Kuldeep Manak, also spelled as Kuldip Manak, was an Indian singer best known for singing a rare genre of Punjabi music, kali, also known by its plural form kalian or kaliyan. Manak is generally regarded as one of the greatest Punjabi artists of all time. His high pitched strong voice was unique, and instantly recognisable. A statue of Manak has been erected in Ludhiana near his residence as a tribute.
Harbhajan Singh Mann 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) and Jag Jeondeyan De Mele (2009).
Surinder Kaur was an Indian singer and songwriter. While she mainly sang Punjabi folk songs, where she is credited for pioneering and popularising the genre, Kaur also recorded songs as a playback singer for Hindi films between 1948 and 1952. For her contributions to Punjabi music, she earned the sobriquet Nightingale of Punjab, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, and the Padma Shri in 2006.
Manmohan Singh is an Indian film director and cinematographer. He is the director of Punjabi films and the cinematographer of Bollywood films. In the past, he had frequently collaborated with Yash Chopra and his son Aditya Chopra, for whom he shot Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Darr (1993), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), and Mohabbatein (2000). Besides his Bollywood career as a cinematographer, he is also known as a pioneering director in Punjabi cinema. He directed his first Hindi film, Pehla Pehla Pyar in 1994 and his first Punjabi film Jee Ayan Nu in 2003. He received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the PTC Punjabi Film Awards 2019.
Punjabi cinema or Pollywood consists of the Punjabi-language film industry centered around the Indian state of Punjab, and based in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Mohali. It is also known informly sometimes as Punjwood.
Amrinder Singh Gill is an Indian actor, singer, songwriter and film producer who makes Punjabi-language films and music. He has been nominated for twenty-four PTC Punjabi Film Awards, winning seven including three for Best Actor, and two for Best Playback singer and has been nominated for five Filmfare Awards, winning two for Best Actor and Best Playback singer, among other accolades.
Muhammad Afzal Ahsan Randhawa was a Pakistani Punjabi language writer, poet, translator, playwright and a politician. He authored several short stories and novels in the Punjabi language including Sooraj Grehan and Doaba.
Diljit Dosanjh is an Indian singer, actor, film producer and television personality. He works in Punjabi music and subsequently in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. Dosanjh entered the Social 50 chart by Billboard in 2020. He has been featured in various music charts, including the Canadian Albums Chart, the UK Asian chart by Official Charts Company and the New Zealand Hot Singles. His films, including Jatt & Juliet 2, Sajjan Singh Rangroot and Honsla Rakh are among the highest grossing Punjabi films in history.
Lion of Punjab is an Indian Punjabi action film starring Diljit Dosanjh, making his debut as an actor. It is also the debut Punjabi movie of Bollywood director Guddu Dhanoa. A huge set of a temple, a church, some houses and a shopping area, was erected at the Indian Express Office premises. It is a remake of 2003 Tamil movie Dhool.
Muhammad Mansha Yaad was a writer and playwright from Punjab, Pakistan. He received the Pride of Performance award in 2005 from the Government of Pakistan. He has won many other awards from organizations in various countries which are also listed in this article.
Jaswinder Brar is an Indian folk singer who sings in Punjabi language. She sings Punjabi folk and Bhangra and known as the Folk Queen. She is known for her stage shows and is called Akharheya Di Rani. She is specially known for her Lok Tatths. She started her career with the album named "Keemti Cheez" in 1990.
Ram Sarup Ankhi was an Indian writer, poet, and novelist who wrote in Punjabi. He started as a poet but ended up as a fiction writer. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters in 1987 for his novel Kothe Kharak Singh.
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.
Sadda Haq is a 2013 Indian Punjabi-language film directed by Mandeep Benipal set in the late 1980s and early 1990s during the Punjab insurgency. It portrays filmmakers' perception of what prompted young men in the state to rise up and fight against what was a corrupt police and government system. The film evoked polarising reactions even before it was released, with sections of the Sikh community saying that it depicted the real face of police atrocities. Critics on the other hand felt that the film was a mere "glorification" of terrorists.
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.
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.
Nimrat Khaira is an Indian singer, and actress known for her work in Punjabi- language music and films. She started her singing career with song "Rabb Karke" and "SP De Rank Wargi" whereas her acting debut was in 2017 with Lahoriye.
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.
Pratik Bachan, best known by his stage name B Praak, is an Indian singer, music director, composer and music producer associated with the Punjabi and Hindi music industry. He started his career as a music producer, and later debuted as a singer with the song "Mann Bharrya". He has won many awards including a National Film Award and two Filmfare Awards.
Balbir Madhopuri is a Punjabi language writer, poet and translator. He is best known for his autobiography, Chhangiya Rukh. His writings are primarily focused on the issues related to the oppressed and depressed classes, especially Dalits. In 2021, He has received The Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature for his novel Mitti Bol Payi.
