Punjabi cinema, also known as Pollywood or Punjwood,
is cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the
Punjabi-language
Punjabi, sometimes spelled Panjabi, is an Indo-Aryan language native to the Punjab region of Pakistan and India. It is one of the most widely spoken native languages in the world, with approximately 150 million native speakers.
Punjabi is th ...
widely spoken in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
n state of
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
. It is based in
Amritsar
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
,
Ludhiana
Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224
http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF
Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
, and
Mohali
Mohali, officially Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar or Ajitgarh, is a planned city in the Mohali district in Punjab, India, Punjab, India, which is an administrative and a commercial hub lying south-west of Chandigarh. It is the headquarters of the M ...
.
The cinema of
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
has its beginnings with the 1928 production of ''
Daughters of Today'', the earliest feature film produced in the region in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
. The first
sound film
A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, 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, bu ...
, ''
Heer Ranjha
'' Ranjha'' () is a classical Punjabi folk tragedy with many historic poetic narrations; with the first one penned by Damodar Gulati in 1600s, on the preexisting oral legend; and the most famous one, ''Heer'', written by Waris Shah in 17 ...
'', 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 sys ...
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 ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
, the provincial capital of
British Punjab
The Punjab Province, officially the Province of the Punjab, was a province of British India, with its capital in Lahore and summer capitals in Murree and Simla. At its greatest extent, it stretched from the Khyber Pass to Delhi; and from th ...
. 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 ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
and
Calcutta
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta (List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern ba ...
, and seldom from
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
and
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
.
''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
Abdur Rashid Kardar (2 October 1904 – 22 November 1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).
Early life and ...
's ''
Husn Ka Daku
''Husn Ka Daku'' is a 1929 action adventure silent film directed by A. R. Kardar. The film, also called ''Mysterious Eagle'' was made by Kardar's Playart Phototone. Kardar acted in this, his first production from Playart Phototone. Playart Phot ...
'' was released, that the film industry had established in essence in Lahore's
Bhati Gate
Bhati Gate (; ) is one of the historic thirteen gates of the Walled City of Lahore in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Bhati Gate also serves as a union council located in the Ravi Zone.
The gate is located near Data Darbar and is similar in desig ...
locality. Kardar, a professional
calligraphist
Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...
, 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
Gul Hamid (1905-1936) was an Indian actor. He started his acting career in silent films and later played leading roles in talkies. He had many honors to his credit. He acted in ''Heer Ranjha'', the first film produced in Punjabi and in '' Seet ...
,
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 ''
Heer Ranjha
'' Ranjha'' () is a classical Punjabi folk tragedy with many historic poetic narrations; with the first one penned by Damodar Gulati in 1600s, on the preexisting oral legend; and the most famous one, ''Heer'', written by Waris Shah in 17 ...
'', 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.
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 Noor Jahan may refer to:
People
* Nur Jahan (1577–1645), Mughal empress
* Noor Jehan (1926–2000), Pakistani singer and actress
* Nurjahan Begum (1925–2016), Bangladeshi journalist
* Nurjahan Begum (banker), Bangladeshi interim government ad ...
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
Bombay
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...
and Calcutta to Lahore. Prominent names included
Shanta Apte
Shanta Apte (1916–1964) was an Indian actress-singer who worked in Marathi language, 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 w ...
,
Motilal,
Chandra Mohan, Hiralal, Noor Jehan,
Mumtaz Shanti
Mumtaz Shanti (28 May 1926 – 19 October 1994) was an actress in Partition of India, pre-partition Cinema of India, Indian cinema. Working in Bollywood films of the 1940s and also the early 1950s, she moved to Pakistan after the partition of I ...
, Wali, Syed Attahullah Shah Hashmi, Krishna Kumar, and Shanker Hussain.
Baldev Raj Chopra
Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008) was a prolific Indian director and producer noted for pioneering the Hindi film industry and television series. He's known for directing notable films, such as ''Afsana (1951 film), Afsana'' ...
, 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
Ramanand Sagar (born Chandramauli Chopra; 29 December 1917 – 12 December 2005) was an Indian film-television director, producer, and writer. He is best known for his contribution to the television serials '' Ramayan'' (1987–1988) and '' Shr ...
, 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 is Pakistan's film industry, which has served as the base for both Urdu- and Punjabi-language film production.
Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since independence in 1947. However, with the Urdu film hub largel ...
, 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
Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
and
Dev Anand
Dev Anand (; born Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand; 26 September 1923 – 3 December 2011) was an Indian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in Indian cinema, Hindi cinema. He is considered as one of the greatest and most succes ...
and singers such as
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...
,
Noorjahan
Noor Jehan (21 September 192623 December 2000) was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked in both British India and later in Pakistan's cinema. Her career lasted over six decades, during which she recorded 10,000 songs. Jehan had ...
and
Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum (Urdu: شمشاد بیگم, 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 range, sh ...
. In 1948, Roop K. Shorey directed the first Punjabi film following the partition of Punjab. Other notable films of the late 1940s included ''
Lachhi'' (1949), ''Mundri'' (1949) and ''
Pheray
''Pheray'' is a 1949 Pakistani Punjabi-language film directed by Nazir Ahmed Khan. The story of the film was a remake of Nazir's own 1945 Indian film ''Gaon Ki Gori'', that was released before partition. Ghulam Ahmed Chishti composed the mu ...
'' (1949).
1950s–1960s
Attempts were made to keep Punjabi cinema alive in this period. Filmmakers made films like ''
Posti
Posti can refer to:
* ''Posti'' (1950 film), an Indian Punjabi-language film
* ''Posti'' (2022 film), an Indian Punjabi-language film by Gippy Grewal
* Posti Group
Group (previously during 1994–2007 and during 2007–2015), trading ...
'', ''
Do Lachhian'' and ''
Bhangra
Bhangra may refer to:
* Bhangra (music), a genre of Punjabi music
* Bhangra (dance), a folk dance of Punjab region
* ''Bhangra'' (film), a 1959 Indian Punjabi-language film
See also
* Bhangara, Nepal
Bhangara, Nepal is a village development c ...
'' 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 (born ''Mehar Chand''; 24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)[Hansraj Behl
Hansraj Behl (19 November 1916 – 20 May 1984) was an Indian music composer, who composed music both for Hindi and Punjabi films. Hansraj is now widely considered to be a well-respected composer who created his own trends.
Early life and ...](_blank)
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 ...
. 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
Balraj Sahni (born Yudhishthir Sahni; 1 May 1913 – 13 April 1973) was an Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for (1946), '' Do Bigha Zameen'' (1953), '' Chhoti Bahen'' (1959), '' Kabuliwala'' (1961), Waqt (1965) and '' Garm Hava'' ...
, Nishi, Wasti, and Mirza Musharraf, with music 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. Hansraj is now widely considered to be a well-respected composer who created his own trends.
Early life and ...
. This was the only Punjabi film starring Balraj Sahni. It was a major hit and earned a
National Film Award
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
. ''Satluj de Kande'' was telecasted three times on the public TV channel
Doordarshan
Doordarshan (), abbreviated as DD, is India's State-owned enterprise, state-owned public broadcasting, public television broadcaster. Established by the Government of India on 15 September 1959, it is owned by the Ministry of Information and B ...
in India. In 1969 the religious film ''
Nanak Nam Jahaz Hai
''Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai'' is a 1969 National Award winning Punjabi film directed by Ram Maheshwary, starring Prithviraj Kapoor, I. S. Johar, Nishi, Veena and Vimi.
The film is based on a true incident which took place at Golden Temple, Amr ...
'' starring
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 ...
,
I. S. Johar
Indra Sen Johar (16 February 1920 – 10 March 1984) was an Indian actor, writer, producer and director, who excelled in comedic roles and is best known to international audiences for portraying Gasim in the epic film classic '' Lawrence of Arab ...
, 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 ethnic Punjabis who adhere to Sikhism. They are the second-largest religious group amongst Punjabis after the Punjabi Muslims, who predominantly inhabit Pakistani Punjab. Punjabi Sikhs form the largest religious community i ...
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
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
,
Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is an Indian actress, film director, and producer who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses of Hindi cinema, Parekh has worked in more than 85 films, in a career spanning over four d ...
and Ravindra Kapoor) and ''
Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansar'' (
Dara Singh
Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, director and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha ...
,
Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni (born Yudhishthir Sahni; 1 May 1913 – 13 April 1973) was an Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for (1946), '' Do Bigha Zameen'' (1953), '' Chhoti Bahen'' (1959), '' Kabuliwala'' (1961), Waqt (1965) and '' Garm Hava'' ...
