long lines to buy a ticket for the film.

1970s

After the success of ''Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai'', films were released in huge numbers. Hindi actors of Punjabi descent became interested in Punjabi films. '' Kankan De Ohle'' (

Dharmendra Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known Mononymous person, mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer and politician who is known for his work in Hindi films. Known as the first "He-Man" of Bollywood, Dharmendra has w ...

Asha Parekh Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is a retired Indian actress, film director, and producer who appeared in many commercially successful films throughout her career. She was the highest paid actress of her time and was one of the most successful ...

and Ravindra Kapoor) and '' Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar'' ( Dara Singh, Balraj Sahni, Ram Mohan and Asha Sachdev) were released in 1970. 1971 saw no major releases. In 1972, Dara Singh starred with

in ''Mele Mitran De''. ''

Man Jeete Jag Jeet ''Man Jeete Jag Jeet'' is a 1973 religious Punjabi film directed by B.S. Thapa, starring Sunil Dutt, Radha Saluja and Ranjeet in lead roles. Music & Gurbani Shabad There are a total of 11 songs in the movie songs were composed by S. Mohinder ...

'', a religious film starring Sunil Dutt,

Radha Saluja Radha Saluja is an Indian actress who has worked mainly in Hindi cinema, Punjabi cinema and Tamil, with a few Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada movies. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of India, she is known for her films op ...

and

Ranjeet Ranjeet Bedi (born 13 September 1942 as Gopal Bedi) popularly known as Ranjeet, is an Indian actor and film director born in Jandiala Guru near Amritsar (Punjab), best known for his work in Bollywood.Singh, Nonika (1999)Ranjeet's triple love", ...

, was a major release of 1973. In 1974, ''

Do Sher ''Do Sher '' is a 1974 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra.https://www.thehartwickcollection.com/products/do-sher-1-1974 Cast * Rajendra Kumar * Dharmendra Dharam Singh Deol (born 8 December 1935), also known mononymously as Dharmendra, ...

'' (

and

Rajendra Kumar Rajendra Kumar Tuli (20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999) was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. He was popularly known as the 'Jubil ...

), ''Bhagat Dhanna Jatt'' ( Dara Singh and Feroz Khan), ''Sacha Mera Roop Hai'' ( Manmohan Krishan) and '' Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam'' (Shaminder Singh and Radha Saluja) were released. The most successful was ''Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam'', due to the wide appeal of its religious historical setting and appearances by Bollywood actors including Sunil Dutt,

, Johnny Walker,

and Dara Singh. '' Teri Meri Ik Jindri'' (1975) starred

and introduced his cousin Veerendra. Many films were released in 1976: ''Daaj'', ''Giddha'', ''Main Papi Tum Bakhshanhaar'', ''Papi Tarey Anek'', '' Santo Banto'', ''Sardar-E-Azam'', ''Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun'', ''Taakra'', and ''Yamla Jatt''. ''Sawa Lakh Se Ek Ladaun'' was the biggest hit and starred Dara Singh in the main lead; Rajesh Khanna made a special appearance as the Qawal. The film ran into conflict with the Sikh political parties as the film had Fauj-i-Khas soldiers wearing fake beards. The year 1977 was not a major one for the Punjabi film industry. ''Jai Mata Di'', ''Saal Solvan Chadya'', ''Sat Sri Akal'', and ''Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha'' were released, amongst others. ''Saal Solvan Chadya'' was a highlight because of the cameo appearance by

Rekha Bhanurekha Ganesan (born 10 October 1954), better known by her stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in more than 180 fi ...

. ''Sat Sri Akal'' was another hit film. It starred Sunil Dutt,

Shatrughan Sinha Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 9 December 1945) is an Indian actor and politician. He is a Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Asansol constituency as a member of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier he was elected as Member of Parliam ...

, and

Premnath Prem Nath Malhotra, better known as Prem Nath, was an Indian actor and director, who was best known for his works in Hindi films. Nath made his debut with the film ''Ajit'' (1948), and went on to appear in over 100 films throughout his career. ...

. In 1978 ''Udeekan'', ''Dhyani Bhagat'', ''Jai Mata Sheranwali'', and ''Jindri Yar Di'' were released. The drama ''Udeekan'' was a hit. ''Walayati Babu'', the first ever remake in Punjabi cinema, was released in 1978. The film was remade from the Punjabi film of the same name by Johnny Walker; it featured a special appearance by Amitabh Bachchan and

Mehar Mittal Mehar Mittal (24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)The ...

played the main lead. 1979 was a big year: ''Guru Manio Granth'', ''Jatt Punjabi'', ''Kunwara Mama'', ''Sukhi Pariwar'', and ''Til Til Dalekha'' were released. The religious film ''Guru Manio Granth'' was an instant hit. ''Jatt Punjabi'' had a big cast and a special appearance by

Manoj Kumar Harikrishan Goswami (born 24 July 1937), better known by his screen name Manoj Kumar, is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked in Hindi cinema. He is known for acting and making films with patriotic theme ...

. ''Til Til Da Lekha'' starred Rajesh Khanna as the main lead hero and

Mehar Mittal Mehar Mittal (24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)The ...

played the comedian's role; the film became a golden jubilee hit at the box office. ''Til Til Dalekha'' was the second Punjabi movie of Rajesh Khanna and his first film as the lead hero in Punjabi films. It won the Punjab State Government award for best story writer and second best feature film of 1979. The first Punjabi mystery film, ''Vangaar (The Challenge)'', was released but it failed to become a hit.

1980s

Chann Pardesi ''Chann Pardesi'' is a Punjabi language film released in 1981. It was directed by Chitrarth Singh and starred Raj Babbar, Rama Vij, Amrish Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Om Puri. Chann Pardesi was a seminal film that debuted many future Bo ...

'', the first Punjabi film to win the national award, was released in 1980, and was the biggest hit of that year. It starred

Raj Babbar Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He was the Pre ...

, Rama Vij,

Amrish Puri Amrish Puri (22 June 1932 – 12 January 2005) was an Indian actor, who was one of the most notable and important figures in Indian cinema and Theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himself as one of the most popular actor ...

, Om Puri, and

Kulbhushan Kharbanda Kulbhushan Kharbanda (born 21 October 1944) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. He is best known for his role as the antagonist Shakaal in '' Shaan'' (1980), Starting off with the Delhi-based theatre group 'Yatrik' in the 1 ...

. ''Fauji Chacha'' had veteran Bollywood actor

Sanjeev Kumar Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. He is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. He acted in genres ranging from romantic dramas to thrille ...

in the lead. A remake of Mulkh Raj Bhakhri's 1958 film ''Bhangra'' came out in 1980 from director Mohan Bhakhri. The film was titled ''Jatti'', and starred Sundar, Nishi, Mehar Mittal, and Aparna Chowdhry. As with the original, the remake was a tremendous success. 1981 had only one hit: ''Balbiro Bhabhi''. This film had Veerendra in the lead role. Two major releases of 1982 were and ''Jatt Da Gandasa'' and ''Sarpanch''. ''Sarpanch'' starred Veerendra. In 1983, many movies were released, with '' Putt Jattan De'' being the biggest commercially. Veerendra had another hit in 1984 with the film ''Yaari Jatt Di''. This was the first Punjabi film to have more than half its footage shot in the United Kingdom. ''Mamla Garbar Hai'' was a hit for actor Gurdas Mann. The film's songs were especially loved. Two hit films of 1985 were Mohammad Sadiq's ''Guddo'' and Veerendra's ''Vairi'', ''Ucha Dar Babe Nanak Da'' was also in 1985, it is religious film that established Gurdas Mann as a star.. ''Long Da Lishkara'' was the big hit of 1986, starring

, Gurdas Mann, Om Puri, and Nina Deol. In 1987 Veerendra starred in ''Patola'' and ''Jor Jatt Da''. Punjab was shaken with the assassination of Veerendra by gunshot during the filming of ''Jatt Tey Zameen''. The death opened the door for supporting actors including Guggu Gill and Yograj Singh to take leading roles. 1988 had '' Patola'' as one of the major release. In 1989 came the critically acclaimed '' Marhi Da Deeva''. The film starred

Pankaj Kapur Pankaj Kapur (born 29 May 1954) is an Indian actor who has worked in Hindi theatre, television and films. He has appeared in several television serials and films. He is the recipient of several awards, including a Filmfare Award and three Nati ...

