[Reader-list] Celluloid and Compact Disks in Punjab

[daljit ami]

Seriously understanding the non-serious
Ferozepur, faridkot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar and Pathankot are Districts of Indian Punjab bordering with Pakistani Punjab. This area has unique features on cultural, linguistic, and geographical accounts. This area could not contribute much in Film Industry after partition despite having big names of Bollywood like Muhammad Rafi and Balraj Sahni from this area. Partition of Punjab happens to be cultural displacement of this area from broader scene. 
During recent trend of Compact Disks, film aspirants from this area also tried their hand on film making. The reason and aspirations of the film makers from this area are not different from those of other area. Harinder Bhullar did his BA, B Ed., DPEd., ITI, ETT and is about to join as elementary teacher in a government school. He was ignored as comedian by college seniors and cultural co-ordinators during college days. He could not get chance on stage to show his talent. He tried his luck in films as artist (in short films) but nobody offered him role without money. He did a role in a religious film (Dhan Baba Badhbagh Singh) but the role doesn’t have any dislodge. Irritated Harinder Bhullar decided to produce his own film. Meanwhile he was writing articles on entertainment industry and sports personalities. He developed good relations with established Punjabi comedians. When he produced the film, Duniya Bigad Gayi, he took six bites of these people as best wishes and used these bites as prelude of the film. He says that he was unknown so these stars provided known faces which facilitated his film to reach the audience. These six faces are on the CD Cover which definitely makes audience think about their role in the film. 
This first film is a compilation of skits, one find really difficult to laugh upon. Leaving apart the treatment part this film rustically introduces the phenomena of music industry and Multilevel Marketing from rural prospective. This film has found new minority to demean, linguistic. Two characters of the film speak a particular dialect of Punjabi which Rai Sikh community speaks. These are foolish characters demeaning Rai Sikh sensibility. Rai Sikh community lives on the border in Ferozepur and Faridkot districts of Punjab. Despite being educationally backward thin minority, they are known for their wisdom. Most probably this dialect has been introduced in the film for the first time. 
Through his links Harinder Bhullar found an NRI, Avtar Lakha, who agreed to be the presenter of the film if his photograph is added in the film and published on the cover. He paid 50, 000 Indian rupees for this. Harinder spent 80,000 on the film and sold it to Peritone, an audio video company for 65,000. 
After producing his first film in 2004 Harinder produced his second film, Desi Sholey, in 2006. This remake of Sholey, a super hit Bollywood film of seventies, could not attract the buyer. Harinder ended up requesting the companies to release the film free of cost. World Touch, another local company, agreed to release but asked for the cost if posters are to be published for advertisement. Harinder paid another 3,000 to get the posters printed.
Harinder is no more interested in making films as he feels that the trend has reached saturation point. He is planning for a comedy cassette as he thinks that ‘audio cassette can fetch stage shows’ for him. People don’t take film seriously as they think us to be artists not comedians.
Is the person not taken seriously by college seniors, fellow comedians, film audience, and video companies deserves to be taken seriously? My answer is YES, he is important to understand the ongoing phenomena? Aspirations, market equations, desperation and technology have brought us face to face with a situation never experienced in History. Harinder is a character who is living this piece of history.
Daljit Ami
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