, Ram Mohan and Asha Sachdev) were released in 1970. 1971 saw no major releases. In 1972,
Dara Singh
Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, director and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha ...
starred with
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 ...
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
Songs were composed by S. Mohinder, and Inderjit Hasanpuri wrote the lyrics. Many texts are t ...
'', a religious film starring
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...
,
Radha Saluja
Radha Saluja is an Indian actress who has worked in Hindi cinema, Punjabi cinema and Tamil, Bengali, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada movies. She was born on September 15, 1951, in Kolkata. An alumna of the Film and Television Institute of Ind ...
and
Ranjeet
Ranjeet (born as Gopal Bedi; 12 September 1942) is an Indian actor and film director.
He has mostly played villain roles in over 200 Hindi films.
He has also played a positive character in the TV series '' Aisa Des Hai Mera''.
He has also ...
, was a major release of 1973. In 1974, ''
Do Sher'' (
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
and
Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar (born as 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. Kumar was on ...
), ''Bhagat Dhanna Jatt'' (
Dara Singh
Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, director and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha ...
and
Feroz Khan), ''Sacha Mera Roop Hai'' (
Manmohan Krishan) and ''
Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam
''Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam'' (1974) is a Punjabi movie about Sikhism.
Plot
In the era of Guru Ram Das, one cannot leave out Rajni, youngest daughter of Rai Duni Chand, revenue collector (kardar) of Patti. Rajni was a Sikh, a disciple of the Guru ...
'' (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
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...
,
Rajendra Kumar
Rajendra Kumar (born as 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. Kumar was on ...
,
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
,
Johnny Walker,
Ranjeet
Ranjeet (born as Gopal Bedi; 12 September 1942) is an Indian actor and film director.
He has mostly played villain roles in over 200 Hindi films.
He has also played a positive character in the TV series '' Aisa Des Hai Mera''.
He has also ...
and
Dara Singh
Dara Singh Randhawa (born Deedar Singh Randhawa; 19 November 1928 – 12 July 2012) was an Indian professional wrestler, actor, director and politician. He started acting in 1952 and was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha ...
.
''
Teri Meri Ik Jindri
''Teri Meri Ik Jindri '' is a 1975 Punjabi film starring Dharmendra, Veerendra, and Meena Rai. The movie had very popular song like
"Terian Mohabtan Nemaa Sutea'' sang by Narinder Biba, an Sital Singh Sital .
Cast
* Dharmendra as Superma ...
'' (1975) starred
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
and introduced his cousin
Veerendra
Veerendra, born Subhash Dhadwal, (1948–1988) was an Indian film actor, director, producer and writer who made 25 Punjabi-language films in his 12-year career.
He made his debut with the film '' Teri Meri Ek Jindri,'' released in 1975, featur ...
. Many films were released in 1976: ''Daaj'', ''Giddha'', ''Main Papi Tum Bakhshanhaar'', ''Papi Tarey Anek'', ''
Santo Banto
''Santo Banto'' is a 1976 Punjabi film starring Dharmendra.
Cast
* Veerendra ... Jeeta
* Aruna Irani ... Santo/Banto (dual role)
* Shatrughan Sinha ... Karma (special appearance)
* Dharmendra ... Cameo appearance
* Manmohan Krishan as Santo/ ...
'', ''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
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
made a special appearance as the Qawal. The film ran into conflict with the Sikh political parties as the film had
Fauj-i-Khas
The ''Fauj-i-Khas'' was a brigade of the Fauj-i-Ain section of the Sikh Khalsa Army of Punjab. It consisted of very experienced elites and had separate flag and emblem. It was strictly disciplined on French pattern. All the equipment and weapons ...
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 mononymous 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 mo ...
. ''Sat Sri Akal'' was another hit film. It starred
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...
,
Shatrughan Sinha
Shatrughan Prasad Sinha (born 15 July 1946) 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 Parliament ...
, and
Premnath
Premnath Malhotra, better known as Prem Nath (21 November 1926 – 3 November 1992) 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 ...
. 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 (born ''Mehar Chand''; 24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)[Manoj Kumar
Manoj Kumar (born Harikrishan Giri Goswami; 24 July 1937 – 4 April 2025) was an Indian actor, film director, screenwriter, lyricist and editor who worked in Hindi cinema.
He is regarded as one of the greatest and most successful actors in t ...](_blank)
. ''Til Til Da Lekha'' starred
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...
as the main lead hero and
Mehar Mittal
Mehar Mittal (born ''Mehar Chand''; 24 October 1934 – 22 October 2016)[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 ...](_blank)
'', 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 language, Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He is a three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the sta ...
, 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 Cinema of India, Indian cinema and Theatre of India, theatre. He acted in more than 450 films, established himsel ...
,
Om Puri
Om Prakash Puri, (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films, as well as ind ...
, 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 ...
. ''Fauji Chacha'' had veteran Bollywood actor
Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. Considered as one of the greatest actors of Indian Cinema, he is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. ...
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
Veerendra, born Subhash Dhadwal, (1948–1988) was an Indian film actor, director, producer and writer who made 25 Punjabi-language films in his 12-year career.
He made his debut with the film '' Teri Meri Ek Jindri,'' released in 1975, featur ...
in the lead role. Two major releases of 1982 were ''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
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
as a star.. ''Long Da Lishkara'' was the big hit of 1986, starring
Raj Babbar
Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi language, Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He is a three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the sta ...
,
Gurdas Mann
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
,
Om Puri
Om Prakash Puri, (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films, as well as ind ...
, 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
Kulwinder Singh Gill, (born 14 January 1960) better known as Guggu Gill, is an Indian film actor who mainly works in Punjabi cinema. He was one of the leading actors in Punjabi cinema in the 1990s along with Yograj Singh. He has done 65-70 films ...
and
Yograj Singh
Yograj Singh (; born 25 March 1958) is an Indian actor and former cricketer who played one Test and six One Day Internationals for India as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His debut and only Test was at Wellington against New Zealand, which In ...
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
Raj Babbar
Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi language, Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He is a three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the sta ...
,
Pankaj Kapur
Pankaj Kapur (born 29 May 1954) is an Indian actor who has worked in Hindi theatre, television and films. Recipient of a Filmfare Award and three National Film Awards, his most acclaimed film roles include that of Inspector P.K. in '' Raakh'' ...
,
Kanwaljit Singh,
Parikshit Sahni
Parikshit Sahni (born 1 January 1944) is an Indian film and television actor who has worked in Hindi and Punjabi cinema. He is known for his roles in the TV series ''Barrister Vinod'', '' Gul Gulshan Gulfaam'' (Doordarshan) and ''Gaatha'' (St ...
, and
Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval (born 3 February 1952) is an Indian-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 'close to ...
.
1990s
In 1990 ''Qurbani Jatt Di'' was released, starring
Guggu Gill
Kulwinder Singh Gill, (born 14 January 1960) better known as Guggu Gill, is an Indian film actor who mainly works in Punjabi cinema. He was one of the leading actors in Punjabi cinema in the 1990s along with Yograj Singh. He has done 65-70 films ...
,
Yograj Singh
Yograj Singh (; born 25 March 1958) is an Indian actor and former cricketer who played one Test and six One Day Internationals for India as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His debut and only Test was at Wellington against New Zealand, which In ...
,
Gurdas Mann
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
,
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
,
Raj Babbar
Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi language, Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He is a three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the sta ...
and
Priti Sapru
Priti Sapru (also spelled Preeti Sapru) is an Indian actress known for her works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. She appeared in a number of films, including '' Nimmo,'' and '' Qurbani Jatt Di'', among others, with actors Veerendra, Gurdas Maan ...
. 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
Kulwinder Singh Gill, (born 14 January 1960) better known as Guggu Gill, is an Indian film actor who mainly works in Punjabi cinema. He was one of the leading actors in Punjabi cinema in the 1990s along with Yograj Singh. He has done 65-70 films ...
. 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
Kulwinder Singh Gill, (born 14 January 1960) better known as Guggu Gill, is an Indian film actor who mainly works in Punjabi cinema. He was one of the leading actors in Punjabi cinema in the 1990s along with Yograj Singh. He has done 65-70 films ...
, 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 cinema, Hindi and Punjabi cinema. He played the role of Jayadratha in the famous Indian TV serial ''Mahabharat (1988 TV series), Mahabharat'', appeared as Dasharatha in the TV serial ''Jai Han ...
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
Yograj Singh (; born 25 March 1958) is an Indian actor and former cricketer who played one Test and six One Day Internationals for India as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. His debut and only Test was at Wellington against New Zealand, which In ...