Kanwaljit Singh Kanwaljit Singh may refer to: * Kanwaljit Singh (politician), Indian politician * Kanwaljit Singh (actor), Indian actor * Kanwaljit Singh (cricketer), Indian former first-class cricketer * Prince Kanwaljit Singh, Indian Punjabi film actor See al ...

Parikshit Sahni Parikshit Sahni (born 1 January 1944) is an Indian actor who is known for playing the lead in TV series Barrister Vinod, ''Gul Gulshan Gulfaam'' (Doordarshan) and ''Gaatha'' (Star Plus). He has also appeared in three of Rajkumar Hirani's bloc ...

, and

Deepti Naval Deepti Naval (born 3 February 1952) is an Indian-born American actress, director, and writer, predominantly active in Hindi cinema. Her major contribution has been in the area of art cinema, winning critical acclaim for her sensitive and 'clos ...

1990s

In 1990 ''Qurbani Jatt Di'' was released, starring Guggu Gill, Yograj Singh, Gurdas Mann,

and Priti Sapru. The film was directed by Preeti Sapru herself, and did well at the box office. A second important release was ''Dushmani Di Agg'', the last film of Veerendra. It also starred Gurdas Mann and Priti Sapru, and was successful at the box office. In 1991 the major film ''Anakh Jattan Di'' starred Daljeet Kaur and Guggu Gill. It was the first movie where the audience really accepted ex-villain Guggu Gill as a hero. The film was followed by films like ''Jor Jatt Da'', which managed to recover its cost. '' Badla Jatti Da'' was the major success of the year. It starred Guggu Gill, Yograj Singh in a villain role, and Aman Noorie. ''Udeekan Saun Diyan'' garnered critical acclaim, but was not a commercial success. ''Sounh Menoo Punjab Di'', starring Satish Kaul, Rama Vij, Mehar Mittal, and Pal Randhawa was also one of the releases of 1991. The film was directed by Sukhdev Ahluwalia, one of the most successful directors of Punjwood, and had music by Surinder Kohli. ''Vaisakhi'', starring

Deep Dhillon Deep Dhillon is an Indian actor who works in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. He played the role of Jayadratha in the famous Indian TV serial '' Mahabharat'' and appeared as Sahasrarjun in the TV serial '' Vishnu Puran''. He is known for playing In ...

and Sunita Dheer, was released in 1991 to critical acclaim, but did not succeed commercially. ''Jatt Jeona Morh'' was a major hit that year, and made Guggu Gill a superstar. Also released was Yograj Singh's ''Jagga Daku (1991 film)'', which did moderately well. ''Dil Da Mamla'', starring Guggu Gill and Amar Noori, did poorly at the box office. 1993 had films like ''Jatt Sucha Singh Soorma'' (with Yograj Singh and Neena Sidhu), ''Mirza Sahiban'' (starring Guggu Gill), ''Lalkara Jatt Da'', and ''Saali Adhi Gharwali''. These films managed to do adequately at the box office, but were not major successes. Preeti Sapru's ''Mehndi Shagnan Di'', starring Malkit Singh, Hansraj Hans, Preeti Sapru, and Yograj Singh, lost money. ''Kudi Canada Di'' starring Yograj Singh also did poorly. ''Kachehri'' (1994) starred Gurdas Mann, Yograj Singh, and others. The film was praised by critics, was a commercial success, and won a national award. A second release was ''Tabahi'', starring newcomer Vishal Singh; it was the blockbuster hit of the year. Guggu Gill's ''Vairi'' did quite well at the box office, but ''Jigra Jatt Da'', with Yograj Singh as the villain, did poorly at the box office. Kimi Verma starred in ''Naseebo'' and ''Qahar'' in 1995 to critical acclaim, but not commercial success. ''Naseebo'' managed to recover its costs. ''Pratigya'', starring Guggu Gill, Gurdas Maan, Preeti Sapru, and Dara Singh, did well at the box office. ''Zaildaar'' (Yograj Singh), ''Nain Preeto De'' (Yograj Singh), and ''Sir Dhad Di Baazi'' did well. Gurdas Mann's ''Baghawat'' did not. ''Jakhmi Jagirdar'' and ''Mera Punjab'' amongst others also did poorly that year. Punjabi cinema began to decline in 1996. Only the film ''Sukha'' (starring Vishal Singh) did well at the box office. ''Deson Pardeson'', ''Dhee Jatt Di'' (Upasana Singh, Gurkirtan, and Shivinder Mahal), ''Vichoda'' (Yograj Singh), ''Gawahi Jatt Di'', and ''Jorawar'' all did poorly at the box office. Dara Singh's ''Vindoo'' and Farha's ''Rabb Diyan Rakhan'' also fared poorly. Films of 1997 (''Mela'', ''Truck Driver'', ''Sardari'', ''Preetan De Pehredaar'', and ''Pachtaawa'') all failed to make a profit. Even Guggu Gill's films were not successful. ''Train to Pakistan'' was filmed in a mixture of Hindi and Punjabi, and was later dubbed into Punjabi for film festivals. In 1998, ''Purja Purja Kat Mare'' with Guggu Gill, ''Laali'' with Dara Singh, Ravinder Maan, and Vishal, and ''Dildaara'' with Kalbhooshan Kharbanda and

Tanuja Tanuja Samarth, known mononymously as Tanuja, is an Indian actress who predominantly works in the Hindi film industry. Part of the Mukherjee-Samarth family, she is the daughter of actress Shobhna Samarth and producer Kumarsen Samarth, and wa ...

did not make money. Even big budget films like ''Guru Gobind Singh'' did poorly. The critically acclaimed film ''Main Maa Punjab Dee'' (directed by Balwant Dullat) won a National Award. The film ''Main Maa Punjab dee'' has been shown repeatedly on national television. The year ended on a positive note as

Jaspal Bhatti Jaspal Singh Bhatti (3 March 1955 – 25 October 2012) was an Indian television personality known for his satirical take on the problems of the common man. He is most well known for his television series '' Flop Show, Full Tension'' and mi ...

's ''

Mahaul Theek Hai ''Mahaul Theek Hai'' is a 1999 Indian Punjabi language comedy film directed by filmmaker Jaspal Bhatti. The English subtitled version is called ''The Atmosphere Is Right''. Plot ''Mahaul Theek Hai'' (meaning 'the situation is okay') is a recor ...

'' became an instant hit of Punjabi cinema. It was the first big hit since ''Jatt Jeona Morh'' (1991) and ''Badla Jatti Da'' (1992). Punjabi films were more successful in 1999. ''

'', '' Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh'' with

Gurdas Maan Gurdas Maan is an Indian playback singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi and Hindi language music and films. He gained national attention in 1980 with the song "Dil Da Mamla Hai". Since then, he had gone on to record over 3 ...

and

Divya Dutta Divya Dutta (born 25 September 1977) is an Indian actress and model. She has appeared in Hindi and Punjabi cinema, in addition to Malayalam and English-language films. She has received many awards including a National Film Award, a Filmfare Awa ...

was a critical and commercial success. ''Muqqadar'', ''Tera Mera Pyar'', ''Nadiyon Vichde Neer'', ''Door Nahin Nankana'', and ''Ishq Nachave Gali Gali'' (Randeep Virender, Manjeet Kullar, Deepak Saraf, Neeru Singh, and Surinder Sharma) all did poorly at the box office. ''Rajniti'', which was also made in Hindi, failed to make money.

