Punjab shining

Punjabi film Baghi Di Dhee won the ‘Best Punjabi Film’ Award at the 70th National Film Awards. Directed by Mukesh Gautam, the film stars Dilnoor Angel, Vikram Chouhan and Kuljinder Singh Sidhu.

An elated Mukhesh Gautam shares with The Tribune, “This is the win of the entire team — the cast, technicians and everyone who became part of this challenging project.” This is Gautam’s third feature film after Akhiyaan Udeekdian (2009) and Ek Noor (2011). He has been a part of the film industry for the last 30 years. He also has to his credit a number of documentaries. Baghi Di Dhee is based on a story by Gurmukh Singh Musafir. The film takes a page from the Ghadar movement.

The film narrates the story of a courageous daughter of a freedom fighter who avenges her father’s sacrifice. “Making a period film needs one of the two — enormous budget like Baahubali makers or passion. With a limited budget and resources, it is the result of mad zeal that Baghi Di Dhee was born,” says Gautam, who created time period of a century ago near Chandigarh itself. Father of two actresses — Yami Gautam and Surilie Gautam — one zestfully asks, why not any of them in the film? He laughs, “Yami is too big for us to afford.” — Mona