'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 Mukherjee (née Samarth), known mononymously as Tanuja, (born 23 September 1943) 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 Sam ...
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 was most well known for his television series '' Flop Show, Full Tension'' and ...
's ''
Mahaul Theek Hai
''Mahaul Theek Hai'' is a 1999 Indian Punjabi language comedy film directed by Jaspal Bhatti. The film is a satire of police departments of Punjab and their functioning.
Plot
A boy meets a girl. Boy's brother, is involved with an illegal busin ...
'' 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. ''
Mahaul Theek Hai
''Mahaul Theek Hai'' is a 1999 Indian Punjabi language comedy film directed by Jaspal Bhatti. The film is a satire of police departments of Punjab and their functioning.
Plot
A boy meets a girl. Boy's brother, is involved with an illegal busin ...
'', ''
Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh
''Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh'' is a 1999 Indian Punjabi language, Punjabi-language feature film based on the real-life love story of Boota Singh and Zainab Singh, Zainab, starring Gurdas Maan and Divya Dutta in the lead roles. The film is ...
'' with
Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
and
Divya Dutta
Divya Dutta (born 25 September 1977) is an Indian actress. She has appeared primarily in Hindi and Punjabi language, Punjabi cinema, and has received accolades including a National Film Award and a Filmfare OTT Awards, Filmfare OTT Award.
Dutt ...
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.
Raj Babbar
Raj Babbar (born 23 June 1952) is an Indian Hindi and Punjabi language, Punjabi film actor and politician belonging to Indian National Congress. He is a three-time member of the Lok Sabha and a two-time member of the Rajya Sabha. He was the sta ...
'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 Anup Shekhar in '' Balika Vadhu'' and Indrajeet Rajvansh in '' Sapna Babul Ka... Bidaai''.
Filmography ...
,
Upasana Singh
Upasana Singh (born 29 June 1975) is an Indian actress and stand-up comedian who works in Hindi and Punjabi language films.
Singh is known for her role as a deaf-mute in the 1997 film '' Judaai''. Later on, she got famous for her negative po ...
, Paramveer, and
Deepshikha
Deepshikha Nagpal, simply known as Deepshikha, is an Indian actress and film director who mainly works in Hindi films and Hindi television productions.
She has starred in several successful Hindi films including the films ''Koyla'', '' Baadshah ...
, 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 primarily appears in Hindi films, in addition to Bengali, Kannada and Telugu films. In a career spanning over three decades, she has worked in over 60 films.
Jhulka is best known for ...
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 31 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 Maan Watna Da (2004)'', ''Heer Ranjha (2009)'' a ...
and directed by
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
. 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
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
.
''Jija Ji'', ''
Des Hoyaa Pardes
''Des Hoyaa Pardes'' is a 2004 Indian Punjabi-language film, directed by Manoj Punj, starring Gurdas Maan, Juhi Chawla, Divya Dutta and Anup Soni. It won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Punjabi.
Plot
In 1984, the former India ...
'', ''Main Tu Assi Tussi'', ''
Yaaran Naal Baharan
''Yaaran Naal Baharan'' is a 2005 Indian Punjabi-language feature film directed by Manmohan Singh. It stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Juhi Babbar. A spiritual sequel, '' Yaraan Naal Baharaan 2'', followed in 2012, directed by Samit Brar starring Vik ...
'', 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
Prabhleen Sandhu is an Indian Punjabi film actress who rose to fame with the Indian soap on periodic freedom struggles on Colors' '' Mohe Rang De'' as Kranti, and role in Zee's show, '' Aapki Antara'' as Vidya, a middle-class wife, who has tr ...
), ''Mannat'' (directed and written by Gurbir Singh Grewal, having Jimmy Sheirgill and introducing
Kulraj Randhawa
Kulraj Kaur Randhawa (born 16 May 1983) better known as Kulraj Randhawa is an Indian actress who appears in Punjabi and Hindi language films. She best known her role as "Kareena" in the TV series '' Kareena Kareena''.
Early life and career
R ...
), 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
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 ...
) were released in 2007.
A significant number of movies were produced in 2008: ''Hashar: A Love Story'' (introducing
Gurleen Chopra
Gurleen Chopra, also known as Gurlen Kaur Chopra, is an Indian actress and model. She has appeared in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada and Punjabi films.
Early life
Gurleen Chopra was selected as "Miss Chandigarh" in her early age. She ...
), ''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
''Tera Mera Ki Rishta'' is a 2009 Indian Punjabi language romantic drama film directed by Navaniat Singh and produced by Mukesh Sharma. The film stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Kulraj Randhawa along with Anupam Kher, Raj Babbar, Archana Puran Singh ...
'' with
Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also known as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi films.
Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His ...
and
Kulraj Randhawa
Kulraj Kaur Randhawa (born 16 May 1983) better known as Kulraj Randhawa is an Indian actress who appears in Punjabi and Hindi language films. She best known her role as "Kareena" in the TV series '' Kareena Kareena''.
Early life and career
R ...
was a hit. But the biggest earner of all the Punjabi films was Manmohan Singh's ''
Munde U.K. De'' with
Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also known as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi films.
Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His ...
and
Gurpreet Ghuggi
Gurpreet Singh Waraich (born 19 June 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, ...
.
''
Munde U.K. De'' broke the record of ''Dil Apna Punjabi'' which was also directed by
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
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 was a state of Dominion of India from 1947 until 1950. It consisted parts of the Punjab Province of British India that remained in India following the partition of the state between the new dominions of Pakistan and India by the ...
territory.
2010s
In 2010, 16 movies were released. ''
Mel Karade Rabba
''Mel Karade Rabba'' is a 2010 Indian Punjabi-language film directed by Navaniat Singh and written by Dheeraj Rattan. It was produced by Rajan Batra and Vivek Ohri. It stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Neeru Bajwa. Pop singer Gippy Grewal made his ...
'' starring
Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also known as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi films.
Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His ...
,
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
later broke all records and grossed 110 million net, becoming the highest-grossing Punjabi film ever. ''
Babbu Maan
Tejinder Singh "Babbu" Maan (born 29 March 1975) is an Indian singer-songwriter, music director, actor and film producer. Most of his artistic work focuses on Punjabi music and films. He is recognised as being among the biggest artists in Punj ...
s ''
Ekam – Son of Soil'' was released in April and was a smash hit. It brought
British-punjabi actress
Mandy Takhar
Mandy Takhar (born 1 May 1987) is a British actress who works in Indian cinema, predominantly in Punjabi with roles in Hindi and Tamil films as well.
Personal life
Mandy Takhar was born and raised in the city of Wolverhampton in the UK. She ...
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
Gurinder Kaur Kainth, popularly known by her stage name Miss Pooja is an Indian singer and actress who primarily sings Punjabi songs in Bhangra, Pop and Folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** F ...
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
Yami Gautam Dhar ( Gautam; born 28 November 1988) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. A daughter of film director Mukesh Gautam, she began her career as a model, and starred in television soap operas such as '' Chand Ke Paar Chalo' ...
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 film producer who has appeared in over 100 films. He is popularly known as the "Bad Man" of Hindi cinema because of his ability to create an impact with his negative roles in films.
...
,
Neena Gupta
Neena Gupta (born 4 June 1959) is an Indian actress and television director who works in Hindi films and television along with few Malayalam films. She has received several awards including three National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and two ...
, 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
Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
,
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
Om Prakash Puri, (18 October 1950 – 6 January 2017) was an Indian actor who appeared in mainstream commercial Hindi films as well as Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, English, Punjabi, Gujarati, Telugu, and Marathi films, as well as ind ...
,
Prem Chopra
Prem Chopra (born 23 September 1935) is an Indian actor in Hindi films. He has acted in 380 films over a span of over 60 years.
Life and education
Chopra, the third of six children of Ranveerlal and Rooprani Chopra, a Punjabi Hindu family, was ...
,
Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
, Guddu Dhanoa,
Preeti Sapru
Priti Sapru (also spelled Preeti Sapru) is an Indian actress known for her works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. She appeared in a number of films, including '' Nimmo,'' and '' Qurbani Jatt Di'', among others, with actors Veerendra, Gurdas Maan ...
,
Raza Murad
Raza Murad (born 23 November 1950) is an Indian actor who primarily appears in Hindi films.
He has acted in over 250 Hindi films and has also appeared in Bhojpuri, Punjabi and other languages and on Hindi television.
Early life
He is the so ...
,
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 other ...