's ''Shaheed Udham Singh'' did well towards the end of the year. There were only two major hits that year, ''Shaheed e Mohabbat'' and ''Shaheed Udham Singh''.

2000s

In 2000 there was just a single release: ''Dard Pardesan De'', starring

Avinash Wadhawan Avinash Wadhawan is an Indian film and television actor. He has appeared in films like, '' Junoon'', '' Geet'' and '' Balmaa. He played in Colors TV show ''Balika Vadhu ''Balika Vadhu'' (English: The Child Bride) is an Indian soap opera th ...

Upasana Singh Upasana Singh (born 29 June 1975) is an Indian actress and stand-up comedian. Singh is known for her role as a deaf-mute in the 1997 film '' Judaai''. Later on, she got famous for her negative portrayal in '' Son Pari'' as Cruella/Kalipari, a ...

, Paramveer, and Deepshikha, which fared poorly in Punjab, but did very well overseas. ''Sikandra'' and ''Jagira'' were released in 2001. Avinash Wadhawan and

Ayesha Jhulka Ayesha Jhulka (born 28 July 1972) is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Hindi films. She has also worked in Odia, Kannada and Telugu languages films. Career She has starred in films including '' Kurbaan'' (1991), ''Jo Jeeta Woh ...

starred in ''Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khaas'', which was released to the overseas market but not in Punjab. In 2002 '' Jee Ayan Nu'' was released, featuring singer-turned-actor

Harbhajan Mann Harbhajan Singh Mann (born 30 December 1965) is an Indian-Canadian singer, actor and film producer associated with Punjabi music and cinema. His movies include ''Jee Aayan Nu (2002)'', ''Asa Nu Mann Watnan Da (2004)'', ''Heer Ranjha (2009)'' and ...

and directed by Manmohan Singh. The movie was made on a big budget for Punjwood – 9 million, as compared to the more typical 20–25 million. It was very successful. This was a turning point in the revival of Punjabi cinema. ''Badla'' came out in 2003. ''Asa Nu Maan Watna Da'' was released in 2004, again with actor Harbhajan Mann and director Manmohan Singh. ''Jija Ji'', ''

Des Hoyaa Pardes ''Des Hoyaa Pardes'' is a 2004 Indian Punjabi language, Punjabi-language film, directed by Manoj Punj, starring Gurdas Maan, Juhi Chawla, Divya Dutta and Anup Soni. It won the National Film Awards, National Award for National Film Award for Best ...

'', ''Main Tu Assi Tussi'', ''

Yaaran Naal Baharan ''Yaaran Naal Baharan'' is a Punjabi feature film, released in 2005. It stars Jimmy Sheirgill in the lead role with Juhi Babbar, and was directed by Manmohan Singh. Plot This film tells a story of young hearts seeing each other and falling i ...

'', and ''Nalaik'' were released in 2005. ''Dil Apna Punjabi'' (again pairing Harbhajan and director

Manmohan Manmohan means 'Winner of the heart'. It is another name of Krishna, the Hindu deity, one of the "avatars" (or "incarnation") of Lord Vishnu. Manmohan may also refer to: *Man Mohan Adhikari (1920–1999), former Prime Minister of Nepal *Manmohan (a ...

), ''Ek Jind Ek Jaan'' (introducing Prabhleen Sandhu), ''Mannat'' (directed and written by Gurbir Singh Grewal, having Jimmy Sheirgill and introducing Kulraj Randhawa), and '' Waris Shah: Ishq Daa Waaris'' came out in 2006. ''Kambdi Kalai'', a Punjabi diaspora movie based out of the United States, came out in 2006. ''Rustam-e-Hind'' and ''Mitti Wajan Mardi'' (with Harbhajan and

) were released in 2007. A significant number of movies were produced in 2008: ''Hashar: A Love Story'' (introducing Gurleen Chopra), ''Yaariyan'', ''Mera Pind'', ''Lakh pardesi hoye'', ''Heaven on earth'', and ''Sat sri akal''. In 2009, ''Jag Jeodeye Deh Mele'' became a hit, and '' Tera Mera Ki Rishta'' with

Jimmy Shergill Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also credited as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi and Punjabi films. Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His bre ...

and Kulraj Randhawa was a hit. But the biggest earner of all the Punjabi films was Manmohan Singh's ''

Munde U.K. De ''Munde U.K. De'' (), distributed in English-speaking territories with the additional tagline "British by Right, Punjabi by Heart!," is a Punjabi film by writer-director Manmohan Singh. The movie stars Jimmy Sheirgill, Amrinder Gill, Neeru Bajwa, ...

'' with

and

Gurpreet Ghuggi Gurpreet Singh Waraich (born 19 July 1971), commonly known as Gurpreet Ghuggi, is an Indian actor, comedian and politician. He is known for his works in Punjabi and Hindi films. Ghuggi began his career by acting in theatre in the early 1990s, a ...

. ''

'' broke the record of ''Dil Apna Punjabi'' which was also directed by Manmohan Singh and became the biggest earner of all the Punjabi movies. ''Mehndi Wale Hath'' (2006), written and directed by Harinder Gill and with the new-star cast of Goldie Somal, Gavie Chahal, and Prableen, was a hit film in

east Punjab East Punjab (known simply as Punjab from 1950) was a province and later a state of India from 1947 until 1966, consisting of the parts of the Punjab Province of British India that went to India following the partition of the province betwee ...

territory.

2010s

In 2010, 16 movies were released. ''

Mel Karade Rabba ''Mel Karade Rabba'' is a 2010 Punjabi film directed by Navaniat Singh and written by Dheeraj Rattan; produced by Rajan Batra and Vivek Ohri; it stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Neeru Bajwa in the lead roles. Pop singer Gippy Grewal made his acting ...

'' starring

Gippy Grewal Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983), is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi and Hindi film industry. His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punjabi music industry. He made ...

later broke all records and grossed 110 million net, becoming the highest-grossing Punjabi film ever. '' Babbu Maans '' Ekam – Son of Soil'' was released in April and was a smash hit. It brought British-punjabi actress Mandy Takhar to the industry. ''Jawani Zindabad'', written and directed by Harinder Gill and starring the famous Punjabi singer Raj Barar, Pooja Kanwal, Guggu Gill, and Gurkirtan, was released in March 2010. It became a big hit in Canada. ''Channa Sachi Muchi'', written and directed by Harinder Gill and starring Miss Pooja and Goldie Somal, was released in August 2010. Also released in 2010 was ''Sukhmani (Hope for Life)'', starring Gurdas Maan, Juhi Chawla & Divya Dutta. In 2011, the film ''Ek Noor'' starring

Harshdeep Kaur Harshdeep Kaur (born 16 December 1986) is an Indian playback singer known for her Bollywood Hindi, Punjabi,English and Sufi songs. She is popularly known as "Sufi Ki Sultana" because of her soulful Sufi renditions. After winning titles in two ...

and Yami Gautam was released. ''Chhevan Dariya (The Sixth River)'', directed by Ish Amitoj Kaur, was released in September 2011. Kaur was the first Punjabi woman to have directed, produced, and written a Punjabi film. The film starred

Gulshan Grover Gulshan Grover (born 21 September 1955) is an Indian actor and producer who has appeared in over 100 films. He is popularly known as the "Bad Man" of Bollywood because of his ability to create an impact with his negative roles in films. Early ...

