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Sukhpreet Kahlon

Independent Film Critic

Sukhpreet Kahlon is the Artistic Director of South Asian Film Festival of Montreal and an Independent Film Critic. Her writing concentrates on film history, independent films and Punjabi cinema. She has co-edited the book Sone Chandi ke Buth, a collection of writings on cinema by KA Abbas.

All reviews by Sukhpreet Kahlon

Image of scene from the film Sarbala Ji

Sarbala Ji

Action, Drama (Punjabi)

(Written for The Indian Express)

Wedding drama meets comic chaos in this Gippy Grewal-Ammy Virk family entertainer

Sat, July 19 2025

Nimrat Khaira and Ammy Virk steal the show in this hilarious multi-starrer that despite a few hiccups, is a laugh riot.

Punjabis are perhaps most associated with their loud, fun weddings and the multi-starrer featuring Gippy Grewal, Sargun Mehta, Ammy Virk, Nimrat Khaira, Sarbala Ji (2025), makes this the perfect setting for a complete entertainer. Directed by Mandeep Kumar, the film weaves together comedy, drama and romance in a pre-Partition setting. Cousins Sucha Singh (Gippy Grewal) and Gajjan Singh (Ammy Virk) are like chalk and cheese. Sucha Singh is the life of every wedding while Gajjan shies away from marriage, being more interested in embroidery stitches and crochet. When flirtation with Rajjo (Sargun Mehta) leads Sucha to a pronouncement that he is never to marry, he is utterly dismayed. Meanwhile, Gajjan is all set to marry Pyaaro (Nimrat Khaira) who is far from being the docile, embroidery-loving woman that he dreams of. Content with working at the farm, and shunning housework, Pyaaro is completely smitten and transformed in love, eager to marry her beau. However, there are few twists and turns to be navigated.

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Image of scene from the film Saunkan Saunkanay 2

Saunkan Saunkanay 2

Comedy, Romance (Punjabi)

(Written for The Indian Express)

Ammy Virk faces triple trouble in this laugh-out-loud film

Sat, May 31 2025

Despite a few pitfalls, comedy expert Smeep Kang crafts an overall crowd pleasing entertainer starring Sargun Mehta, Ammy Virk and Nimrat Khaira.

Punjabi cinema and comedy are a match made in blockbuster heaven and Ammy Virk’s latest film, Saunkan Saunkanay 2, directed by Smeep Kang seems to be headed that way. The blockbuster success of Saunkan Saunkne (2022) precipitated this sequel, featuring the returning star cast of Nimrat Khaira, Sargun Mehta (in a double role) and Nirmal Rishi. Written by Amberdeep Singh, the film features the marital life of Nirmal Singh (Ammy Virk), which is complicated even further, as completely fed up with his existing two wives, he starts thinking of the possibility of a third!

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Image of scene from the film Guru Nanak Jahaz

Guru Nanak Jahaz

Drama (Punjabi)

Powerful retelling of the struggles of early migrants to Canada

Fri, May 2 2025

Tarsem Jassar stars in the evocative historical drama that unearths a past rich with urgent lessons for today.

Directed by Sharan Art and starring Tarsem Jassar, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Mark Bennington; Guru Nanak Jahaz is a historical drama that revisits an almost forgotten moment to remind us of the struggles of early migrants to Canada. While Amrinder Gill’s directorial debut, Chhalla Mud Ke Nahi Aaya (2022) examined the many hurdles faced by the first wave of immigrants to Canada, this film examines the many struggles with government policies and the resilience of migrants in the face of it.

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Image of scene from the film Akaal

Akaal

Action, History, Drama (Punjabi)

Gippy Grewal’s high-octane historical drama flickers but doesn’t burn

Fri, April 11 2025

Marking Dharma Productions’ foray into Punjabi cinema, Gippy Grewal-starrer Akaal’s grand ambitions are thwarted by an underwhelming storyline.

Akaal movie review: Known for their bravery and courage despite all odds, the awe-inspiring legends of Sikh warriors have reverberated through the annals of history. Inspired by historical events, Gippy Grewal’s Akaal (2025), starring Grewal, Nimrat Khaira, Gurpreet Ghuggi, and Nikitin Dheer, is the story of a Sikh warrior who protects his village in the face of gruesome attacks by the enemy. With Bollywood embracing a wave of high-octane dramas inspired by mythology and history, it was only a matter of time before Punjabi cinema followed suit. Sharan Art’s Mastaney (2023), starring Tarsem Jassar, captivated audiences with its portrayal of Sikh valour in the face of invading forces in the 18th century, unfolding historical events against a visually captivating backdrop. Written and directed by Grewal, Akaal sets its sights further, which is reflected in the grand scale and detailed execution of the film. Released in Hindi and Punjabi, it also marks the foray of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions into Punjabi cinema.