,
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
,
Amrinder Gill
Amrinder Singh Gill (; born 11 May 1976) is an Indian actor, singer, songwriter and film producer who makes Punjabi language, Punjabi-language films and music. He has been nominated for twenty-four PTC Punjabi Film Awards, winning seven includ ...
,
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
,
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 Times ...
,
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, Bengali, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam films and television shows. Issar started his acting career as a villa ...
,
Rakesh Bedi
Rakesh Bedi (born 1 December 1954) is an Indian film, stage and television actor. He is known for his iconic comic roles in films such as ''Mera Damaad'' and ''Chashme Buddoor (1981 film), Chashme Buddoor'' (1981). He has also appeared in tele ...
,
Rama Vij
Rama Vij is an Indian actress who works in Punjabi language, Punjabi and Hindi language, Hindi movies and TV serials.
Career
Vij is a well known name in Cinema of Punjab, Pollywood (Punjabi Cinema in India) and Bollywood. Her debut movie was " ...
, 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
Lala Lajpat Rai (28 January 1865 — 17 November 1928) was an Indian revolutionary, politician, and author, popularly known as ''Punjab Kesari (Lion of Punjab).'' He was one of the three members of the Lal Bal Pal trio. He died of severe trau ...
'' starring
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
and ''
Dharti'' starring
Rannvijay Singh
Rannvijay Singha is an Indian film actor, television personality, host, and VJ. He is known for his role in ''MTV Roadies''. He was a part of the show from 2004 to 2020, earlier as a gang leader and then as a host. He was also a part of the aud ...
.
''
Jihne Mera Dil Luteya
''Jihne Mera Dil Luteya'' () is a 2011 Indian Punjabi language romantic comedy film directed by Mandeep Kumar with story and screenplay by Dheeraj Rattan, produced by Batra Showbiz Pvt. Ltd. and starring Gippy Grewal, Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Baj ...
'' is a 2011 Punjabi film directed by Mandeep Kumar with story and screenplay by Dheeraj Rattan, produced by Batra Showbiz Pvt. Ltd. and 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 cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
,
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
,
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
, 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 Chhankata 88 and became an actor with film Dulla Bhatti. He is best known for his co ...
. 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, Gulzar Inder Chahal
Gulzar Chahal is an Indian film actor and producer. He played the role of Roop in Jag Jeondeyan De Mele ...
'' was released, directed by Ksshitij Chaudhary and starring
Harbhajan Mann
Harbhajan Singh Mann (born 31 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 Maan Watna Da (2004)'', ''Heer Ranjha (2009)'' a ...
, Jonita Doda,
Tulip Joshi
Tulip Joshi is an Indian actress and businesswoman known for her works in Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam and Telugu films.
Personal life
Tulip Joshi was born on 11 September 1980 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India to a Gujarati Hindu father ...
,
Kabir Bedi
Kabir Bedi (born 16 January 1946) is an Indian actor. His career has spanned three continents covering India, the United States and especially Italy among other Western countries in three media: film, television and theatre. He is noted for his ...
, 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 f ...
'' introducing
Yuvraj Hans
Yuvraj Hans is an Indian Punjabi-language actor. He is the son of singer-turned politician and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hans Raj Hans
Hans Raj Hans is an Indian singer and politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a rec ...
and
Harish Verma
Harish Verma is an Indian actor and singer associated with Punjabi-language films and music. He made his debut in the 2010 film ''Panjaban'', and gained wide attention with '' Yaar Annmulle'' (2011). He made his singing debut with the track ' ...
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
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
-style film ''
Mirza – The Untold Story'' the most costly film () in the history of Punjabi cinema in April 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 cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
and
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Hirdesh "Honey" Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh, is an Indian singer, rapper and record producer, music producer who commenced his career as a hip-hop record producer, music producer in 2003 with his unde ...
.
In June the film ''
Jatt & Juliet
''Jatt & Juliet'' is a 2012 Indian Punjabi-language romantic comedy film directed by Anurag Singh and produced by Darshan Singh Grewal and Gunbir Singh Sidhu. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh opposite Neeru Bajwa. It was released theatrically o ...
'' was greatest blockbuster and till now holds the title of best ever film of Punjabi cinema. This film established
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
and
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
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 was released on 27 July 2012. This film was remade in Odia in 2015 as '' Pilata Bigidigala'', in Telugu in 2016 a ...
'' 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 cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
was also blockbuster only after ''Jatt & Juliet'' commercially. First time in punjabi cinema sequel of sperhit film ''
Yaaran Naal Baharan
''Yaaran Naal Baharan'' is a 2005 Indian Punjabi-language feature film directed by Manmohan Singh. It stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Juhi Babbar. A spiritual sequel, '' Yaraan Naal Baharaan 2'', followed in 2012, directed by Samit Brar starring Vik ...
'', film ''Yaraan Naal Baharaan 2'' was released.
In September, ''
Ajj De Ranjhe
''Ajj De Ranjhe'' is a 2012 Punjabi film starring Aman Dhaliwal, Gurleen Chopra, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Kimi Verma, Kul Sidhu, and Rana Ranbir. The movie is directed by Manmohan Singh and was released on 7 September 2012.
Plot
''Ajj De Ranjhe'' is ...
'' starring
Deep Dhillon
Deep Dhillon is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema, Hindi and Punjabi cinema. He played the role of Jayadratha in the famous Indian TV serial ''Mahabharat (1988 TV series), Mahabharat'', appeared as Dasharatha in the TV serial ''Jai Han ...
and
Kul Sidhu
Kul Sidhu (Kulvinder Kaur) is an Indian theatre, television and movie artist, who works in Punjabi cinema. She acted in the National Film Award (India), National Film Award-winning movie ''Anhe Ghore Da Daan'' (2011) playing the role of the wife ...
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 of western classical and Punjabi
folk music
Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...
.
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 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 Teg Ba ...
,
Gurpreet Ghuggi
Gurpreet Singh Waraich (born 19 June 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, ...
,
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 Chhankata 88 and became an actor with film Dulla Bhatti. He is best known for his co ...
,
Rana Ranbir
Rana Ranbir Singh is an Indian Punjabi actor working in Punjabi cinema and Hindi cinema.
Early life and education
Rana Ranbir was born on 31 December 1969 in Dhuri, Sangrur district, Punjab in India. He was also the classmate of another famous ...
,
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
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
, Ma Boli International Punjabi Film Festival, Vancouver and Punjabi International Film Festival,
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
held annually.
2013 carried the Golden phase of Punjabi movies to the next level. Superstars
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
,
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
,
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
and
Surveen Chawla
Surveen Chawla (born 1 August 1984) is an Indian actress and dancer who appears in Hindi and Punjabi films and television. She is one of the highest paid Punjabi actress. She started her career with television shows like '' Kahin To Hoga'' and ...
stole the hearts of audiences by their successful films this year. ''
Jatt & Juliet 2
''Jatt & Juliet 2'' is a 2013 Indian Punjabi romance comedy film directed by Anurag Singh. The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2012 blockbuster '' Jatt & Juliet''. Actors Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa reprise their roles from the previous f ...
'' broke the records of its prequel ''
Jatt & Juliet
''Jatt & Juliet'' is a 2012 Indian Punjabi-language romantic comedy film directed by Anurag Singh and produced by Darshan Singh Grewal and Gunbir Singh Sidhu. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh opposite Neeru Bajwa. It was released theatrically o ...
''. ''Jatt & Juliet 2'' was also released in
Pakistani Punjab
Punjab (, ) is a province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the most populous province in Pakistan and the second most populous subnational polity in the world. Located in the central-eastern region of the country, i ...
in over 15 screens and was greatly liked by Pakistani audiences.
''
Sadda Haq
"Sadda Haq" () is a song composed by A. R. Rahman for the 2011 Indian musical film ''Rockstar (2011 film), Rockstar''. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in leading roles and is directed by Imtiaz Ali (director), Imtiaz Ali. The song ...
'', 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
''Bhaji in Problem'' is a 2013 Indian Punjabi-language comedy film directed by Smeep Kang, who had earlier directed films like ''Carry on Jatta'' and ''Lucky Di Unlucky Story'', both of which featured Gippy Grewal in the lead role. Grewal also ...
'' 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 cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
was another blockbuster of the year produced by
Akshay Kumar
Akshay Hari Om Bhatia (born Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia; 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian actor and film producer working in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as "Khiladi Kumar", through his career span ...
and also having his extended appearance along with cricketer
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh (born 3 July 1980), also known by his nickname Bhajji, is a former Indian cricketer. He later became a politics, politician, serving as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Member of Parliament in Rajya Sabha. He is also a fil ...
