Binnu Dhillon cracks jokes in Jaspal Bhatti humour fest

Veteran actor Binnu Dhillon, who has carved his niche in the Punjabi industry beyond the genre of comedy, is an ardent admirer of the legacy left behind by the late satirist, Jaspal Bhatti. In Chandigarh recently for the Jaspal Bhatti humour fest, Binnu spoke to us about his opinion on Bhatti's contribution towards elevating the stature of Sardars, from mere on-screen fools to comic artists, transcending the sub-continent."Jaspal Bhatti saab was the one who uplifted the image of Sikhs on the national and international stage," says Dhillon, "There used to be a lot of satire on Sikhs earlier. A guy wearing a turban was portrayed as a joke, but since Bhatti saab entered cinema he changed the entire perspective and idiom of Sardar jokes." Dhillon had also been associated with Bhatti as a co-actor for some shows. "I performed with Bhatti saab for his show Professor Money Plant, and we again associated for my play Naughty Baba In Town, when both of us performed in Canada."

Making a mention of Bhatti's contribution to the comedy industry, Dhillon adds, "Comic films started in his era. Being the king of satire, he was all over it. For me, the various shows he did were a breakthrough in the industry." Besides Bhatti, Dhillon admits to also being inspired by the work of character actor, Paresh Rawal.
Reflecting on his career spanning over a decade, Dhillon is very conscious of having kept vulgarity out of his work. "The way the comedians used to work was exemplary. They never stooped low to crack double meaning jokes. And I aspire to live and perform on that principle. I have always aimed to produce work that you can watch with your family. And I still try and abide by that." The star of comic movies like Carry On Jatta and Goreya Nu Daffa Karo, is also enjoying his time as a stand-up comic, touring various countries.
Talking about the role of Punjabi industry in the comic scenario in India, Dhillon adds, "Now-a-days we are part of a really stressful society. But if you look at North Indian households, especially Punjab, making light of every situation is a part of everything here. We are indulging in therapy involuntarily when we chose to laugh. So, that is how huge laughter is here, and it surely has had an effect."
The actor is all set to make his second appearance in a Bollywood film. He will be seen with Sunny Deol and Dharmendra in the third film of the franchise, Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se, after making his Bollywood debut with Dev D in 2008. ( Kshitij Bhargava )