It is no secret the kind of pull and numbers that South Indian films have managed to make over the years and pretty much give birth to the concept of PAN India films.
However, while that is great, when it comes to the Punjabi film industry, they haven’t been able to make the same impact and same penetration like the South films even though Punjabi music is ingrained everywhere.
Actor Ammy Virk, who currently has his next Punjabi release lined up is one of the actors who is doing more work in the Hindi belt where after being in 83, he now has Bad Newwz lined up with Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri.
But in a recent interview with ETimes, Virk was asked about this gap and why is it that Punjabi films aren’t as big in the Hindi belt.
To this, Virk mentioned that they were just beginning and noted that first Diljit Dosanjh came, followed by Gippy Garewal, and more would come. He pointed out that their population was quite limited, similar to the population in the southern states, where people love their cinema like a religion and worship their actors. He questioned when they would move beyond family films to start making action or fiction films. He suggested that they should create films based on their history and culture, like those about Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa, but acknowledged that such films require budgets. He expressed confidence that they would attract the biggest names, whether directors or action directors, and emphasized that it all comes down to trust.
He further said that just as Diljit Paaji is currently selling out arenas and stadiums due to people’s faith in him, soon people would also start watching their films. He expressed confidence that one day Punjabi films would also succeed in the southern states. He emphasized that it is just a matter of time and trust, noting that South Indian films do very well in their state as well.