. Other hit films were
Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also known as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi films.
Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His ...
's ''Saadi Love Story'' starring
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
, ''
Fer Mamla Gadbad Gadbad
''Fer Mamla Gadbad Gadbad'' (Punjabi: ਫੇਰ ਮਾਮਲਾ ਗੜਬੜ ਗੜਬੜ) is a Punjabi film scheduled for release. The film was to be released on 12 July 2013, starring Roshan Prince, Japji Khera and Bhanu Sri Mehra.‘FMGG’ ...
'' starring
Roshan Prince
Roshan Prince is an Indian singer, producer, musician, songwriter and actor known for his Punjabi-language Bhangra songs. In August 2021, Roshan begins shooting of his upcoming movie ''13Teen''.
Discography
Filmography
References
P ...
and
Japji Khaira, ''
Jatts in Golmaal'' starring
Arya Babbar
Aarya Babbar is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi 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 Rao ...
and
Samiksha, ''
Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22
''Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22'' (English translation: You're my brother & I'm your brother) is a Punjabi comedy film directed by Amit Prasher. The film features Amrinder Gill and Yo Yo Honey Singh in the lead roles as two spoiled rich brothers, alo ...
'' starring
Yo Yo Honey Singh
Hirdesh "Honey" Singh (born 15 March 1983), known professionally as Yo Yo Honey Singh, is an Indian singer, rapper and record producer, music producer who commenced his career as a hip-hop record producer, music producer in 2003 with his unde ...
and superstar
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
'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
''Singh vs Kaur'' is a 2013 Indian Punjabi-language romantic comedy action film directed by Navaniat Singh and starring Gippy Grewal, Surveen Chawla, Japji Khaira and Binnu Dhillon in lead roles. ''Singh vs Kaur'' was released on 15 February 2 ...
''. A religious film, ''Pagri Singh Da Taaj'', was also released.
The Hollywood blockbuster ''
A Good Day to Die Hard'' dubbed in
Punjabi
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabis, Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a ...
with superstar
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
'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
"Sadda Haq" () is a song composed by A. R. Rahman for the 2011 Indian musical film ''Rockstar (2011 film), Rockstar''. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in leading roles and is directed by Imtiaz Ali (director), Imtiaz Ali. The song ...
'', 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
Pehchaan 3D is the first Punjabi 3D movie based on a true story.
Plot
"Jagjot Sidhu, a young medicine graduate, has aspirations to soon become a doctor and make his family proud. After witnessing a murder, he comes forward to testify against ...
'', produced and directed by Manny Parmar.
Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan () (born Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan; 7 January 196729 April 2020) 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 world cinema, Khan's career spa ...
starrer ''
Qissa
''Qissa'' (), meaning ''fable'', could refer to:
* Bengali Kissa, a tradition of Bengali language oral story-telling
* Punjabi Qisse, a tradition of Punjabi language oral story-telling
* ''Qissa'' (film), a 2013 Indian-German film in Punjabi by ...
'' won four awards in ''Indian International Film Festival of Queensland'' of best actor award for
Irrfan, best actress award for
Tillotama Shome
Tillotama Shome (born 25 June 1979) is an Indian actress known primarily for her work in independent films. She began acting with a supporting role in Mira Nair's film ''Monsoon Wedding'' (2001). She won the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actr ...
, 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
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
comedies. Most successful films of the year were blockbusters like ''
Chaar Sahibzaade
''Chaar Sahibzaade'' ( Punjabi: ਚਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦੇ'','' ; ) is a 2014 Indian Punjabi animated historical drama film written and directed by Harry Baweja. It is based on the sacrifices of the sons of the 10th Sikh guru Guru ...
(3D)'',
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
's ''
Jatt James Bond
''Jatt James Bond'' or ''JJB'' is a 2014 Indian Punjabi film directed by Rohit Jugraj, and starring Gippy Grewal and Zareen Khan as leads, along with Gurpreet Ghuggi, Yashpal Sharma (actor), Yashpal Sharma. The music of the film is by Jatinder ...
'', ''
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 blockbusters ''Jatt and Juliet'' (2012) and ''Jatt & Juliet ...
'', ''
Double Di Trouble'',
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
's ''
Punjab 1984'', ''
Mr & Mrs 420'', ''
Goreya Nu Daffa Karo''. In This year many Action Films were released like ''
Kirpaan: The Sword of Honour'', ''
Fateh
Fateh () is an Arabic, Arabic-language name that translates to "conqueror". It is used in many other languages across the Muslim world and in societies that have significant Islam, Islamic influence.
As a given name
* Fateh (name)
** Fateh (rap ...
'', ''
Romeo Ranjha
''Romeo Ranjha'' is a 2014 Punjabi language Indian action comedy film starring Jazzy B and Garry Sandhu written by Dheeraj Ratan, directed by Navaniat Singh, who also directed '' Singh vs Kaur''. Romeo Ranjha is produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu an ...
'', ''Yoddha The Warrior (2014 film)'' and ''Baaz''. Released in January, ''
Patiala Dreamz'' was a romantic thriller, with right doses of action, suspense, romance and comedy. There were many movies touching
1984 subject such as ''
Punjab 1984'', ''
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
Jimmy Shergill
Jimmy Sheirgill (born Jasjit Singh Gill; 3 December 1970), also known as Jimmy Shergill, is an Indian actor and producer who primarily works in Hindi and Punjabi films.
Sheirgill began his film career with the 1996 thriller '' Maachis''. His ...
and
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
, ''
Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin
''Mundeyan Ton Bachke Rahin'' (English language, English: Beware of Boys) is a Punjabi romantic comedy film starring Roshan Prince, Jassi Gill, Simran Kaur Mundi, Sunny Gill, Bharti Singh and Anshu (Preeto) Sawhney.
Plot
The film is a romance c ...
'' starring
Jassi Gill
Jasdeep Singh Gill (born 26 November 1988) is an Indian singer, live performer and actor associated with Punjabi and Hindi language music and films. He debuted in Punjabi cinema with the 2014 film '' Mr & Mrs 420'' and in Hindi cinema with the ...
,
Roshan Prince
Roshan Prince is an Indian singer, producer, musician, songwriter and actor known for his Punjabi-language Bhangra songs. In August 2021, Roshan begins shooting of his upcoming movie ''13Teen''.
Discography
Filmography
References
P ...
and
Simran Kaur Mundi
Simran Kaur Mundi is an Indian actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She works in Hindi films. She won the title of Femina Miss India, Femina Miss India Universe 2008 and represented India at Miss Universe 2008.
She made her acting deb ...
, ''Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar'' starring
Gurdas Mann
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
and
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
, "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
Dharmendra
Dharmendra Kewal Krishan Deol (born 8 December 1935), known mononymously as Dharmendra, is an Indian actor, producer, and politician who is primarily known for his work in Hindi films. Dharmendra is widely considered one of the greatest, most h ...
and
Poonam Dhillon
Poonam Dhillon (born 18 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician. A former Eve’s Weekly Miss Young India 1978, she is best known for her 1979 film ''Noorie.'' Some of her well-known films include '' Red Rose'' (1980), '' Dard'' (1981), ...
in ''
Double Di Trouble'', famous Bollywood comedian
Razak Khan
Abdur Razak 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 '' Baa ...
in ''
Marriage da garriage'', Bollywood actress
Zarine Khan
Zareen Khan (born 14 May 1987), also known as Zarine Khan, is an Indian actress and model. Primarily working in the Hindi film industry, she has also appeared in Punjabi, Telugu and Tamil films.
Khan made her Bollywood debut in 2010 playin ...
in ''
Jatt James Bond
''Jatt James Bond'' or ''JJB'' is a 2014 Indian Punjabi film directed by Rohit Jugraj, and starring Gippy Grewal and Zareen Khan as leads, along with Gurpreet Ghuggi, Yashpal Sharma (actor), Yashpal Sharma. The music of the film is by Jatinder ...
'', singer
Garry Sandhu
Gurmukh Singh "Garry" Sandhu, is an Indian singer, songwriter, rapper and actor known for his work in Punjabi music
The music of Punjab reflects the traditions of the Punjab region associated with Punjabi language. Punjab is currently divid ...
in ''
Romeo Ranjha
''Romeo Ranjha'' is a 2014 Punjabi language Indian action comedy film starring Jazzy B and Garry Sandhu written by Dheeraj Ratan, directed by Navaniat Singh, who also directed '' Singh vs Kaur''. Romeo Ranjha is produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu an ...
