Sukhpreet Kahlon

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Written and directed by Rakesh Dhawan, Kudi Haryane Val Di, starring Ammy Virk and Sonam Bajwa in the lead roles, brings a freshness to Punjabi cinema with its exploration of cultural differences between the states of Haryana and Punjab. Dhawan explores the cross-cultural theme with the backdrop of wrestling to create an enjoyable drama. Shivjot (Ammy Virk) is the only son in a family of wrestlers but has no interest in wrestling. Carefree and lazy, he reads poetry in the hopes of finding a partner who will make his heart skip a beat. As luck would have it, his gaze falls across the wrestling arena, and he finds Neelam (Sonam Bajwa), the daughter of Mann Singh Dahiya (Yashpal Sharma), the proud owner of an akhara or wrestling ground. Unlike Shivjot, Neelam is passionate about all things wrestling, and in a turn of events, Shivjot finds himself as the coach of Mann Singh’s wrestling team, just as a ploy to get close to her. But when Mann Singh’s arch-rival Sheeshpal throws down the gauntlet, Shivjot must rise up to the challenge and prove himself to be worthy of Neelam’s love.

Vikas Vashisht’s Punjabi-language feature Jatt Nuu Chudail Takri (2024), starring Gippy Grewal and Sargun Mehta in the lead roles, is an unremarkable horror-comedy with a light-hearted take on a social issue. Written by Amberdeep Singh, who wrote the blockbuster hit Saunkan Saunkne (2022), also starring Mehta, Jatt Nuu Chudail Takri raises some pertinent questions but tries to squeeze in too many things, resulting in a bit of a muddle. A self-willed woman who refuses to tow the line, is known by many names in a patriarchal society. ‘Chudail’ or witch is one of them, which denotes a difficult woman of malicious intent. Amberdeep Singh mobilises this unfortunately common epithet in Jatt Nuu Chudail Takri, in an attempt to examine the attitude of men towards women, in particular, that of husbands towards their wives.