Neena Gupta Neena Gupta (born 4 June 1959) is an Indian actress and television director who works in Hindi films and television. Known for her work in both art-house and commercial films, she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for pl ...

, Manpreet Singh, Lakhwinder Wadali, Christa Cannon and Rana Ranbir. At the end of the year ''Chak Jawana'' was released, directed by Simerjit Singh and starring

, Jonita Doda in the Lead Roles . In February 2011, the PTC Punjabi channel organised the first ever

PTC Punjabi Film Awards PTC Punjabi Film Awards are Indian film awards presented annually by the PTC Punjabi television network to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professional filmmakers and actors with achievements in the field of Punjabi cinema in ...

at Panchkula. It was a tremendous boost to the industry and was attended by the likes of Om Puri,

Prem Chopra Prem Chopra (born 23 September 1935) is an Indian actor in Hindi and Punjabi films. He has acted in 380 films over a span of over 60 years. He has a soft-spoken diction despite being a villain in most films. His 19 films, with him as antagonist ...

, Guddu Dhanoa,

Preeti Sapru Priti Sapru (also spelled as Preeti Sapru), is an Indian actress known for her works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. She featured in a number of films including '' Nimmo'', ''Yaari Jat Di'' and ''Qurbani Jatt Di'' among others, with actors Veeren ...

Raza Murad Raza Murad (born 23 November 1950) is an Indian actor who appears primarily in Hindi films. He has over 250 Bollywood film credits. Murad has also appeared in Bhojpuri and other regional-language films and on Hindi television. Early life He ...

Satish Kaul Satish Kaul (8 September 1946 – 10 April 2021) was an Indian actor in both Punjabi and Hindi movies. He acted in over 300 Hindi and Punjabi films and worked with Bollywood actors such as Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Shahrukh Khan amongst oth ...

, Manmohan Singh, Amrinder Gill,

Jasbir Jassi Jasbir Singh Bains (born 7 February 1970), better known by his stage name Jasbir Jassi, is an Indian singer, lyricist, performer and actor. he has released thirteen albums, his first pop album being ''Dil Le Gayee'', released in 1998 with Time ...

Puneet Issar Puneet Issar (born 6 November 1959) is an Indian actor, writer, director, producer and dialect coach best known for his works in Hindi films and television shows. Issar started his acting career as a villain in the Manmohan Desai's 1983 film ' ...

Rakesh Bedi Rakesh Bedi is an Indian film, stage and television actor. He is known for his comic roles in films such as ''Mera Damaad'' and '' Chashme Buddoor'' (1981). He has also appeared in television shows like ''Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi'' (1984), ''Shrimaa ...

, Rama Vij, Sudhanshu Pandey, and Akriti Kakkar. 2011 looks to be the year when the industry moves away from the "typical NRI-centered" storylines and towards more meaningful and creative storylines with movies like '' The Lion of Punjab'' starring

Diljit Dosanjh Daljit Singh Dosanjh known professionally as Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor, film producer and television personality. He works in Punjabi Music and subsequently in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered ...

and '' Dharti'' starring

Rannvijay Singh Ranvijay Singh Singha is an Indian actor, television personality and VJ. Ranvijay is known for his appearance in MTV Roadies, where he won the show. He was a part of the show from 2004 to 2020, earlier as a gang leader and then as a host. He als ...

. '' Jihne Mera Dil Luteya'' is a 2011 Punjabi film directed by Mandeep Kumar with story and screenplay by Dheeraj Rattan, produced by Batra Showbiz Pvt. Ltd. and starring

Neeru Bajwa Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1975) is a Canadian actress, director and producer who has mainly worked in Punjabi and Hindi films. She started her career in 1998 with Dev Anand's Bollywood film '' Main Solah Baras Ki'' and then moved on to work ...

, and

Jaswinder Bhalla Jaswinder Bhalla (born 4 May 1960) is an Indian actor and comedian who works in Punjabi cinema. He started his professional career as a comedian in 1988 with Chankata 88 and became actor with film Dulla Bhatti. He is best known for his comedy ...

. It grossed 125 million. These films raise the bar of Punjabi films and take Punjabi cinema to next level. In September 2011, ''

Yaara o Dildaara ''Yaara o Dildaara'' is a 2011 Indian drama film starring Harbhajan Maan, Tulip Joshi, Kabir Bedi, Gurpreet Ghuggi Gurpreet Singh Waraich (born 19 July 1971), commonly known as Gurpreet Ghuggi, is an Indian actor, comedian and politician. He ...

'' was released, directed by Ksshitij Chaudhary and starring

, Jonita Doda, Tulip Joshi,

Kabir Bedi Kabir Bedi ( pa, ਕਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬੇਦੀ; born 16 January 1946) is an Indian actor. His career has spanned three continents covering India, the United States and especially Italy among other European countries in three media: f ...

, and Gurpreet Ghuggi. In October, ''

Yaar Annmulle ''Yaar Annmulle'' is a 2011 Indian Punjabi film directed by Anurag Singh. It stars Arya Babbar, Yuvraj Hans, Harish Verma, Jividha Sharma, Kajal Jain and Jenny Ghottra in lead roles. The film was released on 7 October 2011. Plot On his ...

'' introducing Yuvraj Hans and Harish Verma was released. This film was a box office hit. This year was the considered as the golden year of Punjabi cinema and industry reached many milestones in this year by having all India impact. There was the release of Hollywood-style film ''

Mirza – The Untold Story ''Mirza: The Untold Story '' is a 2012 Indian Punjabi-language action romance film written and directed by Baljit Singh Deo. It stars Gippy Grewal and Mandy Takhar in the lead roles, with music rapper Honey Singh in his first commercial v ...

'' the most costly film () in the history of Punjabi cinema in April starring

and

Yo Yo Honey Singh Hirdesh Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh or simply Honey Singh, is an Indian music producer, rapper, singer, songwriter and an actor. He started out in 2003 as a session and recording artist, and became a b ...

. In June the film '' Jatt & Juliet'' was greatest blockbuster and till now holds the title of best ever film of Punjabi cinema. This film established

and

as superstars of Punjabi film industry. Himesh Reshammiya has purchased the remake rights of the movie for . In July 2012 out and out comedy film ''

Carry On Jatta ''Carry On Jatta'' is a 2012 Indian Punjabi comedy film directed by Smeep Kang and starring Gippy Grewal, and Mahie Gill. The film released on 27 July 2012. This movie was remade in Odia in 2015 as '' Pilata Bigidigala'', in Telugu in 2016 as ...

'' starring

was also blockbuster only after ''Jatt & Juliet'' commercially. First time in punjabi cinema sequel of sperhit film ''

'', film ''Yaraan Naal Baharaan 2'' was released. In September, '' Ajj De Ranjhe'' starring

and Kul Sidhu was released. It was directed by Man ji. In October 2012, '' Saadi Wakhri Hai Shaan'', directed by Gurbir Grewal, was released. The film featured eight songs, which were composed by debut music director Dilpreet Bhatia. The film's music was a contemporary

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

of western classical and Punjabi

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

. This year many new Production houses started the production of too many comedy movies.

Binnu Dhillon Binnu Dhillon (born 29 August 1975) is an Indian actor who is known for his roles in Punjabi cinema and Hindi films . Early life and education Dhillon was born on 29 August 1975 in Dhuri, Sangrur, Punjab, where he did his schooling from Guru ...

Rana Ranbir Rana Ranbir Singh is an Indian Punjabi actor working in Punjabi cinema and Hindi cinema. Early life and education After completing a bachelor's degree from Desh Bhagat College Dhuri, he received a postgraduate degree in theater and television f ...