''.
''
Chaar Sahibzaade
''Chaar Sahibzaade'' ( Punjabi: ਚਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬਜ਼ਾਦੇ'','' ; ) is a 2014 Indian Punjabi animated historical drama film written and directed by Harry Baweja. It is based on the sacrifices of the sons of the 10th Sikh guru Guru ...
'' was the first
Punjabi
Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan
* Punjabi language
* Punjabis, Punjabi people
* Punjabi dialects and languages
Punjabi may also refer to:
* Punjabi (horse), a ...
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 (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
,
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, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Punjab
Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
,
Uttrakhand
Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the northwest, Tibet to the north, Nepal to the east, Uttar Pradesh to the south and sout ...
,
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
.
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
The cinema of 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 Britis ...
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: 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 Kollywood, Tamil film industry.
Career
After completing her edu ...
. 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.
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
,
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
and
Mandy Takhar
Mandy Takhar (born 1 May 1987) is a British actress who works in Indian cinema, predominantly in Punjabi with roles in Hindi and Tamil films as well.
Personal life
Mandy Takhar was born and raised in the city of Wolverhampton in the UK. She ...
-starrer ''
Sardaar Ji
''Sardaarji'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi cinema, Punjabi fantasy film, fantasy horror film and comedy film directed by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan, Rohit Jugraj, and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Mandy Takhar and Neeru Bajwa in lead roles. The trailer of the ...
'' was blockbuster film and even achieved milestone gross earning record, according to the film pandits. Second Blockbuster film was
Amrinder Gill
Amrinder Singh Gill (; born 11 May 1976) is an Indian actor, singer, songwriter and film producer who makes Punjabi language, Punjabi-language films and music. He has been nominated for twenty-four PTC Punjabi Film Awards, winning seven includ ...
,
Sargun Mehta
Sargun Mehta Dubey (; born 6 September 1988), known professionally as Sargun Mehta, is an Indian actress and model who predominantly works in Hindi television and Punjabi films. One of the highest paid Punjabi actress, Mehta is the recipient o ...
,
Aditi Sharma and
Binnu Dhillon
Binnu Dhillon (born 29 August 1975) is an Indian actor who is known for his roles in Punjabi 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 Teg Ba ...
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'' (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
''Judge Singh LLB'' is a Punjabi courtroom drama film starring Ravinder Grewal, Chandan Prabhakar, Surbhi Mahendru and Sardar Sohi. The poster of Judge Singh LLB was released on 13 July 2015. The trailer was released in November 2015 and the f ...
'' (directed by Atharv Baluja as the first Punjabi courtroom drama),
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
's ''
Faraar
Faraar () may refer to these Indian films:
* ''Faraar'' (1955 film), an Indian Hindi-language film
* ''Faraar'' (1965 film), a 1965 Indian Hindi-language film
* ''Faraar'' (1975 film), an Indian Hindi-language crime film drama
* ''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
''Dildariyaan'' is an Indian Punjabi-language romance film directed by Pankaj Batra. Jassi Gill and Sagarika Ghatge played the lead roles, marking Ghatge's debut in a Punjabi movie. ''Dildariyaan'' was released on 9 October 2015.
Plot
Paali ...
'', ''
Mitti Na Pharol Jogiya'', ''
Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya
''Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya'' is a 2015 Punjabi romantic comedy film written and directed by Raj Sinha. It stars Jassi Gill and Gauahar Khan. The film was released on 22 May 2015.
Cast
* Jassi Gill as Ranveer Singh
* Gauahar Khan as Gu ...
'', ''
Munde Kamaal De
''Munde Kamaal De'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi-language comedy film directed by Amit Prasher and written by Naresh Kathooria The film was produced by Prem Parkash Gupta, starring Amrinder Gill, Yuvraj Hans, Binnu Dhillon and Mandy Takhar in t ...
''. While films raking up controversy or inviting a ban were ''
The Mastermind Jinda Sukha'' and ''Pata Pata Singhan Da Vairi'' and ''
Nanak Shah Fakir
''Nanak Shah Fakir'' is a 2015 Indian Punjabi language, 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 Nargis Dutt ...
'' (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, and Lauren Gottlieb as the main cast. It was released worldwide on ...
,
Sardaar Ji 2
''Sardaar Ji 2'' (previously ''The Return of Sardaarji'') is a 2016 Indian Punjabi action comedy film starring Diljit Dosanjh in a triple role alongside Monica Gill, and Sonam Bajwa in lead roles and directed by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan. The film was ...
,
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, ...
,
Vaisakhi List
''Vaisakhi List'' is a 2016 Cinema of Punjab, Punjabi film directed by Smeep Kang, starring Jimmy Sheirgill, Shruti Sodhi and Sunil Grover as the main cast. The film was released on 22 April 2016.
The movie is loosely based on the 2002 Korean m ...
,
Channo Kamli Yaar Di,
Kaptaan,
Saadey CM Saab
''Saadey CM Saab'' is an Indian Punjabi comedy thriller released worldwide on 27 May 2016. Directed by Vipin Parashar, written by Sumeet Singh Manchanda, the film stars Harbhajan Mann, Rahul Singh, Kashish Singh, and Gurpreet Ghuggi.
The offic ...
,
Bambukat
''Bambukat'' is a 2016 Indian Punjabi-language period drama film written by Jass Grewal and directed by Pankaj Batra. Co-produced by Nadar Films and Rhythm Boyz Entertainment; it stars Ammy Virk, Binnu Dhillon, Simi Chahal and Sheetal Thakur i ...
,
Chauthi Koot,
Nikka Zaildar
''Nikka Zaildar'' is a 2016 Cinema of Punjab, Punjabi romantic comedy film directed by Simerjit Singh, written by Jagdeep Sidhu, and starring Ammy Virk and Sonam Bajwa as the main lead roles and was released worldwide on 30 September 2016. It fol ...
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
''Manje Bistre'' () is a 2017 Indian Punjabi-language family drama romantic comedy film featuring Gippy Grewal and Sonam Bajwa in lead roles while Karamjit Anmol, Jaggi Singh, Sardar Sohi and Hobby Dhaliwal in supporting roles. The film is set ...
,
Jindua,
Lahoriye
''Lahoriye'' is a 2017 Indian-Punjabi drama film written and directed by Amberdeep Singh. It stars Amrinder Gill, Sargun Mehta, Yuvraj Hans, Nimrat Khaira, Sardar Sohi and Guggu Gill.
''Lahoriye'' is about the effects of the partition of India ...
,
Sargi
''Sargi'' is a 2017 Indian Punjabi language romantic drama film, directed by Neeru Bajwa and starring Jassi Gill, Rubina Bajwa and Babbal Rai. The film was released worldwide on 24 February 2017. The film marked the directional debut of Neeru Baj ...
, Saab Bahadar,
Sarvann
''Sarvann'' is a 2017 Indian Punjabi language thriller film directed by Karan Guliani, written by Amberdeep Singh and produced by Priyanka Chopra under her production company Purple Pebble Pictures. It stars Amrinder Gill, Simi Chahal & Ranjit B ...
,
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 Vehli ...
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
''Nikka Zaildar 2'' is a 2017 Punjabi romantic comedy film directed by Simerjit Singh, written by Jagdeep Sidhu and starring Ammy Virk, Sonam Bajwa, and Wamiqa Gabbi as the main lead roles and the film was released worldwide on 22 September 201 ...
and
Vekh Baraatan Challiyan
''Vekh Baraatan Challiyan'' is a 2017 Indian romantic comedy film directed by Ksshitij Chaudhary and written by Naresh Kathooria. Its principal cast includes Binnu Dhillon, Ranjit Bawa, Kavita Kaushik, Jaswinder Bhalla, and Karamjit Anmol. The ...
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 film is based on the experiences of Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army figh ...
, set during World War I and starring
Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
, 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
''Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua'' is a 2018 comedy Indian-Punjabi film directed by Ksshitij Chaudhary. It stars Amrinder Gill, Aditi Sharma, Simi Chahal, Harish Verma, Jaswinder Bhalla, B.N. Sharma in lead roles. Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua was ...
,
Ashke
''Ashke'' is a 2018 Indian-Punjabi film based on popular folk dance Bhangra and is written by Dheeraj Rattan and directed by Amberdeep Singh. It stars Amrinder Gill, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Roopi Gill in lead roles and Sarbjit Cheema, Hobby Dhaliwa ...
,
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 Amberdeep Singh, Neeru Bajwa and Ammy Virk. The film chronicles the s ...
and Laavan Phere.
