Change of subject

Jasmine Singh

There came a time, almost six months back, when Binnu Dhillon didn’t know what to do about a similar kind of request he was getting on his Facebook account. ‘Bhaji kuch different karo. Hor kina hasaana’, his fans invariably had the same thing to say. “I couldn’t have ignored it, it was in fact an indicator that I needed to actually experiment with myself in Punjabi movies,” shares actor, comedian and theatre-artist Binnu Dhillon. So, he decided to answer these requests through his upcoming film Channo Kamli Yaar Di, which stars Neeru Bajwa and him in the lead roles. Everything about his role screams of ‘being different’ and how, the man talks about it, at length and breadth.

Channo is our answer

Channo Kamli Yaar Di is an emotional journey of a pregnant woman who goes to Canada to find her husband. “This time, giving due importance to the filmi cliché — ‘my role is different’— all I can say with guarantee is that you will find a never-seen-before Binnu in this film. I play Taaji in this film, a pendu character dealing with his one-sided love with Neeru. He is ready to go to all lengths to be with her. It is an emotional character, like the film where the subject is given precedence.

We have a story to tell

I am completely of the view that Punjabi film audience is ready for meaningful cinema. And we have loads to tell. All the same, doing subject-oriented films is still a risk but I am glad we have taken it up.

Experimental mode

I agree that Punjabi film audience has always given immense support to comedy films; at the same time, there is a need to experiment in comedies as well. In our upcoming film Channo Kamli Yaar Di, we have tried to do the same. It is a heart-felt subject wherein we give you relief in terms of some light moments.

Serious can be commercial

Who says serious subjects cannot be commercial? The so-called saying that serious subjects fall into the arty category is not true. Following a limited budget, giving priority to the subject, and using laughter not as a USP but a sensible input can make a Punjabi film commercially viable.

Comedy in promos

I could have done the same and generated more curiosity for Channo. But, I don’t want the audience to come with a mindset that if it’s Binnu in the film then it will be a comedy.

Lessons learnt

Love can make you go crazy, and there are no explanations for falling in love.

jasmine@tribunemail.com