Punjabi Screen 2017: A Year Of Unexpected Ups And Downs

Expectations, the word doesn’t always work the way we want; sometimes it exceeds and sometimes just fails to even take off! A similar scenario was witnessed in Punjabi films in 2017. The films that we thought would run riot on the box-office could not even sustain a week’s pressure, while the ones we thought wouldn’t ring a bell actually created the maximum buzz! 

The year did not belong to a particular singer or actor.

A singer-actor like Tarsem Jassar got great reviews for his film Rabb Da Radio and Sardar Mohammad, while on the other hand singer-actor Ranjit Bawa’s much-talked about film Balwan Singh couldn’t create magic on the silver screen. At the same time, Ranjit Bawa tickled the funny bone of audiences with the comedy film Vekh Baraatan Chaliyan, starring Binnu Dhillon and Hindi television actress Kavita Kaushik. The film showcased a love affair between a Punjabi boy and Harayanavi girl. 

Up & Down

While actor Binnu Dhillon was praised for his role in Vekh Baraatan Chaliyan, a film, Bailaaras, produced under his own production house, wasn’t received well by the audiences, even though it had a different storyline.

Year 2017 was clearly a year of the unexpected! Films like Super Singh, starring the star actor Diljit Dosanjh and Lahoriye, starring another favourite of the Punjabi film industry, Amrinder Gill, unexpectedly, could not whip up any magic. The two, which were declared blockbusters much before their release, only did average business at the box-office  

Sorry Affair 

Well, the disappointment did not end here; other films with so-called prestigious star cast like Sargi, starring Jassie Gill, Babbal Rai and Rubina Bajwa, Jindua, starring Jimmy Shergill, Neeru Bajwa and Sargun Mehta; Sardaar Saab, starring Jackie Shroff, Arjan starring Roshan Prince, Channa Mereya, starring singer Ninja and Sat Shri Akaal England, starring Ammy Virk and Monica Gill, came and went by unnoticed.

Yet another film, Sarvann, which had a name like Priyanka Chopra to back it, was a flop. The film starred Amrinder Gill and Ranjit Bawa in the lead roles. Quite unexpected!

High Five

On the flip side, a film starring the style icon of Punjabi film industry Parmish Verma, Rocky Mental, pulled crowds. The audiences gave thumbs-up to his angry young man character. Though it didn’t get an outstanding ovation at the box-office, the film was still appreciated. 

Manje Bistre, starring Gippy Grewal and Nikka Zaildar 2, starring Ammy Virk, Sonam Bajwa and Nirmal Rishi did bring in good news. Nikka Zaildar 2 could not create the same magic as Nikka Zaildar; nevertheless, people liked Ammy and Nirmal Rishi’s comedy. 

Failed Attempt

Films like Saab Bahadur, a murder mystery starring Ammy Virk; Jora 10 Numbariya, a film based on present-day gangsters, starring Deep Sidhu; Rupinder Gandhi 2, based on a real-life gangster, starring Dev Kharoud, did not bring in any good news, not even from a distance! 
Undoubtedly, 2017 did not belong to anyone! 

(Jasmine Singh in Tribune)