In year 2019, total 61 Punjabi films were released worldwide with superhits like ''
Shadaa
''Shadaa'' () is a 2019 Indian Punjabi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Jagdeep Sidhu, and co-produced by A & A Advisors and Brat Films. The film starring Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa, follows the story of an average man ...
'', ''
Ardaas Karaan'', ''
Chal Mera Putt
''Chal Mera Putt'' is a 2019 Indian Punjabi language, Punjabi-language comedy-drama Film directed by Janjot Singh and co-produced by Rhythm Boyz Entertainment, Gillz Network and Omjee Star Studios. It stars Amrinder Gill, Simi Chahal, Iftikhar ...
'', ''
Muklawa
''Muklawa'' is a 2019 Indian Punjabi-language, comedy-drama film directed by Simerjit Singh under the banner of Ammy Virk Productions. The film is produced by Gunbir Singh Sidhu and Manmord Sidhu. The film stars Ammy Virk, Sonam Bajwa, Gurpr ...
'', ''
Manje Bistre 2
''Manje Bistre 2'' is a 2019 Indian-Punjabi comedy film written by Gippy Grewal and directed by Baljit Singh Deo. It is the second installment of Manje Bistre series. Produced by Gippy Grewal under his banner Humble Motion Pictures; it stars ...
'', ''
Nikka Zaildar 3
''Nikka Zaildar 3'' is a 2019 Indian Punjabi-language romantic-comedy film directed by Simerjit Singh from a screenplay co-written by Jagdeep Sidhu and Gurpreet Singh Palheri. The film is third instalment of Nikka Zaildar film series. Co-prod ...
'', ''
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 the first installment of Shetty's Cop Univer ...
'', ''
Rabb Da Radio 2
''Rabb Da Radio 2'' () is a 2019 Indian-Punjabi Family-Drama film directed by Sharan Art, produced by Manpreet Johal & Ashu Munish Sahni and distributed by Omjee Star. It is a direct sequel to ''Rabb Da Radio'' (2017). The film stars Tarsem Jass ...
'', ''Dil Diyaan Gallan'', ''Blackia'', ''
Laiye Je Yaarian
''Laiye Je Yaarian'' is a 2019 Indian Punjabi-language romantic drama film written by Dheeraj Rattan and directed by Sukh Sanghera. Co-produced by Rhythm Boyz Entertainment and Papilio Media; it stars Harish Verma, Roopi Gill, Rubina Bajwa, an ...
'', ''
Chandigarh Amritsar Chandigarh'', ''
Kaka Ji'' and ''Band Vajje''. ''
Harjeeta
''Harjeeta'' is a 2018 Indian Punjabi-language sports-drama film written by Jagdeep Sidhu and directed by Vijay Kumar Arora. Co-produced by Sizzlen Productions, Malika Productions, Omjee Group, and Villagers Film Studio; it stars Ammy Virk, Saw ...
'' won two awards for Best Punjabi Film and Best Child Actor at
66th National Film Awards
The 66th National Film Awards ceremony was the award ceremony which took place in 2019 to honour the best films of 2018, in the Indian cinema. The declaration of awards was delayed due to 2019 Indian general election.
Selection process
The Dir ...
. Song ''
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 Amberdeep Singh, Neeru Bajwa and Ammy Virk. The film chronicles the s ...
'' from ''
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 Amberdeep Singh, Neeru Bajwa and Ammy Virk. The film chronicles the s ...
'' film became the first Indian song to reach one billion views on YouTube.
Festivals
Film distribution and production companies
Other notable Punjabi film & video production and distribution houses:
* Inside Motion Pictures
* Naughty Men Productions
* Dream Reality Films
* Unisys Infosolutions Pvt Ltd/Saga Music Pvt Ltd
* Theatre Army Films
Distribution

Prior to the late-1900s, Punjabi film companies were largely immersed in the competition for the domestic market. Limited to
East Punjab
East Punjab was a state of Dominion of India from 1947 until 1950. It consisted parts of the Punjab Province of British India that remained in India following the partition of the state between the new dominions of Pakistan and India by the ...
and
West Punjab
West Punjab (; ) was a province in the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. It was established from the western-half of British Punjab, following the independence of Pakistan. The province covered an area of 159,344 km sq (61523 sq mi), i ...
and low number of screens in Punjabi-speaking areas of
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, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
and
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
(
Sri Ganganagar
Sri Ganganagar is the northernmost city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, near the international border of India and Pakistan. It is the administrative headquarters of Sri Ganganagar district. It is named after Maharaja Shri Ganga Singh Bahad ...
,
Hanumangarh
Hanumangarh is a city and municipal council 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 headquarter o ...
) 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, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
. Gradually, Punjabi companies moved to the
Australasia
Australasia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising Australia, New Zealand (overlapping with Polynesia), and sometimes including New Guinea and surrounding islands (overlapping with Melanesia). The term is used in a number of different context ...
n,
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an and
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
n markets.
In recent years,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
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
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, Canada,
Malaysia
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. 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#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...
, including East Punjab, West Punjab, Delhi,
Haryana
Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
,
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
,
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand (, ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2007), is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. The state is bordered by Himachal Pradesh to the n ...
(
Rudrapur,
Bajpur
Bazpur, or Bajpur, is a city and a municipality in Udham Singh Nagar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India.
Bazpur is well connected with the industrial city of Rudrapur and the historical city of Kashipur. Bazpur is nearest city to Nai ...
,
Kashipur) and
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
. Punjabi films are also distributed to less-Punjabi populated regions, including
states of India
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
** Nation state, ...
:
Bengaluru
Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, 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 List of states and union territories ...
,
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
,
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...
,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
,
Nanded
Nanded is a city in Maharashtra state, India. It is the List of cities in Maharashtra, tenth largest city in the state and the List of cities in India by population, seventy-ninth most populated city in India. It is the second largest city in ...
,
Odisha
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,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
and countries:
Austria
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,
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,
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,
Germany
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,
Hong Kong
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,
Italy
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,
Malaysia
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,
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,
Pakistan
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(other than West Punjab) and
Singapore
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. 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
Punjabi film industry has established 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 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 Dalits 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. It won the Special Jury Award and the $50,000 Black Pearl trophy at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival. 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
West Punjab (; ) was a province in the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955. It was established from the western-half of British Punjab, following the independence of Pakistan. The province covered an area of 159,344 km sq (61523 sq mi), i ...
and relations of communities after Partition of India, 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-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 Cannes Film Festival-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 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,
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
''.
*''Khoon'' (2015), film based on Gurbachan Singh Bhullar's Short story was shown at the Punjabi International Film Festival,
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
.
*''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, Eunuch (Hijra (South Asia), Hijra). The film was directed by Harman Aggarwal and was showcased in Punjabi International Film Festival,
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
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, 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'', love story with very different kind of misunderstanding, Directed by Navtej Sandhu.
Highest-grossing Punjabi films (worldwide)
Awards
* Filmfare Awards Punjabi, Filmfare Awards
*
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 ...
*
Punjabi International Film Academy Awards
* Brit Asia Film Awards
* Virasat Film Awards
* Punjabi Entertainment Festival & Awards
Personalities
Directors
* InsideAKY
* Himanshu Dhar
* Gaurav Manku
* Dev Choudhary
* Amberdeep Singh
* Amitoj Maan
* Amit Prasher
* Anurag Singh (director), Anurag Singh
* Baljit Singh Deo
* Balwant Dullat
* Channa Rai
* Chitrarth Singh
*
Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
* VFX Navi
* Mohit Dhandha
* Manan Taneja
* Harry Baweja
* Jagdeep Sidhu
* Ksshitij Chaudhary
* Manbhavan Singh
* Manmord Sidhu
*
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...
* Manoj Punj
* Navalpreet Rangi
*
Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
* Nidhi.M. Singh
* Pali Bhupinder Singh
* Pankaj Batra
* Rohit Jugraj Chauhan
* Simerjit Singh
* Smeep Kang
* Sukh Sanghera
* Sukhminder Dhanjal
* Inderpal Singh
Actors
File:Amrinder Singh Gill.jpg, Amrinder Gill
Amrinder Singh Gill (; born 11 May 1976) is an Indian actor, singer, songwriter and film producer who makes Punjabi language, Punjabi-language films and music. He has been nominated for twenty-four PTC Punjabi Film Awards, winning seven includ ...
, star of ''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 ...
'' and ''Lahoriye
''Lahoriye'' is a 2017 Indian-Punjabi drama film written and directed by Amberdeep Singh. It stars Amrinder Gill, Sargun Mehta, Yuvraj Hans, Nimrat Khaira, Sardar Sohi and Guggu Gill.
