Gone are the days when our regional films showcased Punjab as a land rich with yellow fields of mustard flowers, tractors, and tube wells, and as a place of togetherness, where life existed in the simplest ways in villages and cities. Unlike those times, todayтАЩs Punjab, as seen through the lens, is quite modern, and stylish and exists somewhere outside India. Big-structured buildings, well-furnished sophisticated houses, and a not-so-Punjabi lifestyle dominate the so-called present-day Punjabi films, where only the language identifies with the concept, and that too, not so much.
Over the last decade, many Punjabi movies have been filmed across the world. These include┬аVirsa┬а(2010),┬аJatt and Juliet┬а(2012),┬аMirza: The Untold Story┬а(2012),┬аSingh vs Kaur┬а(2013),┬аSardaar Ji┬а(2015),┬аLove Punjab┬а(2016),┬аSuper Singh┬а(2017),┬аJindua┬а(2017),┬аSargi┬а(2017),┬аLaavan Phere┬а(2018),┬аAshke┬а(2018),┬аHigh End Yaarian┬а(2019),┬аDil Diyaan Gallan┬а(2019),┬аChal Mera Putt┬а(2019),┬аManje Bistre 2┬а(2019),┬аLaiye Je Yaarian┬а(2019),┬аJinde Meriye┬а(2020),┬аPaani Ch Madhaani┬а(2021),┬аHonsla Rakh┬а(2021),┬аGalwakdi┬а(2022), and┬аJind Mahi┬а(2022), among others.┬аAll thanks to foreign subsidies which lure regional filmmakers to shoot films outside the native country, thousands of miles away from the region depicted in the movies.
Although this financial assistance is a boon to businessmen as it drastically cuts down the cost of production, it is harmful to regional cinema as it moves away from reality and, in fact, creates a different reality by subtly reshaping culture and forming a new discourse. Considering a long list of flop movies that have been raining in Pollywood, itтАЩs time for producers to start focusing on delivering quality content that translates into business and adds value to the industry.
The tactic of repeated representation of Punjabi diaspora living in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and other foreign countries, is not just boring but also a matter of concern as it sidelines the mainstream Punjabi culture, lifestyle, social structure and, at the same time, questions the creativity of the artists. Pollywood is a medium of expression of art, culture, religion, and society, and not just business, after all. Punjab is home to unlimited stories, authentic locations, and a language rooted in history and culture and all of it must be preserved through an actual presentation that is not only close to reality, but is the reality.
