Director and famous cinematographer Manmohan Singh is back with his 4th movie “Dil Apna Punjabi” after making Jee aayan nu, Asa Nu Maan watna da and Yaaran Naal Baharan. Pointless to mention that all the three movie were big hits not only in Punjab but in the very important overseas markets of Canada, England and US.
So “Dil Apna Punjabi” is also expected to be a super hit. The movie got released worldwide on September 1st, 2006 and people are lining up to catch this movie on the big screens. Manmohan Singh is truly the father of modern Punjabi cinema and is one of the most important persons responsible for reviving the Punjabi film industry along with Gurdass Maan.
“Dil Apna Punjabi” is the first Punjabi Film to be produced by any Bollywood Production house, i.e. Tips It stars Harbhajan Mann as main actor, Neeru Bajwa, Deep Dhillion, Kawaljit, Amar Noori and Dara Singh. The film “Dil Apna Punjabi” is a look at village life in Punjab from about the mid 1980’s. The old family system consisting of great-grandfathers and other generations living harmoniously under one roof provides the backdrop for human emotions in the changing times. The movie is set in the lively village of modern day Punjab, where a joint family spanning over four generations lives under one roof… a family which is united by values, tradition and warmth… headed by Sardar Hardam Singh (Dara Singh). His grandson, Kanwal (Harbhajan Mann) is a man of his heart… who idles most of his time with a group of friends… a village musical troupe. Love strucks Kanwal… when he meets Ladi (Neeru Bajwa) at a common relative, Faujan’s (Amar Noorie) place, the only one to know about their budding romance, and who in turn makes their love match seem as an arranged proposal to their respective families.
However, when their families meet, they are discouraged due to Kanwal’s in-ambitious approach. Love and dignity forces Kanwal to seek his identity, and destiny takes him to U.K., where in his life comes Lisa (Mahek Chahal), a U.K. youth icon. Lisa is drawn towards Kanwal’s charm and simplicity, and notices a spark in him… and an exciting journey to stardom begin, where after Lisa nurtures feelings for Kanwal. Does Kanwal choose Lisa… and lead a life of fame and fortune in U.K.? On the other hand, does he return back to Ladi… and his roots in Punjab… The answer forms crux of the film!
The movie has a strong message for all the young educated guys of Punjab who do nothing after graduation. They are happy with whatever their forefather have done for them and don’t have an urge/desire to achieve anything in life. The movie is an effort to give a message to the youth of Punjab while keeping the entertainment value of the movie intact.
There is some good comedy in the movie with good actors like Gurpreet Ghuggi and Rana Ranbir. Gurpreet Ghuggi plays a UK born Sikh and his UK accent of speaking Punjabi is a highlight of the movie. The music of the movie has been done by well known music director Sukshinder Shinda of UK. The songs of the movie are sung by Harbhajan Mann, Alka Yagnik and Sunidhi Chauhan. The music is already a big hit worldwide and has lyrics by Babbu Singh Maan.
This movie is definitely worth watching. Punjabi movies are now being made like Bollywood movies with big budgets. If a producer spends 4-5 Crore on a Punjabi movie, he not only needs to recover that cost but also make a profit out of it to make more movies. Hence the overseas market comes in to play as the cost of a Punjabi movie can’t be recovered by playing the movie in Punjab alone.