Punjabi industry lacks individuality, and stories are missing from scripts: Rana Ranbir

Having watched Punjabi industry wax and wane for decades, actor Rana Ranbir is now often posed the question, why does Punjabi cinema trail behind south, in national dominance? “I wish there was a simple answer, it’s not as seemingly simple,” said Rana on the sidelines of the launch of his eight book, a poetic compilation, Aaho.“Punjab doesn’t have pure filmmakers, there are only investors here unlike the south,” said the Ardaas actor, adding, “We are in the race to be herded by any one trend, whether it’s an NRI subject, comedy or drama- this region lacks individuality, and our stories are missing. Also, we share proximity to Hindi and English languages unlike southerners who understand only their native language. It’s a challenge because we compete with Bollywood and Hollywood for audiences.”Of late, the question of missing audiences from cinemas too has popped up. “If audience is not watching Punjabi films in theatres, why are they seeing Dhurandhar? We need to look inwards for solutions,” he said who has also directed films like Asees, Posti and Mansuba. Talking about his passion for writing, Rana said, “Most of my literature is empirical. Like I write about words vanishing from local dialect, about observing how women find expression even in mundane household chores.”Aaho is a compilation of 144 pages, that are a blend of “motivational, and spiritual,” dialogue picked from everyday life. “Humanity needs to be guided about love than transcends gender and personal relationships and romance,” he said talking about the nature of his book. “This lack, which is not taught at schools or colleges, is important to instill in people and is the kind of love our gurus spoke about. My poems also talk about relationships that refresh, and uplift, and about things we can do to inspire ourselves.”When asked how he finds time to juggle being an actor, an author and director besides scriptwriting, he said, “When we start recognizing our inner energy, we can achieve many things. Also, when we realise that life is finite and we all have limited time, then you learn about time management. I write in between shooting, when travelling, when waiting at airports. If we learn to write and read, lot of visits to doctors will be reduced (smiles). We are giving phones to young kids so that we get time for ourselves.” Some of his forthcoming films as actor include Ishqa De Lekhe is an upcoming Punjabi film starring Gurnam Bhullar and Isha Malviya and Jawaak that features Neeru Bajwa.