Remembering the Classic: Putt Jattan De

Since the 1970’s Dharmendra had been quite a regular feature in Punjabi films. His ‘true blue’ Punjabi roots brought him even more closer to his fans from the Punjab, both in India and abroad. However, his last outing in Punjabi films was in the year 1976 when he appeared in the Veerendra and Komilla Virk starrer Giddha and that too in a special appearance. Fans awaited his re-entry into Punjabi films with bated breath but for the next six years or so, Dharmendra stayed away from Punjabi films, maybe because of his pre-occupation with the high budget Hindi cinema that he was an integral part of.

The year 1983 saw the release of Putt Jattan De which was directed by Jagjeet Gill who also wrote the dialogues and screenplay. The highpoint or the USP of the film was that it starred two of the most bankable superstars of the day. They were both Dharmendra and Shatrughan Sinha who were the reigning kings in their respective domains. The Punjabi film industry woke up to a brand new equation where these big names came in and tipped the scales in favour of the film.

The public on the other hand could not have got more. They were getting a package that was beyond their imagination. Plus having Baldev Khosa, Daljeet Kaur, Mehar Mittal etc., proved to be the icing on the cake. The film was a Distributor’s delight and everyone vied amongst themselves to get the lion’s share.

The film opened to ‘House Full’ boards everywhere and the buzz was that the film would end up creating history. It is pertinent to mention that this film was also the debut film of the charming Guggu Gill and singer-turned-actor Surinder Shinda. Other than the storyline and acting the film became more known for its title track that was sung by Surinder Shinda. The ‘Punjabi-Jatt’ machismo was celebrated with much aplomb. Till date the song has been remixed many times and is still a foot-stomper, whenever it is played, wherever any Punjabi resides.

The film was written by Ajit Singh Deol who was Dharmendra’s brother. Made on a reasonably big budget for those times, it earned much more than anyone could have ever imagined. The highlight of the film was the amazing acting by a relatively unknown actor called Parkash Gill who played the dreaded Jageera and his performance still sends a chill down one’s spine.

Another fun fact of the film was that both Surinder Shinda and Mohammad Sadiq were playback singers and acted too in the movie at the same time. One memorable film that has stood the test of time.