Punjabi tadka for B’wood
A still from Jatt and Juliet
South has long been an inspiration for Bollywood. From action-packed films to raunchy dance moves, Bollywood has drawn a lot from the South film industry. However, it seems Bollywood is now turning towards North for some inspiration.
Many actors like Neha Dhupia and Jimmy Shergill are making their Punjabi film debuts. Akshay Kumar recently turned produced with Punjabi film Paaji in Trouble. The latest addition is Salman Khan making a remake of a Punjabi film. He is likely to give a go-ahead for a Punjabi film script that would see Salman in the long-haired character similar to his blockbuster Tere Naam.
“Punjabi cinema is gaining recognition in the mainstream. Paaji in Trouble is a comedy and will go on floors next year. I plan to make some good Punjabi films,” says Akshay Kumar.
Neha Dhupia, who has just finished shooting for a Punjabi film Rangeelay, says that the language barrier between various film industries are finally breaking. “And this is giving a broader horizon to actors who love to experiment with different kind of cinemas,” says Neha.
So, is the Punjabi cinema going to be next big thing to watch out for? “It is very big already. I had an amazing time shooting for the film. Doing a film which is not in your mother tongue makes it all the more exciting,” says Neha.
The Punjabi film industry is growing rapidly, says Punjabi film director Manmohan Singh. Be it scripts or technical aspects, the industry has come a long way in last few year, he says. “These changes have not gone unnoticed by Bollywood. Earlier, most of the scripts used to revolve around NRI and Punjab-related issues. But now the scripts deal with global issues,” he says.
One of the latest Punjabi sensations Jatt and Juliet was not just released outside Punjab but also became the first Punjabi film whose remake rights have also been bought by Himesh Reshammiya’s company.
Film critic and author Anupama Chopra, explains, “Hindi films have always been larger than life. They are mostly entertainment. This aspect is the key ingredient for Punjabi films. Therefore, the combination of the two works well,” adds Chopra.
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