''Lahoriye'' is about the effects of the partition of India ...
''
File:Babbu Maan Vancouver 2010.jpg, Babbu Maan
Tejinder Singh "Babbu" Maan (born 29 March 1975) is an Indian singer-songwriter, music director, actor and film producer. Most of his artistic work focuses on Punjabi music and films. He is recognised as being among the biggest artists in Punj ...
, star of ''Hashar'' and '' Ekam – Son of Soil''
File:Binnu dhillon grace the trailer launch of Carry On Jatta 3 (Cropped).jpg, Binnu Dhillon
Binnu Dhillon (born 29 August 1975) is an Indian actor who is known for his roles in Punjabi 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 Teg Ba ...
, star of ''Bambukat
''Bambukat'' is a 2016 Indian Punjabi-language period drama film written by Jass Grewal and directed by Pankaj Batra. Co-produced by Nadar Films and Rhythm Boyz Entertainment; it stars Ammy Virk, Binnu Dhillon, Simi Chahal and Sheetal Thakur i ...
'' and ''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 was released on 27 July 2012. This film was remade in Odia in 2015 as '' Pilata Bigidigala'', in Telugu in 2016 a ...
''
File:Diljit Dosanjh snapped at the trailer launch of Amar Singh Chamkila 5 (Cropped).jpg, Diljit Dosanjh
Diljit Dosanjh (born 6 January 1984) is an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by ''Billboard'' in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including ...
, star of ''Jatt & Juliet
''Jatt & Juliet'' is a 2012 Indian Punjabi-language romantic comedy film directed by Anurag Singh and produced by Darshan Singh Grewal and Gunbir Singh Sidhu. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh opposite Neeru Bajwa. It was released theatrically o ...
'' and '' Punjab 1984''
File:Gippy Grewal in Chandigarh (cropped).jpg, Gippy Grewal
Rupinder Singh "Gippy" Grewal (born 2 January 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, film director and producer whose works span over Punjabi cinema, Punjabi and Bollywood, Hindi film industry.
His single "Phulkari" was very successful in the Punj ...
, star of ''Carry on Jatta 2'' and ''Manje Bistre
''Manje Bistre'' () is a 2017 Indian Punjabi-language family drama romantic comedy film featuring Gippy Grewal and Sonam Bajwa in lead roles while Karamjit Anmol, Jaggi Singh, Sardar Sohi and Hobby Dhaliwal in supporting roles. The film is set ...
''
File:Gurdas Mann.jpg, Gurdas Maan
Gurdas Maan (born 4 January 1957) is an Indian singer, songwriter and actor mainly associated with Punjabi 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 ov ...
, star of ''Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh
''Shaheed-e-Mohabbat Boota Singh'' is a 1999 Indian Punjabi language, Punjabi-language feature film based on the real-life love story of Boota Singh and Zainab Singh, Zainab, starring Gurdas Maan and Divya Dutta in the lead roles. The film is ...
'' and ''Ucha Dar Babe Nanak Da''
File:Jassi Gill.JPG, Jassi Gill
Jasdeep Singh Gill (born 26 November 1988) is an Indian singer, live performer and actor associated with Punjabi and Hindi language music and films. He debuted in Punjabi cinema with the 2014 film '' Mr & Mrs 420'' and in Hindi cinema with the ...
, star of '' Mr & Mrs 420'' and ''Sargi
''Sargi'' is a 2017 Indian Punjabi language romantic drama film, directed by Neeru Bajwa and starring Jassi Gill, Rubina Bajwa and Babbal Rai. The film was released worldwide on 24 February 2017. The film marked the directional debut of Neeru Baj ...
''
File:Neeru Bajwa at Kochi International Fashion Week 2011 02.jpg, Neeru Bajwa
Neeru Bajwa (born 26 August 1980) is a Canadian actress, director and producer best known for her work in Punjabi cinema; she has also appeared in Hindi cinema and made her Hollywood debut with the supernatural thriller '' It Lives Inside'' (20 ...
, star of ''Jatt & Juliet 2
''Jatt & Juliet 2'' is a 2013 Indian Punjabi romance comedy film directed by Anurag Singh. The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2012 blockbuster '' Jatt & Juliet''. Actors Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa reprise their roles from the previous f ...
'' and ''Jihne Mera Dil Luteya
''Jihne Mera Dil Luteya'' () is a 2011 Indian Punjabi language romantic comedy film directed by Mandeep Kumar with story and screenplay by Dheeraj Rattan, produced by Batra Showbiz Pvt. Ltd. and starring Gippy Grewal, Diljit Dosanjh, Neeru Baj ...
''
File:Rana Ranbir.jpg, Rana Ranbir
Rana Ranbir Singh is an Indian Punjabi actor working in Punjabi cinema and Hindi cinema.
Early life and education
Rana Ranbir was born on 31 December 1969 in Dhuri, Sangrur district, Punjab in India. He was also the classmate of another famous ...
, star of ''Ardaas (film), Ardaas'' and ''Asees''
File:Sargun Mehta at a pre-Diwali party.jpg, Sargun Mehta
Sargun Mehta Dubey (; born 6 September 1988), known professionally as Sargun Mehta, is an Indian actress and model who predominantly works in Hindi television and Punjabi films. One of the highest paid Punjabi actress, Mehta is the recipient o ...
, star of ''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 ...
'' and ''Lahoriye
''Lahoriye'' is a 2017 Indian-Punjabi drama film written and directed by Amberdeep Singh. It stars Amrinder Gill, Sargun Mehta, Yuvraj Hans, Nimrat Khaira, Sardar Sohi and Guggu Gill.
''Lahoriye'' is about the effects of the partition of India ...
''
File:Sonam Bajwa (cropped).jpg, Sonam Bajwa, star of ''Manje Bistre
''Manje Bistre'' () is a 2017 Indian Punjabi-language family drama romantic comedy film featuring Gippy Grewal and Sonam Bajwa in lead roles while Karamjit Anmol, Jaggi Singh, Sardar Sohi and Hobby Dhaliwal in supporting roles. The film is set ...
'' and ''Sardaar Ji 2
''Sardaar Ji 2'' (previously ''The Return of Sardaarji'') is a 2016 Indian Punjabi action comedy film starring Diljit Dosanjh in a triple role alongside Monica Gill, and Sonam Bajwa in lead roles and directed by Rohit Jugraj Chauhan. The film was ...
''
File:Kulbir Jhinjer Gurbir Ghumaan.jpg, Tarsem Jassar, star of 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 Vehli ...
and Rabb Da Radio 2
''Rabb Da Radio 2'' () is a 2019 Indian-Punjabi Family-Drama film directed by Sharan Art, produced by Manpreet Johal & Ashu Munish Sahni and distributed by Omjee Star. It is a direct sequel to ''Rabb Da Radio'' (2017). The film stars Tarsem Jass ...
File:Guggu-gill.jpg, Gugu Gill, star of Putt Jattan De and Badla Jatti Da
File:Japji Khaira Interview 2020.jpg, Japji Khaira star of Mitti Wajaan Maardi and Dharti (2011 film), Dharti
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
Harish Verma is an Indian actor and singer associated with Punjabi-language films and music. He made his debut in the 2010 film ''Panjaban'', and gained wide attention with '' Yaar Annmulle'' (2011). He made his singing debut with the track ' ...
*
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 Chhankata 88 and became an actor with film Dulla Bhatti. He is best known for his co ...
*
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 ...
* Nav Bajwa
* Ranjit Bawa
* Shavinder Mahal
* Sardar Sohi
Actresses
* Himanshi Khurana
*
Japji Khaira
* Juhi Chawla
*
Kulraj Randhawa
Kulraj Kaur Randhawa (born 16 May 1983) better known as Kulraj Randhawa is an Indian actress who appears in Punjabi and Hindi language films. She best known her role as "Kareena" in the TV series '' Kareena Kareena''.
Early life and career
R ...
* Mahi Gill
* Monica Gill
* Nimrat Khaira
* Nirmal Rishi
* Simi Chahal
* Wamiqa Gabbi
*
Japji Khaira
* Navneet Kaur Dhillon
* Sonam Bajwa
See also
* List of cinema of the world
* List of Punjabi films
* List of highest-grossing Punjabi films
* Lists of Indian Punjabi films
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinema of Punjab
Punjabi cinema,
Cinema of Punjab,
Punjabi language
Cinema by language of India
Cinema of India by state or union territory, Punjabi
Indian film industries