Raw, rustic action. Punjabi audiences had been craving a massy, angry-young-man film, and Sher Punjab Di delivered. Guri, usually known for romantic roles, underwent a physical transformation—bulked up, intense eyes, and a heavy dialect.
The first half is pure, unadulterated chaos with laugh-out-loud moments. The second half shifts gear into emotional drama without becoming preachy. The music— "Majha Block" and "Rang" —was viral. However, the climax feels rushed. While the resolution is sweet, you wish they had spent 10 more minutes unpacking the societal reaction. Still, it was the sleeper hit of the year, proving that content is king.
Let’s be honest: the plot is a recycled 90s Bollywood trope. But the execution is fresh. The cinematography captures the vibrant Punjab vs. sterile London dichotomy beautifully. Sargun Mehta has a smaller role but shines in the emotional scenes. The film’s strength is its supporting cast—Karamjit Anmol and Rana Jung Bahadur are hilarious. The weakness? A predictable second half. You know exactly how it ends, but you don’t mind the journey. A perfect Sunday afternoon watch.
⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5) 6. Shava Ni Girdhari Lal (Released: November 2022) Starring: Gippy Grewal, Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu (Miss Universe 2021), Sargun Mehta, Prince Kanwaljit Singh Director: Gippy Grewal 7 Hit Movies Punjabi 2022
A happy-go-lucky villager (Ammy) falls for a modern, independent girl (Sonam). Their love story is smooth until their families get involved, turning a simple wedding into a battle of egos over a trivial "puaada" (feud).
The chemistry between Ammy and Sonam is electric. The first half is a breeze—fun, flirty, and filled with beautiful Punjab landscapes. The second half is a slow burn as the families clash. The dialogue is sharp: "Tusi shatranj diya rani ho, jeetna assi sikha dange" (You are a queen in chess, we’ll teach you how to win). The climax doesn’t rely on violence but on a clever speech, which is refreshing. The only flaw is the pacing—the middle 20 minutes drag slightly. A wholesome family hit.
It’s Diljit Dosanjh . Need we say more? The fan following alone guaranteed a hit. But beyond that, the film successfully rebooted a beloved franchise by shifting from romantic comedy to action-comedy. Neeru Bajwa looked stunning and matched Diljit’s energy beat for beat. Raw, rustic action
A serious, soul-stirring drama about a father (Satinder Sartaaj) fighting the system to bring back his son who has been wrongly implicated in a drug case and imprisoned in a foreign country. It is a commentary on the Punjabi drug epidemic and the desperation of families.
A period action-drama set in the 1980s-90s. A righteous young man (Guri) from a powerful family fights against an evil, corrupt politician (Dheeraj Kumar) who is destroying farmers’ lives. Neeru Bajwa plays the love interest caught in the crossfire.
A London-based NRI (Gippy) with a severe phobia of his strict father returns to Punjab to marry his girlfriend. To keep his secret, his friend hires a "fake" father. Naturally, the real father shows up, and the lies spiral into a hurricane of chaos. The first half is pure, unadulterated chaos with
Pure, unapologetic family entertainment. After the pandemic gloom, families flocked to theaters for this one. Gippy Grewal shed his action-hero image to play a terrified, stammering son, and it worked brilliantly. Binnu Dhillon as the chaotic friend was the MVP—his timing is impeccable.
A hilarious case of mistaken identity. Girdhari (Gippy) is a struggling actor who gets hired to pretend to be a rich businessman’s son. He accidentally falls for the daughter of a rival family, leading to a chaotic wedding season full of lies, songs, and slapstick.
This is the best film of 2022, artistically. The screenplay is tight—you feel the ticking clock. Sargun Mehta, as the grieving mother, delivers silence better than most actors deliver dialogues. The film doesn’t glorify Punjab’s problems; it exposes them. The use of real locations in rural Punjab adds authenticity. The only "problem" is that it’s a difficult watch. You will cry. You will feel angry. It is not a date-night movie. But for those seeking substance, Zindagi Zindabaad is a masterpiece. It closed 2022 on a poignant note, reminding everyone that Pollywood can do serious cinema just as well as comedy.
Introduction: The Renaissance of Pollywood
This is the most "filmy" film on the list. The action sequences in Vancouver are slick. The comedy—especially the scenes with the Punjabi-Canadian police chief—is gold. However, the film suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a rom-com? An action thriller? A social drama about drugs? It tries to be all three and doesn't fully succeed at any. The songs, particularly "Gutt Nu Phirde" , were chartbusters. Diljit’s charm carries the weak patches. If you are a fan, you will love it. If not, you might find the 150-minute runtime long.