Karamjit Anmol Karamjit Anmol is an Indian actor, comedian, singer and film producer active in the Punjabi entertainment industry. He has worked in Punjabi movies including ''Laavaan Phere'' and '' Carry on Jatta 2''. He has also acted in the comedy plays "OMG ...

and B.N. Sharma established themselves as greatest comedians of Punjabi industry. In August 2012, the first ever Punjabi International Film Academy Awards were organised in Toronto, Canada. This was a tremendous success, attended by a host of Punjabi stars. With renewed interest from the public, Punjabi cinema has seen a revival with more releases every year featuring bigger budgets, homegrown stars, and Bollywood actors of Punjabi descent taking part. Also there are film festivals like ''Punjabi Film Festival'', Amritsar, Ma Boli International Punjabi Film Festival, Vancouver and Punjabi International Film Festival,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

held annually. 2013 carried the Golden phase of Punjabi movies to the next level. Superstars

and

Surveen Chawla Surveen Chawla (born 1 August 1984) is an Indian actress and dancer who appears in Hindi films and television. She started her career with television shows like Kahin to Hoga and Kajjal. She is known for her roles in movies and shows like ''Hat ...

stole the hearts of audiences by their successful films this year. ''

Jatt & Juliet 2 ''Jatt & Juliet 2'' ( pa, ਜੱਟ ਐਂਡ ਜੂਲੀਅਟ 2) is a 2013 Indian Punjabi romance comedy film directed by Anurag Singh. The film is a sequel to the 2012 blockbuster ''Jatt & Juliet'', however not directly or story-wise. Actor ...

'' broke the records of its prequel '' Jatt & Juliet''. ''Jatt & Juliet 2'' was also released in Pakistani Punjab in over 15 screens and was greatly liked by Pakistani audiences. '' Sadda Haq'', a true story based in the late 1980s and early 1990s during a period of extreme turmoil in Punjab was the second blockbuster of the year 2013 only after ''Jatt & Juliet 2''. '' Bhaji in Problem'' starring

was another blockbuster of the year produced by

Akshay Kumar Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...

and also having his extended appearance along with cricketer

Harbhajan Singh Harbhajan Singh (born 3 July 1980) is a member of parliament in Rajya Sabha and an Indian retired cricketer and cricket commentator, who played for the Indian national cricket team from 1998 - 2016. Singh was a right-arm spin bowler. In India ...

. Other hit films were

's ''Saadi Love Story'' starring

, '' Fer Mamla Gadbad Gadbad'' starring

Roshan Prince Roshan Prince is an Indian singer, producer, musician, songwriter and actor known for his Punjabi-language Bhangra songs. He was born on June 09 1981. In August 2021, Roshan begins shooting of his upcoming movie ''13Teen''. Discography Film ...

and Japji Khaira, '' Jatts in Golmaal'' starring

Arya Babbar Aarya Babbar is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood and Punjabi films. In 2014, Aarya participated in the eighth season of ''Bigg Boss''. Career Aarya Babbar started his film career with Raj Kanwar's ''Ab Ke Baras'' alongside Amrita R ...

and Samiksha, '' Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22'' starring

and superstar

's ''

Lucky Di Unlucky Story ''Lucky Di Unlucky Story'' () is a 2013 Punjabi comedy film directed by Smeep Kang, and featuring Gippy Grewal, Jaswinder Bhalla, Gurpreet Ghuggi and Binnu Dhillon in lead roles; the group earlier came together for 2012 Punjabi comedy ''Carry On ...

'' and action flick '' Singh vs Kaur''. A religious film, ''Pagri Singh Da Taaj'', was also released. The Hollywood blockbuster ''

A Good Day to Die Hard ''A Good Day to Die Hard'' is a 2013 American action thriller film and the fifth and final installment in the ''Die Hard'' film series. The film was directed by John Moore and written by Skip Woods, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane in h ...

'' dubbed in Punjabi with superstar

's voice was released in Punjab. Many meaningful films based on social issues and the reality of Punjab were also successful like National Award winner ''Nabar'', ''Stupid 7'' based on student life in Punjab, Chandigarh student politics based ''Sikander'', '' Sadda Haq'', corruption and social issues based '' Bikkar Bai Sentimental'', religious film '' Dastaar'', ''Punjab Bolda'', '' Haani'', and '' Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya''. This year also saw the production of the first Punjabi 3D feature film, '' Pehchaan 3D'', produced and directed by Manny Parmar.

Irrfan Khan Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020), also known simply as Irrfan, was an Indian actor who worked in Indian cinema as well as British and American films. Widely regarded as one of the finest actors in In ...

starrer '' Qissa'' won four awards in ''Indian International Film Festival of Queensland'' of best actor award for Irrfan, best actress award for

Tillotama Shome Tillotama Shome is an Indian actress. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 63rd Filmfare Awards for her role in ''A Death in the Gunj''. In 2021, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress (Critics) for portraying a praisewor ...

, best director award for Anup Singh and best cinematography for Sebastian Edschmid. In year 2014, around 42 films were released and nearly 80 percent of those films were all slapstick comedies. Most successful films of the year were blockbusters like '' Chaar Sahibzaade(3D)'',

's '' Jatt James Bond'', ''

Disco Singh ''Disco Singh'' is a 2014 Punjabi comedy film directed by Anurag Singh and starring Diljit Dosanjh and Surveen Chawla. This is the third collaboration between Singh and Dosanjh after the 2012 blockbuster '' Jatt and Juliet'' and the 2013 sequel ...

'', '' Double Di Trouble'',

's ''

Punjab 1984 ''Punjab 1984'' is a 2014 Indian Punjabi language period drama film directed by Anurag Singh. It is based on the 1984–86 Punjab insurgency's impact on social life, notably it is a story of a mother and her missing son. Starring Diljit Dosan ...

'', '' Mr & Mrs 420'', '' Goreya Nu Daffa Karo''. In This year many Action Films were released like '' Kirpaan: The Sword of Honour'', '' Fateh'', '' Romeo Ranjha'', ''Yoddha The Warrior (2014 film)'' and ''Baaz''. Released in January, ''

Patiala Dreamz ''Patiala Dreamz'' is a Punjabi-language film starring Sarwar Ahuja and Madalasa Sharma. Cast * Sarwar Ahuja as Garry * Madalasa Sharma as Reet * Sardar Sohi as Teja Singh * Usha Bachani as Jageer kaur * Amita Nangia as Reets Mother * Amrit p ...

'' was a romantic thriller, with right doses of action, suspense, romance and comedy. There were many movies touching 1984 subject such as ''

'', '' Kaum De Heere'', '' 47 to 84 Hun Main Kisnu Watan Kahunga''. Other films released in this year were '' Aa Gaye Munde U.K. De'' starring

and

, '' Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin'' starring Jassi Gill,

and Simran Kaur Mundi, ''Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar'' starring Gurdas Mann and

, "Cross Connection" Released on 26 December, Produced by jasbir Dhillon (Dhillon Creations) Starring: B.N. Sharma, Upasna singh, Garry warraich, Nancy johal, Gurchet chitarkar, Parkash gadhu, Dilawar sidhu, Malkeet raouny, Anita shabdeesh, Sahib singh, Raman Dhillon, Rozy, Tarsem paul with renowned singers Rahat fateh ali khan, Arif Lohar, Kamal khan, Navraj hans, Mank-e, Tochi raina. Also this year many notable actors and singers debuted in Punjabi cinema, this year notably veteran actors

and

Poonam Dhillon Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Femina Miss India (1977), she is best known for her 1979 film '' Noorie.'' Some of her well-known films include '' Red Rose'' (1980), '' Dard'' (1981), ''Romance' ...

in '' Double Di Trouble'', famous Bollywood comedian

Razak Khan Abdur Razzak Khan (28 March 1951 – 1 June 2016) was an Indian actor who has worked in Bollywood films. Khan was noted for supporting and comic roles. He was known for his comic role of Manikchand in the 1999 Abbas–Mustan directed film '' Ba ...

in ''

Marriage da garriage ''Marriage Da Garriage'' is a Punjabi romantic comedy film directed by Jaswinder Singh, Starring Navraj Hans, Keeya Khanna, Jaswinder Bhalla and more. Movie produced under banner 30 TY Group Productions. ''Marriage da garriage'' is debut movi ...

