Tale of Punjabi cinema, from Lahore to Chandigarh

PUNJABI cinema is only a few years younger to its Hindi counterpart It made its successful debut in 1939 with the release of Gul Bakavli starring Baby Noor Jehan It was a cautious venture of the Lahore film industry The film was released in Lahore and Chitra Cinema of Amritsar

Updated At : 07:48 AM May 24, 2018 IST

Singer Noor Jehan and Bollywood actor Pran have been the findings of the Punjabi film industry in Lahore.

Harjap Singh Aujla

PUNJABI cinema is only a few years younger to its Hindi counterpart. It made its successful debut in 1939 with the release of Gul Bakavli, starring Baby Noor Jehan. It was a cautious venture of the Lahore film industry. The film was released in Lahore and Chitra Cinema of Amritsar.

Luckily, it did enough for staying afloat. Afterall, Lahore was Punjab’s cultural centre and a home to the All India Radio, India’s fifth after Calcutta, Bombay, Madras and New Delhi.

The next film, Yamla Jatt (1940), immersed in the rural Punjabi culture, introduced Pran in the lead role. It smashed previous records at the box office. Its mainstay was its music, composed by Master Ghulam Haider Amritsari, who had discovered singer Noor Jehan in 1939 and Shamshad Begum in 1940. Later, in 1947, he stumbled upon the biggest discovery of his life, Lata Mangeshkar, in Bombay.

In 1942, Mangti became the first Lahore-produced superhit. It was released in all major cities of the undivided province. Its music director Pandit Gobind Ram got nationwide publicity. Lahore’s film industry discovered Pandit Amar Nath as a maverick music director in 1940s. He trained his younger brothers Pandit Husan Lal and Bhagat Ram to become Bollywood’s first highly successful duo of music directors.

The communal strife in 1947 dealt a crushing blow to the Lahore-based film industry. All Hindus and Sikhs associated with the industry had to make an exit. The relocated Punjabi film industry tried to recreate another Lahore in Bombay.

Chaman, the first post-Partition film, shot in Bombay, was released in 1948. Those who saw it never missed the stamp of the Lahori culture. The music was a masterpiece, composed by Vinod, another import from Lahore. Two of its songs were re-recorded in the sensational voice of Lata Mangeshkar. Later, Vinod later used Lata’s voice to the hilt in Punjabi film Bhaiya jee. Another music director, Hans Raj Behl, use Lata’s magic in Lachhi 1949. Allah Rakha did the same for Madari (1950) and Phumman (1950). All these years, the culture of Lahore was alive.

Pakistan too quickly re-established the Lahore film industry with the addition of music directors Rashid Atre from Amritsar and GA Chishti from Jalandhar. Zubaida Khanum, a budding female singer of Amritsar, became Pakistan’s substitute for Lata Mangeshkar and Shamshad Begum. Soon, Noor jehan joined from Bombay. Between 1950 and 1960, the Lahore film industry had a very successful run.

Here in Bombay, for a few years, the Punjabi film industry maintained its Lahori culture. But, as the time passed, the melting pot of Bombay had its impact. The hybrid culture induced degradation, which started after Jugni, Vanjara (1954) and Bhangra (1959). Up to 1979, the hybrid Punjabi and Bombay culture could not keep its appeal with the Punjabis back home, hitting the profitability. Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai (1969) was an exception due to its religious tone.

Then, a big experiment was attempted in the form of Chann Pardesi (1979) and Long Da Lishkara (1981). Both met expectations of cinema-goers. Mohammad Rafi sang his last Punjabi song in Chann Pardesi. Thus, a brand new local film industry started taking shape around Chandigarh. Comedian Jaspal Bhatti also introduced an entertainment show, Ulta Pulta. His sudden death in an accident a few years ago, snatched away a new form of urban touch from the film industry.

Of late, Punjabi cinema of Lahore and Mohali started drifting apart. The language is clearly getting different. Lahore is still dominated by the Punjabi dialect, popular in the Lahore-Amritsar belt. But the Mohali-based industry, barring movies like Angrez and Lahoriye, mostly represents the rural Malwa culture, evolved by non-refugee settlers in and around Chandigarh.

On the music front, Lahore cinema has better music directors and singers. On the contrary, low budget movies in Indian Punjab have made cost cutting mandatory. Instruments used in our Punjabi cinema are fewer. However, there are positives too. The Chandigarh-Mohali industry has found lucrative markets in Canada, USA, UK, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Actors like Gippy Grewal, Binnu Dhillon, Jaswinder Bhalla, Diljeet Dosanjh, Amrinder Gill, Neeru Bajwa, Sargun Mehta have made an impression.