Munda, makhna, soni, rab, kudi, mauja, tussi, puttar every second Hindi film is peppered with Punjabi. Sunday MiD DAY takes a close look at the deep-rooted Punjabification of Bollywoodu00a0

A turbaned Saif Ali Khan promises himself that the pretty girl he's wooing will be his 'votti' someday in Love Aaj Kal. Rani Mukherji engages in a loud Punjabilish conversation with Shahid Kapoor on a truck in Dil Bole Hadippa. Just as the Rajs and Simrans before them cooed to pigeons in mustard fields, dutifully applied mehendi, observed karva chauth and did the bhangra.

Is Punjab the only state in north India? Nope. Do all Indians speak fluent Punjabi? Well, thanks to Raj and his ilk, we've come to learn what 'praah', 'soniye' and 'makhna' mean. What is with Bollywood's obsession with the state, considering that so many of its actors don't even come from there?

Do you speak Punjabi?
"The Indian family shown in movies is generally a north Indian one. What has changed in the last few years is that this family has become specifically Punjabi Hindu (not Sikh)," says Nandini Ramnath, film correspondent, Time Out magazine.

Ramnath adds that since Hindi has been the language of most Mumbai movies, whatever the background of the actor, he or she is made into a generic north Indian character. "Even the very Tamilian Vyjayanthimala or the very Bengali Meena Kumari had to pass off as a north Indian. In recent times, my favourite non-Punjabi pretending to be one is the very Bengali-looking Rani Mukherji," she says.

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali (director, Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal), says it isn't a conscious decision. "When I thought up Geet (Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met), I wanted her to be a Rajasthani. I had envisioned the whole travel sequence in which Aditya (Shahid Kapoor) takes her home to Rajasthan. But the exuberance of her character and the madness of her family lent itself to Punjab," he explains.

He cites the same reason for Khan's Sardar act in Love Aaj Kal, "Saif's character is of the guy who moves to the UK with nothing and makes a name for himself through honest means. In my experience, people in London who've come up the right way are usually Punjabi." Ali adds that since Khan plays a double role, having him don a turban physically distinguished the characters. The filmmaker believes that the 'Punjabi' overdose in the industry is because most of the industry is from the state.

Film critic Deepa Gahlot agrees. "After Partition, several of the Punjabi filmmakers moved to India from Lahore. The Chopras, the Sippys, the Kapoors, are all Punjabis. It's obvious that they will make movies about what they know. It's just that earlier, the hero-heroine never had a last name. It was only a Vijay, which vaguely suggested of North Indian roots." Gahlot also feels that the huge NRI market, which thrives on bhangra and Punjabi-infused dialogue, is a factor.

"Whatever happens to the Gujaratis in New Jersey and the Tamilians in London then?" Ramnath wants to know.
Apne had Dharmendra and Kirron Kher going back and forth in Punjabi while Akshay Kumar ooh'd and aah'd over his ladylove Katrina Kaif in the language throughout Singh Is Kinng. Divya Dutta refused to utter a word in Hindi in Veer Zaara, as did the families of Dev and Paro in Dev.D.

The same goes for the lovable conman's dad in Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. Who can forget the bumbling Mr Suri of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Geet's formidable papaji-chachaji-dadaji in Jab We Met, or the entire cast of Aloo Chaat and their Punjabi banter?

Coming up, one can expect much 'gal dasso' and 'ki hoyya?' from Rocket Singh: Salesman of The Year, Dil Bole Hadippa and the recently released Love Aaj Kal. "I suggest that producers start subtitling the Punjabi bits, both in the main film and in the songs," retorts Ramnath.

"The Punjabi in movies is a hybrid. If you've heard real Punjabi, you wouldn't follow a word," states Gahlot. Ali agrees, "Mauja hi Mauja was a huge success throughout the country. After listening to it a few times, people understood that it meant to just enjoy."

Not tongue-tied
Trade analyst Vinod Mirani feels that Punjabi is quite close to Hindi. "Also, other states don't have as much of a creative contribution to the industry as much as Punjab does. The Gujarati influence extends to the money and the ownership of studios," he explains. Mirani adds that it is an ongoing trend that will change. "Back in the 1970s and '80s, Bambaiyya Hindi was huge. Now more than Punjabi, Hinglish is the rage."

Film critic and author Anupama Chopra, who calls the phenomenon the 'Punjabification' of Bollywood, says, "Hindi films are larger than life, robust... they're all about vivaciousness and masti which is the classic Punjab stereotype. Punjab and Bollywood are a perfect fit."

The NDTV film reviewer points out that other cultures have been explored in films, depending on their makers. "Sanjay Leela Bhansali portrayed Gujarat beautifully in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Sooraj Barjatya has a different approach in his family movies." According to her, several filmmakers ape the Chopras because their films work. "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge inspired tons of clones," she says.



Is that why Anurag Kashyap picked up hardcore Bengali characters and planted them right in the middle of the heartland in Dev.D? "I adapted Devdas to suit me," is his answer. "Most men who at the age of 30-32 are still jobless, driving around in SUVs and whose dads are rich land owners are from there," he adds with a laugh.

The filmmaker denies that the popularity of Punjabi'ism among the audience influenced his decision. "I don't know what the audience wants. I only make what I want. Within a budget of three to three-and-a-half crores, I can play around with my plot, do what I like. Maybe if I make a big-budget film, I'll do the whole Punjabi routine too. It simplifies things," he says.