Punjabi cinema refers to the Punjabi-language film industry centered around the Indian state of Punjab, and based in Amritsar, Ludhiana and Mohali.
Musarrat Nazir Khawaja is a Pakistani singer and film actress, who acted in many Urdu and Punjabi films. She, many years later, also sang solo, mostly wedding and folk songs.
Gurdial Singh Rahi was an Indian writer and novelist who wrote in Punjabi. He started his literary career in 1957 with a short story, "Bhaganwale." He became known as a novelist when he published the novel Marhi Da Deeva in 1964. The novel was later adapted into the Punjabi film Marhi Da Deeva in 1989, directed by Surinder Singh. His novel Anhe Ghore Da Daan was also made into a film of the same name in 2011 by director Gurvinder Singh. Singh was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1998 and Jnanpith Award in 1999.
Satish Kaul 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 others. His notable film roles included ones in Sassi Punnu, Ishq Nimana, Prem Parbat, Suhag Chooda and Patola.
Anhe Ghore Da Daan is a 2011 Indian Punjabi-language film directed by Gurvinder Singh. It is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Gurdial Singh. It portrays the plight and problems of farmers in Punjab, India, rural working class, as well as the landlords. The film won National Awards for Best Direction, Cinematography and Best Feature Film in Punjabi at the 59th National Film Awards of India.
Gurvinder Singh is an Indian film director. He is best known for his Punjabi language films Anhe Ghore Da Daan, and Chauthi Koot which premiered at Venice and Cannes Film Festival respectively. Gurvinder is an alumnus of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune from where he studied film-making and graduated in 2001. He travelled extensively through Punjab between 2002 and 2006, living and traveling with folk itinerants, documenting folk ballads and oral narratives. It led to his first documentary 'Pala'. He continued to make short experimental works and documenting arts/artists for the next few years. In 2005 he was invited by avant-garde Indian filmmaker Mani Kaul to be his teaching assistant for a master-class at FTII, which led to a close association with the filmmaker who became his mentor. He translated and published a book of conversations of Udayan Vajpeyi with Mani Kaul, titled 'Uncloven Space'. His latest film is 'Infiltrator' starring Veer Rajwant Singh which is a 15-minute short story in an international omnibus called 'In the same garden'
Davinder Singh Kharoud, better known as Dev Kharoud, is an Indian actor who works in Punjabi cinema. He is best known for playing the role of Rupinder Gandhi in Rupinder Gandhi The Gangster? and Mintu Gurusaria in Dakuan Da Munda.
Kul Sidhu is an Indian theatre, television and movie artist, who works in Punjabi cinema. She acted in the National Film Award-winning movie Anhe Ghore Da Daan (2011) playing the role of the wife of a rickshaw-puller, the protagonist of the movie. She has also acted in some short films including Nooran and Sutta Naag.
The Theatre Army Productions is a North (Punjab/Chandigarh) based production house which was founded by Gabbar Sangrur. This complete line production company has successfully handled line production of Hollywood, Bollywood and Pollywood movies such as West is West, Teen Thay Bhai, Mausam, Love Express, Student of the Year, Surkhaab, Sikander, Stupid Seven, and Yamley Jatt Yamley. In April 2013 it came with a Punjabi movie Heer & Hero under its banner and did line production for upcoming movie Santa Banta featuring Boman Irani and Vir Das.
Ranjit Singh Bajwa known professionally as Ranjit Bawa, is an Indian singer and actor associated with Punjabi language music and films. He rose to fame from his single "Jatt Di Akal" from his debut in the 2015 album, Mitti Da Bawa which was awarded the "Best World Album" award in the 2015 Brit Asia TV Music Awards. He has also received "PTC Best Folk oriented Song Award" in 2013 for his Song in 2013, Jatt Di Akal. His numorous songs including 'Yaari Chandigarh Waliye' and 'Impress' peaked on UK Asian Music Chart and UK Punjabi Music Charts. He made his film debut in playing the title role in Toofan Singh, a semi-biographical film about the 1980s Punjabi activist Shaheed Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan.
Ambarsariya is an Indian Punjabi comedy thriller film directed by Mandeep Kumar, written by Dheeraj Rattan and starring Diljit Dosanjh, Monica Gill, Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Lauren Gottlieb as the main cast of the film and was released worldwide on 25 March 2016. The movie was remade in Odia in 2018 as Prem Kumar: Salesman of the Year.
Atul Sharma is a multiple-award-winning music composer, producer, sitarist, singer and judge on the popular TV show "Voice of Punjab". He is known for being one of the pioneers of Bhangra and Punjabi pop/folk music, and has composed music for over 5000 music albums and many Punjabi and Hindi films. He has given many global hits like "Yaar Bolda", "Dupatta Tera Satt Rang Da", "Mukhda Dekh ke", "Jatti", "Mitraan Da Naa Chalda" etc. He has also composed and designed music for various theatre productions and has worked with eminent directors and play writes. Based out of Chandigarh, he has been one of the foremost contributors in setting up the Punjabi music industry, and the emergence of recording studios in North India.
Ajmer Singh Aulakh was a renowned Punjabi playwright from Mansa district, Punjab. He was born in 1942 at Kishangarh urf Pharwahi, Mansa district, Punjab, India.
Mandeep Benipal is an Indian film director. He made his directorial debut with movie Ekam - Son of Soil in 2010. Later he came up with the movie Sadda Haq (2013), Yoddha (2014) and Dakuan Da Munda.
Jagjeet Sandhu is an Indian film actor and theatre artist who works in Punjabi and Hindi films and Television. He started his career with the biographic film Rupinder Gandhi in 2015. Sandhu is best known for his role of "Bhola" in the Rupinder Gandhi film series and "Romi Gill" in Dakuaan Da Munda and his role as "Tarsem" in Sufna is considered his best role to date.
Dakuan Da Munda is a 2018 Indian Punjabi biographical movie the novel of same title. The film plots life of former Kabaddi player Mintu Gurusaria from Gurusar Jodha village, Muktsar. The movie is directed by Mandeep Benipal, Associate Director Vinod Kumar features Dev Kharoud, Jagjeet Sandhu, Sukhdeep Sukh and Pooja Verma in lead characters along with Lucky Dhaliwal and Hardeep Gill. The film was released on 10 August 2018.
Kuljinder Singh Sidhu is an Indian actor, writer and film producer, who has appeared in Punjabi films. Kuljinder made his debut as an actor and writer with the movie Sadda Haq, which he also produced. Apart from this, he has produced and written the story and screenplay of the 2014 Punjabi film Yoddha: The Warrior, in which he played lead role antagonist Rahul Dev. He has received Ptc Best Actor Award by Critics and Ptc Best Screenplay Writer Award by Critics, for the film Sadda Haq.
Karanveer Khullar is an Indian actor who mainly work in Hindi and Punjabi film industry. He is best known for his movies like Rocky Mental, Dakuaan Da Munda 2 and Tigers.
Anita Devgan is an Indian film and television actress, who is known for her work in the Punjabi film industry. Her most well-known works are the films Jatt & Juliet, Ronde Sare Vyah Picho, Angrej, Bambukat, Rabb Da Radio, Golak Bugni Bank Te Batua, Mr. & Mrs. 420 Returns, Puaada, and Ni Main Sass Kuttni.
Rupinder Rupi or Roopi Rupinder is an Indian film and television actress, who is known for her work in the Punjabi film industry. She is famous for appearing in mother's role in most of the films. Her most well-known works are the films Mera Pind, Bailaras, Laavaan Phere, Nadhoo Khan.
