In a separate league

Jasmine Singh

He does not bifurcate his work, neatly slotting them in well-defined categories like art, commercial and just-for-festivals. Punjabi film director and actor Jeet Matharu knows only one definition of the word movie. “A movie is something that moves; I don’t classify my films or tag them. A film should simply pull the strings of the heart,” he shares as he excitedly takes us through the hurdles and the high-points of his much-talked about movie Kudessan.

The film, which has already been screened across the world, is getting a great response. “The film has received a standing ovation wherever it was screened. In fact, 650 people in London, mostly women, clapped after watching the film. I am getting the same response everywhere else,” adds Jeet with a momentum in his voice.

Kudessan is based on real-life incidents, far away from the much-accepted comedy genre of Punjabi films. Looks like issue-based films are finding acceptability. “You wouldn’t believe how long I have waited for this time. People are bored of watching comedy, they always wanted to watch something different but the distributors never realised it. It was only after Punjab 1984, Jatt James Bond and Chaar Sahibzaade that the distributors, exhibitors and producers finally realised that the audience is ready for such films.”

It goes without saying that it was not easy to pull a crowd without throwing in big names in a film, a fact Jeet is well aware of. However, this is not the only challenge. “Sourcing funds for such films is a big task. Thankfully, my partner and I could manage this somehow. The second big hurdle, which is ten times more than making a film, is how to bring in the youngsters to watch a film that doesn’t have big names.” Jeet is hopeful and pretty positive that people will love his film that releases on March 6 (Punjabi version). For the first time, this is going to be the first Punjabi film to be released in Spain and Barcelona. It will be released in other countries as well. “I know for a fact that we have scope for content-based films that run for a long time.”

jasmine@tribunemail.com