Pollywood: Love in the time of lockdown

Gabbar Sangrur on shooting during the coronavirus pandemic and producing the witty romcom Punjabi-Hindi film, Jalwayu Enclave.

Writer, director and producer Gabbar Sangrur

It was December of 2019 when Covid-19 hit the Indian subcontinent. Writer, director and producer Gabbar Sangrur, who runs The Theatre Army Films in Chandigarh, had been setting up a base in Mumbai. Season 1 of his hard-hitting Punjabi crime web series, Gangland in Motherland, had got an amazing response and with another script centred on Punjab politics, drugs, and crime, Gabbar was busy exploring Tinsel Town when the lockdown forced him to come back to Chandigarh. Restless by nature, he swung into action once home, helping people with ration, medical supplies, ambulance service, arranging buses for migrants during the pandemic. He simultaneously brainstormed for projects, including exploring season 2 of Gangland and Punjabi family drama, Chaa Coffee, with director Frame Singh, the production of which begins this May.

A romcom set in the time of lockdown, Jalwayu Enclave’s narration left Gabbar impressed.

But the first one to hit the floors was an idea shared by writer-director Thaparr. A romcom set in the time of lockdown, Jalwayu Enclave’s narration left Gabbar impressed. “Punjabi filmmakers largely approach films from the angle of either rural Punjab or one set in Canada. Hardly anyone talks about the boys and girls who’ve moved to the cities from Punjab, their transition and journeys. Jalwayu Enclave captures this facet,” says Gabbar. He decided to produce the film on one condition—he asked for an airtight bound script in hand. When it comes to Punjabi cinema, bound scripts are missing in action. “The writers come on set and write last minute. Stars call the shots, budgets go haywire, and production is affected,” says Gabbar. Now with the trailer out, this slice of life film has already caught people’s attention with its witty light-hearted mix of Hindi-Punjabi dialogues and the love connection that takes place across two balconies. Jalwayu Enclave releases this Friday, February 11, across theatres in Punjab.

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Fingers crossed, Gabbar also heaves a sigh of relief. It was not easy being a producer, and to lend professionalism, he decided to lay ground rules for Jalwayu Enclave with a bound script being the first one. Next came auditions. It’s a love story between two people from diametrically opposite worlds—a simpleton from the heartlands of rural Punjab essayed by actor-singer Gurjazz, and a sophisticated Hindi-English speaking air-hostess from Delhi played by Monica Sharma.

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He decided to produce the film on one condition—he asked for an airtight bound script in hand.

Lockdown also meant restricted movement, precautions and endless authorisations. “We applied for permission to shoot at a society in Zirakpur, but it was stopped. Then, our shooting units could not exceed 10-20 people,” shares Gabbar. From Covid-19 induced restrictions, shoot and location disruption, controlled units, frustrating delays, the production braved the odds for more than a year. “The release too kept being pushed, and, as luck would have it, it’s releasing around Valentine’s,” adds Gabbar, who, in the meantime, was active during the farmers’ protest, and penned its famous song, Navaan Saal Kisaana Naal.

At the Theatre Army Films, content is hero, and talent is king. The emphasis on story, its formation, narration and execution, on-scene development is something Gabbar learned from Samuel John while doing theatre with him. After pursuing an MA in theatre, Gabbar, who hails from Lehragagga Sangrur, started out as a line producer. Today, as he looks back, and all the films he has worked on behind the scenes over 13 years—West is West, ABCD, Street Dancer, Udta Punjab, Nanak Shah Fakir, the series Tabbar—he thanks John for mentoring him. “My parents wanted me to get into the teaching line,” he smiles. In a way, he is, mentoring his team. “I’ve realised one thing, especially during Covid – there is no safety net, those in power seldom help, and elections run like a film, hit or flop. We have to create our own eco-system, keep doing our work, the best way possible.”

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