'', Bollywood actress Zarine Khan in '' Jatt James Bond'', singer

Garry Sandhu Gurmukh Singh "Garry" Sandhu, is an Indian singer, songwriter, rapper and actor known for his work in Punjabi music. Originally, he came to the United Kingdom on a work visa, and worked as a construction worker situated in the Birmingham area. W ...

in '' Romeo Ranjha''. '' Chaar Sahibzaade'' was the first Punjabi 3D animated historical drama. It was a blockbuster, grossing over globally and was made tax free by governments of states like

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

, Uttrakhand,

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

. The Canadian-Punjabi feature film '' Work Weather Wife'' represented Canada at the 87th Oscar Awards (87th Academy Awards) and it was the only

Canadian film Cinema in Canada dates back to the earliest known display of film in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, in 1896. The film industry in Canada has been dominated by the United States, which has utilized Canada as a shooting location and to bypass British fil ...

that made the final shortlist of 79 Best Original Songs with its songs Moon and Long Braid. At 72nd Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Feature Film and made the top 53 films in the long list. It stars Harpreet Sandhu and Reema Nagra in the lead role with Dilbag Brar and

Kirat Bhattal Kirat Bhattal (born 26 January 1985 in Monrovia, Liberia), professionally known as Kirat or Keerath, is an Indian actress. She debuted in modelling roles and then made a breakthrough in the Tamil film industry. Career After completing he ...

. It is directed by Harpreet Sandhu. The year 2015 was attributed to a few directors who took the risk of taking up different subjects with some fresh stories and some fresh actors and villains.

and Mandy Takhar-starrer ''

Sardaar Ji ''Sardaarji'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi fantasy comedy film directed by Rohit Jugraj, and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Mandy Takhar and Neeru Bajwa in lead roles. The trailer of the film was released on 18 May 2015. ''Sardaar Ji'' is one of the first ...

'' was blockbuster film and even achieved milestone gross earning record, according to the film pandits. Second Blockbuster film was Amrinder Gill,

Sargun Mehta Sargun Mehta Dubey (; born 6 September 1988) is an Indian actress, model and television host. She has received three PTC Punjabi Film Awards and two Filmfare Awards Punjabi for her work in Punjabi Cinema. Mehta began acting in theatre product ...

, Aditi Sharma and

starrer, 1945 based rural Punjabi love story ''

Angrej ''Angrej'' () is a 2015 Indian Punjabi-language historical romance film directed by Simerjit Singh. Set against the backdrop of the waning British Raj, the film chronicles the love story of a young man and a woman, played by Amrinder Gill an ...

'' which did very well both in Punjab as well as abroad. Punjabi films with a strong storyline and an equally strong direction were ''

Shareek ''Shareek'' ( pa, ਸ਼ਰੀਕ) is a 2015 Punjabi musical drama film directed by Navaniat Singh, starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Mahie Gill, Guggu Gill, Simar Gill, Oshin Sai, Mukul Dev, Kuljinder Sidhu, Prince KJ, Hobby Dhaliwal, Gulchoo Jolly. ...

'' (directed by Navaniat Singh, starring Jimmy Shergill and Mahie Gill), '' Qissa Panjab'' (directed by Jatinder Mauhar that weaved in seven different stories into one), '' Judge Singh LLB'' (directed by Atharv Baluja as the first Punjabi courtroom drama),

's '' Faraar'' (directed by Baljit Singh Deo brought in double role with suspense) was the highest budget film with in the history of Punjabi cinema. Other flop films were '' Dildariyaan'', '' Mitti Na Pharol Jogiya'', '' Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya'', '' Munde Kamaal De''. While films raking up controversy or inviting a ban were ''

The Mastermind Jinda Sukha ''The Mastermind Jinda Sukha'' is 2015 Indian Punjabi-language film initially released 11 September 2015. Film is based on facts and letters exchanged by Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha (the assassins of Indian Army chief Arun S ...

'' and ''Pata Pata Singhan Da Vairi'' and ''

Nanak Shah Fakir ''Nanak Shah Fakir'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi-language biographical film based on the life of Guru Nanak, and produced by Gurbani Media Pvt. Ltd. It was theatrically released on 17 April 2015. It won the awards for Best Feature Film on Nationa ...

'' (Temporarily that faced a ban in some parts of the country). In 2016, As many as 41 movies were released.

Ambarsariya ''Ambarsariya'' is an Indian Punjabi comedy thriller film directed by Mandeep Kumar, written by Dheeraj Rattan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Monica Gill, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Lauren Gottlieb as the main cast of the film and was released worldwi ...

, Sardaar Ji 2,

Love Punjab ''Love Punjab'' is a 2016 Punjabi film directed by Rajiv Dhingra, written by Amberdeep Singh and starring Amrinder Gill, Sargun Mehta and Manvir Johal as the main protagonists of the film. This film is about a journey of a family to find love, t ...

Vaisakhi List ''Vaisakhi List'' is a 2016 Punjabi film directed by Smeep Kang and starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Shruti Sodhi and Sunil Grover as the main cast and the film was released on 22 April 2016. The movie is loosely based on the 2002 Korean movie ''Jail ...

, Channo Kamli Yaar Di, Kaptaan, Saadey CM Saab, Bambukat, Chauthi Koot, Nikka Zaildar were some of the big commercial/critical winners. In the first half of 2017, New concepts and excellent content paid dividends. Super Singh, Manje Bistre,

Jindua ''Jindua'' is a romantic drama film directed by Navaniat Singh starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Neeru Bajwa and Sargun Mehta in the lead roles. It was released on 17 March 2017. Plot The movie is set initially in Calgary, Canada, where Karma (Jimmy Sh ...

, Lahoriye, Sargi, Saab Bahadar, Sarvann,

Rabb Da Radio ''Rabb Da Radio'' () is a 2017 Indian Punjabi-language film directed by Tarnvir Singh Jagpal and Harry Bhatti, and written by Jass Grewal. It stars Tarsem Jassar, Mandy Takhar and Simi Chahal. The film was produced by Manpreet Johal and Vehl ...

and The Great Sardaar were some of the big commercial/critical winners. In the second half of the year, Channa Mereya, Sardar Mohammad, Nikka Zaildar 2 and Vekh Baraatan Challiyan were some of the commercial hits. In the year 2018, the first ever war-based Punjabi movie

Sajjan Singh Rangroot ''Sajjan Singh Rangroot'' is a 2018 Indian Punjabi-language war drama film directed by Pankaj Batra. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Yograj Singh and Sunanda Sharma. The movie is based on a true story about the experiences of Sikh soldiers of the Brit ...

, set during World War I and starring

, was released. Carry On Jatta 2 was another blockbuster and one of the highest grossing Punjabi movies of all time. Other commercially successful movies include Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua, Ashke,

Laung Laachi ''Laung Laachi'' ( Clove & Cardamom) is a 2018 Indian Punjabi-language romantic drama film written and directed by Amberdeep Singh. Produced by Villagers Film Studio, it stars Neeru Bajwa, Singh and Ammy Virk. The film chronicles the story ...

and Laavan Phere. In year 2019, total 61 Punjabi films were released worldwide with superhits like '' Shadaa'', '' Ardaas Karaan'', '' Chal Mera Putt'', '' Muklawa'', '' Manje Bistre 2'', '' Nikka Zaildar 3'', ''

Singham ''Singham'' is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Rohit Shetty and produced by Reliance Entertainment, based on a script by writers Yunus Sajawal and Farhad-Sajid. It serves as first installment of Shetty's Cop Universe. A ...

