In the new era of Punjabi Cinema many new film makers are coming up with the Punjabi stories of human interest. Another movie based on NRI factor is coming up next month which is also becoming the launch pad for ‘Dil lai gayi kuri Gujrat di…’ famed singer Jasbir Jassi. The movie Khushiyan has been kept in cold box for more than a year. Finally it is going to see the light of the cinema projectors on 14th of October this year. Khushiyan is a brain child of director Tirlok Malik who has been making English short films from many years. Tarlok Malik has a Bachelors Degree in Arts, and has attended the New York Academy of theatrical Arts, The Actors Institute, The Weist Barron School of Television and the New School of Social Research. Tirlok Malik was honored with the ‘Outstanding Citizen’ award by the New York City Council. We are re-producing a television interview with Tirlok Malik in which he is talking about the story, music and reasons behind his choice of Jasbir Jassi, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Rama Vij for Khushian.

–>Which factors have driven you to be a film maker ?

Tirlok Malik, Director, Khushiyan

Film making is my passion. I have that passion since my childhood. I just followed my passion and it became my profession. I have made many English movies. My first film ‘Lonely in America’ was featured in 37 film festivals, 74 countries and overwhelmed through out the world.

Tell us about the Story of the movie Khushiyan?
This is the story of a son, who went off to America after a quarrel with his father. He achieves big success there, got married and has a 6 year old son, but he is haunted by the thought to go back to his father. He goes back to his roots and discovers the real happiness, which we get only from the family.

What inspired you to make this film?
I believe that you may be a Bollywood superstar, may be the richest man of India or the leader of techno world, even after achieving everything how can you achieve the real happiness if your heart is not at the right place?

Many singers are turning to acting. Producers and Directors have big role in that. Why you have opted for Jasbir Jassi?
He is a national star of India. Even he is Punjab da Puttar and we are proud of him. He was right choice for the character. First of all, his 30+ age group suits to that character of the film. Second thing is that I have spent a lot of time with him and felt that he is the right actor and he has done an excellent work. After watching the film people will definitely get to know that apart from being a marvelous singer he is also a fine actor. He has done very fine acting and many emotional scenes with ease.
  
And what is the reason behind choosing Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Rama Vij? I think they both are coming back to Punjabi Cinema after a long gap
They are playing the parents of Jassi. These days when we see our own parents we can feel love between them and I wanted those actors who have good chemistry with each other and can act brilliantly. No one can question their acting skills and everyone knows that both are great actors, Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Rama Vij. They both are coming back to Punjabi cinema after the gap of 31 years from their last appearance in ‘Chan Pardesi’. What a chemistry they have! Unbelieviable!! You would see what kind of love they both have; there are some surprising scenes in the movie.

Jassi is a singer first, so I feel the movie would be music dominated. What kind of music we can expect from this movie?
We have every kind of music in the movie. We have a song on the occasion of Lohri, song of Dhaba and Shri Jagjit Singh had sung a beautiful Shabad. Everyone knows him as the king of Ghazals. One song is full of masti, that is munda made in Punjab… So we have variety of music and everyone will enjoy it.

Well! we wish best of luck to Malik and team. Khushiyan is releasing with little promotion. Will the fame of Jassi be hooking up the attention of audiences? It will only be decided after the release of the movie on 14 October.

By Jacob D’Mellow