Punjabi stars and their Bollywood debuts

When it comes to showcasing one’s talent, there is no stopping. Real talent finds its way across regional boundaries and language barriers. Proving the same, many actors from the Punjabi film industry made their foray into Bollywood. These celebs not only gained appreciations from all quarters for their work but also made a mark in the industry with their performance. Here we take a look at some of your favourite Punjabi stars and their Bollywood debuts.

By the speed with which Diljit Dosanjh entered and conquered Bollywood, he has all the obvious reasons to top the list. The Punjabi singer-actor, who is currently enjoying the limelight for his recent album and film ‘Sajjan Singh Rangroot’, made his debut in Bollywood with ‘Udta Punjab’.

Diljit played a cop in the movie who changed from a corrupt officer to a good one and fought until the end against drug mafia. The journey thus started, didn’t stop. After ‘Udta Punjab’, Diljit did ‘Phillauri’ and ‘Welcome To New York’. Soon he will again hit the box-office with ‘Soorma’ and ‘Arjun Patiala’.

The ‘Subedar Joginder Singh’ fame Gippy Grewal is a multi-talented star. He is not just a Punjabi singer and actor, but has also donned the director’s cap for 2016 released ‘Ardaas’. Besides this, Gippy also tried his hand in Bollywood. With ‘Second Hand Husband’, the Punjabi star made his way to the B’town. Directed by Smeep Kang, the movie was a romantic comedy, which was highly appreciated for Gippy Grewal’s amazing comic timing. After a rom-com, Gippy took a serious Hindi drama and signed Ranjit Tiwari’s 'Lucknow Central'.

The Punjabi beauty Neeru Bajwa, who is nothing short of a perfectionist, didn’t start her acting career through regional cinema. Unlike other Punjabi stars, Neeru started her journey with Bollywood debut in one of Dev Anand’s directorial ‘Main Solah Baras Ki’. The movie released in 1998, and post that the actress did more of Punjabi movies. However, it’s not that after ‘Main Solah Baras Ki’ Neeru didn’t ever turn back to Bollywood. She did a couple of movies like ‘Prince’, ‘Phoonk 2’ and ‘Miley Naa Miley Hum’.

The sizzling and sensuous Punjabi belle Surveen Chawla rose to fame in Bollywood with ‘Hate Story 2’. However, that was not her first Hindi movie she did. The diva entered B’town via a cameo in the 2011 released ‘Hum Tum Shabana’. Later, with the movie ‘Ugly’, she made a full-fledged appearance on the 70mm screen. Thereafter, Surveen signed ‘Hate Story 2’, with which became a head-turner. Last Surveen was seen in ‘Parched’, one of the highly appreciated offbeat Bollywood movies.

Though the Punjabi singer-actor is yet to make a Bollywood debut, the news of him entering the B’town is already doing rounds. If the reports are to be believed, Jassie Gill will feature in the Hindi rom-com ‘Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi’. The movie is a sequel to 2016’s hysterical hit ‘Happy Bhag Jayegi’, starring Abhay Deol, Diana Penty, Ali Fazal, Jimmy Sheirgill and Momal Sheikh. Jassie took to his social media account to share the news of his first Bollywood movie.