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Image of scene from the film Shahkot

Shahkot

Drama (Punjabi)

Guru Randhawa, Isha Talwar star in a deeply felt, thought-provoking film

Fri, October 4 2024

Guru Randhawa makes an assured Punjabi movie debut with a deeply felt, thought-provoking film.

The town of Shahkot in Punjab marks one of the many intersections between India and Pakistan, nations with a shared history that have vacillated between hatred and amity, with the former triumphing more than the latter. Written and directed by Rajiv Dhingra, and starring Guru Randhawa, Isha Talwar and Raj Babbar, the Punjabi-language romance drama Shahkot (2024), makes a bold statement as it explores the possibility of friendship and love winning despite all odds. Iqbal (Guru Randhawa) and Sharafat (Gurshabad Singh) meet while trying to sneak out to foreign lands out of their respective countries. When Iqbal is caught in Pakistan, he is mistaken to be from Shahkot, Pakistan, and starts finding a way to get back home and evade the police. In doing so, he starts working in Abbaji’s (Raj Babbar) home, a politician whose clout keeps Iqbal from being detected. His daughter Marvi Cheema (Isha Talwar) takes a liking to Iqbal, but her father is all set to get her married to Nihaal. Iqbal is torn between doing the right thing and looking out for his own interests. However, when Abbaji decides to get Marvi married to Iqbal, things get complicated and Iqbal must decide what to do.

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Image of scene from the film Shukrana

Shukrana

Drama (Punjabi)

A cursory portrayal of the predicament of young widows

Fri, September 27 2024

The Neeru Bajwa starrer Shukrana is all about loving the family while dealing with age-old patriarchal attitudes towards women.

Directed by Simerjit Singh, Shukrana is the latest Punjabi film to highlight gender issues while exploring some of the cracks within a joint family set up. Starring Neeru Bajwa, Amrit Maan, and Jass Bajwa, the movie examines individual agency of women, particularly in its treatment of young widows. Jeona (Jass Bajwa) and Veeran (Neeru Bajwa) are a happily married couple who live in a joint family. Jeona is the glue that holds the family together and he quells any murmurs of dissent with his good nature and largesse. As a loving and supportive husband, he encourages his wife to continue to work after her marriage, countering some opposing views at home. As luck would have it, the perfect life of the couple is jolted when Jeona dies in a freak accident. An expecting mother, Veeran’s life is turned upside down and she must figure out her place as a single mother, while encountering societal prejudice and patriarchy.

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Image of scene from the film Ardaas Sarbat De Bhale Di

Ardaas Sarbat De Bhale Di

Drama, Family (Punjabi)

An emotional, earnest, yet tedious tearjerker

Fri, September 13 2024

Gippy Grewal’s latest installment in the Ardaas series offers food for thought but is crammed with too many lessons.

The third installment in the Ardaas film series, Ardaas Sarbat De Bhale Di (2024) brings to light the travails of the human condition and our relative inability to deal with them with fortitude. Directed and written by Gippy Grewal, the Punjabi-language film stars Grewal, Gurpreet Ghuggi, Jasmine Bhasin and Prince Kanwaljit Singh. Devotional films have been the mainstay of Punjabi cinema since its inception, and Gippy Grewal’s Ardaas series renewed interest in the genre in 2016, with the release of the first Ardaas. Directed by Grewal, all three Ardaas films stress on the teachings from the Gurbani (the hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib), while highlighting common social issues.

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Image of scene from the film Jatt and Juliet 3

Jatt and Juliet 3

Comedy, Romance (Punjabi)

Diljit Dosanjh sparkles in this playful entertainer

Thu, June 27 2024

The jodi of Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa lock horns once again in the romantic comedy and come up with quite an entertainer.

Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa’s Jatt & Juliet 3 does what Punjabi cinema does best — delights audiences with nutty situations, punchy one-liners, and dollops of humour, which makes for an enjoyable family entertainer. Bringing back the Diljit Dosanjh and Neeru Bajwa jodi, the beloved franchise is now helmed by writer-director Jagdeep Sidhu, who has taken over the reins from Anurag Singh, and has collaborated with Dosanjh on Sher Bagga (2022) and Shadaa (2019) previously. Fateh Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) and Pooja (Neeru Bajwa) are police constables, but she is his senior. Both have their own selfish reasons for wanting to get married to each other and deceive the other about their true intentions. However, things don’t pan out as planned and threaten to spin out of control when Jasmin Bajwa (Daisy) enters the picture. She is wanted for committing fraud and Pooja and Fateh are sent to London to bring her back. In the midst of it all, Fateh is solely concerned about money and spins a yarn for both Daisy and Pooja.

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