'', '' Rabb Da Radio 2'', ''Dil Diyaan Gallan'', ''Blackia'', '' Laiye Je Yaarian'', ''

Chandigarh Amritsar Chandigarh ''Chandigarh Amritsar Chandigarh'' is a 2019 Indian-Punjabi romantic comedy film written by Naresh Kathooria and directed by Karan Guliani. Produced by ''Sumit Dutt & Dreembook Productions'' in association with ''Leostride Entertainment''; it ...

'', '' Kaka Ji'' and ''Band Vajje''. '' Harjeeta'' won two awards for Best Punjabi Film and Best Child Actor at 66th National Film Awards. Song ''

'' from ''

'' film became the first Indian song to reach one billion views on YouTube.

Festivals

Film distribution and production companies

Notable Punjabi film distribution and/or production companies include:
Inside Motion Pictures
* Cine Heights * Geet Mp3 * White Hill Studio * Humble Motion Pictures * Studio 7 Production Canada & USA * Shri Narotam Ji Productions * Vehli Janta Films * Villagers Film Studio * Naughty Men Productions * Dream Reality Films * Unisys Infosolutions Pvt Ltd/Saga Music Pvt Ltd

Distribution

Punjabi cinema punjabi film at hari theatre jammu india

Prior to the late-1900s, Punjabi film companies were largely immersed in the competition for the domestic market. Limited to

East Punjab East Punjab (known simply as Punjab from 1950) was a province and later a state of India from 1947 until 1966, consisting of the parts of the Punjab Province of British India that went to India following the partition of the province betwee ...

and West Punjab and low number of screens in Punjabi-speaking areas of

and

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...

( Sri Ganganagar,

Hanumangarh Hanumangarh is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, situated on the banks of the river Ghaggar also identified as Ancient Sarasvati river, located about 400 km from Delhi. It is the administrative seat of Hanumangarh District. The c ...

) and no prospect in metro cities, distribution was a problem for Punjabi filmmakers. It was difficult to compete with the huge demand for films created by

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

. Gradually, Punjabi companies moved to the

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

an and North American markets. In recent years,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

has become a popular destination for shooting Punjabi films and is the second largest market of Punjabi cinema. About 50 percent of the revenue for all successful Punjabi films are generated from the overseas markets, including Australia, Canada,

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. A number of Punjabi films have also surpassed the gross collections of Bollywood films in the overseas markets. Punjabi films are finding more releases in Punjabi-dominated areas of

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth descr ...

, including East Punjab, West Punjab, Delhi,

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

( Rudrapur, Bajpur, Kashipur) and

Jammu Jammu is the winter capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the headquarters and the largest city in Jammu district of the union territory. Lying on the banks of the river Tawi, the city of Jammu, with an area of ...

. Punjabi films are also distributed to less-Punjabi populated regions, including states of India: Bengaluru,

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, Nanded,

Odisha Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West ...

and countries:

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

(other than West Punjab) and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...

. Punjabi cinema makes zero money from satellite or music due to absence of a sustainable satellite mechanism. At the home territory, Punjab, against only 4 multiplexes in all of East Punjab in 2007, as of 2014 the numbers have increased to 36 with 99 more approved by the Government of Punjab, India for construction. These in turn have attracted a large middle class audience for Punjabi films which did not exist before.

Parallel cinema

In Punjabi cinema only a few movies are considered meaningful. Punjabi film industry has established

Parallel Cinema Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema. Inspired by Italian Neorealism, Parallel Cinema ...

in these years also. The National Award-winning '' Marhi Da Deeva'' (1989) mercilessly explores the issues of economic inequality, social segregation in life of

dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

farm labourers and other landless communities in Punjab. Another National Award winner, '' Anhe Ghore Da Daan'' (2011) diligently puts across the distressed and frustrated life-cycle of marginalised

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

s in Punjab. It is the first Punjabi-language film to have travelled to so many international film festivals. The film premiered in the Orizzonti section (Horizons) at the

68th Venice International Film Festival The 68th annual Venice International Film Festival was held in Venice, Italy between 31 August and 10 September 2011. American film director Darren Aronofsky was announced as the Head of the Jury. American actor and film director Al Pacino was p ...

. It won the Special Jury Award and the $50,000 Black Pearl trophy at the

Abu Dhabi Film Festival The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF; ar, مهرجان أبو ظبي السينمائي), formerly the Middle East International Film Festival, was an international film festival held in the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 2007 to 20 ...

. It was also shown at the 55th BFI London Film Festival, 49th New York Film Festival and the 16th Busan International Film Festival. The film also won the Golden Peacock award for best film at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2012 held in Panaji, Goa. '' Khamosh Pani'' (2003) is a tragic story of widowed mother and her young son set in a late 1970s village in West Punjab and relations of communities after 1947 Partition of Punjab starring Kiron Kher and Shilpa Shukla.

Short films

*''Nooran'' (2013), based on famous Punjabi author, Balwant Gargi's story ''Rabbo Marasan'', which represents a woman's emotions, Directed by Navtej Sandhu, was sent for

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

-Short Film Corner. *''Kambdi Deorri (The Shivering Gateway)'' (2014), based on famous Punjabi author, Jaswant Singh Kanwal's story ''Akk the Amrit'', which shows the deteriorating situation of ties within families, Directed by Navtej Sandhu, was again sent for

-Short Film Corner. *''The Half Ticket'' (2018), which was based on a true love story in which the needs of the world overshadow true love, is written and directed by Channa Rai, and stars Victor John. was in Nominated for Best Director at Pune Film Festival-2018. *''Sutta Naag'' (2014), adapted from

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

winner Punjabi writer, Late Ram Sarup Ankhi's short story of same name. The narrative portrays 50 years old Punjab and addresses serious subjects like infidelity and the suppression of women has been premiered at ''Punjabi International Film Festival,

''. *''Khoon'' (2015), film based on Gurbachan Singh Bhullar's Short story was shown at the Punjabi International Film Festival,

. *''Daughter of the Bin'' (2015), based on famous Play writer, Dr. Jatinder Brar's play, which shows the plight of the newly born girl child thrown in the dustbin and adopted by a beggar, award-winning short film. *''Gawachi Pagg (The Lost Turban)'' (2016), based on famous Punjabi writer, Jaswant Singh Kanwal's story, a very emotional and powerful story of an innocent young boy who was looking for his "Lost Esteem" during the militancy period in the era of 80s' in Punjab, internationally critically acclaimed short film Directed by Navtej Sandhu. *''Zindagi A life of Kinner'' (2012), based on the story of Jagdev Dhillon, talks about the lives of the

third gender Third gender is a concept in which individuals are categorized, either by themselves or by society, as neither man nor woman. It is also a social category present in societies that recognize three or more genders. The term ''third'' is usuall ...

, Eunuch (

Hijra Hijra, Hijrah, Hegira, Hejira, Hijrat or Hijri may refer to: Islam * Hijrah (often written as ''Hejira'' in older texts), the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE * Migration to Abyssinia or First Hegira, of Muhammad's followers ...

