Punjabi actors who donned the director’s hat

Punjabi industry is mostly known for singer turning to actors and vice-versa. However, there's more to Pollywood than what meets the eyes. There are stars in the industry, who choose to make a shift from being in front of the camera to being the one behind the camera. Don’t believe it? Read on to know about the Punjabi actors who went behind the camera to don the hat of the director.

One of the Punjabi directors who has been turning heads of late is Smeep Kang. First ‘Carry On Jatta 2’ and then ‘Vadhayiyaan Ji Vadhayiyaan’, Smeep is on a hit delivering spree. He is also often seen playing small but pivotal roles in those movies. However, do you know that Smeep didn’t start his career as a director? He started his Pollywood journey as an actor with ‘Mahaul Theek Hai’ in 1999. Thereafter, in 2007 he worked as a co-director with Ksshitij Chaudhary and a year later he brought up his own directorial ‘Chak De Phatte’.

Amitoj Maan is one of those rare directors who didn’t just work in Pollywood but Bollywood. But as aforementioned Punjabi artist Smeep Kang, Amitoj Maan also started his career as an actor. His debut Punjabi movie was ‘Naseebo’ that released in 1995. Thereafter, the man shifted to Bollywood for some time and acted in, as well as directed two movies, ‘Hawayein’ and ‘Kaafila’. In 2013, he directed Pollywood movie ‘Haani’, followed by 2015 released ‘Gaddar: The Traitor’.

The multi-talented star Gippy Grewal has always been known to give something new to the entertainment world. Besides establishing himself as a singer-actor-producer, Gippy tried to prove his mettle in the field of direction too. His debut directorial was ‘Ardaas’, which was lauded both by fans and critics. Soon he will be hitting the screen with his second directorial ‘Mar Gaye Oye Loko’. It is touted to be an out and out comedy featuring the Bollywood beauty Sapna Pabbi.

The Pollywood diva Neeru Bajwa is known to turn heads with her amazing cinematic charm. However, Neeru didn’t limit herself to just facing the camera. She explored new horizons by taking up direction. Her first movie as a director was ‘Sargi’, which released in 2016. Featuring Neeru’s sister Rubina Bajwa along with Jassie Gill and Babbal Rai, the movie was penned on the lines of romance.

Another Punjabi star who took up the challenge of working behind the camera is Nav Bajwa. The actor-turned-director hails from a royal family. He started his film career in 2012 with ‘Pure Punjabi’ and after doing a couple of movies in the industry, he took the decision of trying his hands in the field of direction. Nav’s debut directorial ‘Raduaa’ released this year. For his first project, Nav tried to be experimental and choose the sci-fi genre. The movie brought good business to the debut director.

Talking of debut directors of 2018, Rana Ranbir is the next pick for the category. Rana Ranbir is one of the best actors of Pollywood. Besides, he has also established himself as a well-known scriptwriter. Another domain that he explored this year, apart from acting and writing is the direction. He made his debut as a director with ‘Asees’. Drenched in emotions, the movie was about a beautiful bond between mother and her son.