). The film was directed by Harman Aggarwal and was showcased in Punjabi International Film Festival,

and Delhi International Film Festival. *Heer Unstoppable (2017) Based on the Plight of women in Punjab who are married to NRI's without any Background check. The Film was official selection to Five International Film Festivals with winning Best Director for Jonita Doda at Pink city International Film Festival. *''RAIN'' (Simran Sidhu, 2017) is the story of a farmer (Bittu Bajwa) on the verge of suicide as he waits for it to rain. The winner of six international awards (including one for Best Drama at Festigious L.A. and a Remi Award, whose previous recipients include Hollywood legends Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas), writer-director Simran Sidhu's mini-epic also boasts a sweeping score by the world renowned Indonesian composer

Elwin Hendrijanto Elwin Hendrijanto (born 3 of February 1986) is an Indonesian composer, pianist, music producer, and music director. Education In 2008, Elwin graduated cum laude on a scholarship for Bachelors of Music in Performance Classical Piano from Utr ...

, and guest stars Yashpal Sharma who was so fond of the script that he did the film for free. *''Bhulekha'' (2018), based on famous Punjabi author, Jaswant Singh Kanwal's story ''Vehan paye Dariya'', beautiful love story with very different kind of misunderstanding, Directed by Navtej Sandhu.

Highest-grossing Punjabi films (worldwide)

Awards

* Filmfare Awards *

* Brit Asia Film Awards

Personalities

Directors

* InsideAKY * Himanshu Dhar * Gaurav Manku * Dev Choudhary * Amberdeep Singh * Amitoj Maan * Amit Prasher * Anurag Singh *

Baljit Singh Deo Baljit Singh Deo is an Indian music and movie director of Punjabi language. Early life Baljit Singh Deo was born in Jalandhar, 1900–1950 Punjab, India. At an early age, he moved to England with his family where he did his studies in engineer ...

* Balwant Dullat * Channa Rai * Chitrarth Singh *

* VFX Navi *

Harry Baweja Harjaspal Baweja (born 1956) is an Indian film director based in Mumbai and hails from Ludhiana, Punjab, India. He is married to Indian film producer, Pammi Baweja. Their son, Harman Baweja, made his debut in the film Love Story 2050. They have ...

Jagdeep Sidhu Jagdeep Sidhu is an Indian film director, writer, screenwriter and dialogue writer associated with Punjabi and Hindi cinema. He has been nominated for seven awards for categories "Best Screenplay", "Dialogue", and "Direction" PTC Punjabi Film ...

* Ksshitij Chaudhary * Manbhavan Singh * Manmord Sidhu * Manmohan Singh *

Manoj Punj Manoj Punj was an Indian punjabi language, Punjabi film director. He directed the hits in Cinema of Punjab, Punjabi Cinema. After graduating with a degree in arts, and experiencing theater in Chandigarh, he assisted Prof. P. S. Nirola who made c ...

* Navalpreet Rangi *

* Nidhi.M. Singh * Pali Bhupinder Singh * Pankaj Batra * Rohit Jugraj Chauhan *

Simerjit Singh Simerjit Singh (born 6 December 1973) is an Indian film director and writer. He is best known for directing the Punjabi film Angrej. Career After completing his graduation Simerjit moved to Mumbai in 1997 to pursue his passion of films. He ...

Smeep Kang Smeep Kang is an Indian actor, film producer and director who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. He graduated from Punjab University, Chandigarh with a degree in chemical engineering. He is well known for directing the Punjabi comedy films '' ...

* Sukh Sanghera * Sukhminder Dhanjal

Actors

File:Amrinder Singh Gill.jpg, Amrinder Gill, star of ''

'' and '' Lahoriye'' File:Babbu Maan Vancouver 2010.jpg, Babbu Maan, star of ''Hashar'' and '' Ekam – Son of Soil'' File:Binnu Dhillon.jpg,

, star of '' Bambukat'' and ''

'' File:Diljit Dosanjh during Soorma promotion 05.jpg,

, star of '' Jatt & Juliet'' and ''

'' File:Gippy Grewal in Chandigarh (cropped).jpg,

, star of '' Carry on Jatta 2'' and '' Manje Bistre'' File:Gurdas Mann.jpg,

, star of '' Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh'' and ''Ucha Dar Babe Nanak Da'' File:Harbhajan-Mann1.jpg,

, star of ''

Asa Nu Maan Watna Da ''Asa Nu Maan Watna Da'' is a Punjabi movie directed by Manmohan Singh released in 2004 and starring Harbhajan Mann. Plot Calgary-based businessman Kanwaljit Singh Dhillon sends money home to his brother, Deep, to invest in some property. Now ...

'' and ''

Jee Aayan Nu ''Jee Ayan Nu'' ( en, Welcome) is a Punjabi drama film, released on 8 November 2002. It stars Harbhajan Mann in the lead role with Priya Gill. It was directed by Manmohan Singh. It is one of the first most successful movie in Punjabi cinema, ...

'' File:Jassi Gill.JPG, Jassi Gill, star of '' Mr & Mrs 420'' and '' Sargi'' File:Neeru Bajwa at Kochi International Fashion Week 2011 02.jpg,

, star of ''

'' and '' Jihne Mera Dil Luteya'' File:Rana Ranbir.jpg,

, star of '' Ardaas'' and ''Asees'' File:Sargun Mehta at a pre-Diwali party.jpg,

, star of ''

'' and '' Lahoriye'' File:Sonam Bajwa (cropped).jpg,

Sonam Bajwa Sonampreet Bajwa (born 16 August 1989) is an Indian model and actress who predominantly appears in Punjabi language, Punjabi language films. In addition to few Tamil language, Tamil and Telugu language, Telugu films. She participated in the F ...

, star of '' Manje Bistre'' and '' Sardaar Ji 2'' File:Kulbir Jhinjer Gurbir Ghumaan.jpg, Tarsem Jassar, star of

and Rabb Da Radio 2 File:Guggu-gill.jpg, Gugu Gill, star of Putt Jattan De and Badla Jatti Da The Punjabi film industry has produced a number of successful actors, actresses, writers, directors and filmmakers, many of whom have been known internationally. * InsideAKY * B.N. Sharma * Gugu Gill * Harish Verma *

* Nav Bajwa * Ranjit Bawa * Shavinder Mahal *

Sardar Sohi Sardar Sohi, born Parmjeet Singh Sohi, is an Indian Punjabi actor and writer. He is from Palasaur near Dhuri. He is best known for the films ''Baghi'', ''The Legend of Bhagat Singh ''The Legend of Bhagat Singh'' is a 2002 Indian Hindi-lan ...

Actresses * Himanshi Khurana * Japji Khaira *

Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla (born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress, film producer and entrepreneur. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and v ...

* Kulraj Randhawa * Mahi Gill *

Monica Gill Monica Gill is an American model, actress, beauty pageant title holder. Gill won the Miss India Worldwide 2014 on 21 June 2014. She is also Miss India USA winner on 26 November 2013 while serving as Miss India New England. In 2015, she partic ...

* Nimrat Khaira *

Nirmal Rishi Nirmal Rishi is an Indian Punjabi film and television actress. She is most remembered for her role as Gulabo Maasi in her first movie Long Da Lishkara (1983). She is best known for appearing in Punjabi movies like Nikka Zaildar, Nikka Za ...

* Simi Chahal *

Wamiqa Gabbi Wamiqa Gabbi (born 29 September 1993) is an Indian actress, who works in Punjabi, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu films. She made her screen debut in the Hindi film ''Jab We Met'' (2007) with a small role. But her major success came with '' ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinema of Punjab Punjabi language Cinema by language of India Punjabi

History

Sound films (1930s–1946)

Post–Punjab partition

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

Festivals

Film distribution and production companies

Distribution

Parallel cinema

Short films

Highest-grossing Punjabi films (worldwide)

Awards

Personalities

Directors

Actors

See also

References