Given the similarity between Punjabi and Hindi, it’s not hard for most Hindi-speaking folk to understand songs in Punjabi and sing along, even if we aren’t fluent in the language. So, with a rise in the popularity of the music created by artists like Harrdy Sandhu, Aastha Gill, Neha Kakkar and Badshah, mainstream Hindi films see the inclusion of a lot of Punjabi tracks now. 

All those consuming Bollywood films get exposed to the fashion, music and lyrics of Punjabi rap and pop stars. You no longer need to search the obscure corners of YouTube to find Punjabi music. You can hear songs by stars like Diljit Dosanjh in popular Hindi movies too. Is it any surprise that Punjabi artists are grabbing as many eyeballs as Sunidhi Chauhan or Arijit Singh?

While Bollywood was always heavy in Punjabi elements, today’s Punjabi film hero is different from that of the 90s

We have had Punjabi filmmakers like the Kapoors and Chopras in Bollywood since time immemorial, but the version of Punjabi culture we were shown then versus that which we are shown now is different.

Today Diljit Dosanjh in a film like Phillauri shows us a Punjabi ‘son of the soil’ perspective. There’s a line Shah Rukh Khan says in Jab Harry Met Sejal that marks the shift in our approach towards understanding Punjab beyond superficialities: “Pata hai Punjabi singers itna zor se kyun gaate hain? Kisan hote hain… kheton mein gaana bhi gaate hai, toh apni awaaz sunne ke liye tractor ke awaaz se ooncha gaana hota hai.”

Today’s Punjabi film hero is the farmer, not the industrialist. There’s a realism and earthiness to the treatment of cultures in movies now, and it gives us a glimpse of Punjabi culture beyond the urban and upper classes. That’s why it really matters that they speak and sing in their own language to preserve its uniqueness, even if the films are Hindi.

Television plays a big role in the “Punjabification” of pop culture. Just see how Diljit spoke pure Punjabi on ‘Koffee With Karan’, for instance 

Films aren’t the only way something becomes mainstream in India. If you see a celebrity from a certain culture a lot on TV or in films, you will want to know more about that culture, be it Korean or Punjabi. That’s why, when Punjabi stars like Neha Kakkar are seen judging popular contests like Indian Idol, or artists like Diljit Dosanjh are invited to talk shows like Koffee With Karan. There’s an increased curiosity about their lifestyle, and this includes their language and culture. Widely-watched reality shows like Bigg Boss feature Punjabi actors like Jasmine Bhasin, Himanshi Khurana or Shehnaaz Gill, who’ve become household names.

When we see them speaking in Punjabi, we also feel confident enough to do the same in our mother tongue. It reminds us that being Indian isn’t about us all being the same but, as we say in India, “same-same but different.”

Including regional elements into Hindi-language content is a great way to bring people together 

While the homogenisation of Indian culture around Hindi is a controversial topic, we must acknowledge the impact of Hindi-language content, especially in heavily-populated regions like North India. Back in the early 2000s, when Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Devdas took the country by storm, we saw people speaking snippets of Bangla while draping sarees in the Bengali style with big bindis on their foreheads. Sure, it was a very commercial take on the region’s culture and even stereotypical in some ways. But, it also created a sense of familiarity towards another culture and broadened our ideas about the many ways to be Indian.

Even among those who aren't from Punjab and don't speak Punjabi, this “Punjabification” of predominantly-Hindi shows and songs creates a sense of closeness with Punjabi culture. This process of gradually familiarising ourselves with a different region and its language combats the tendency of alienating those we consider “others” and different from us. It helps fight regionalism, racism and ethnic biases, thus bringing people together.

That’s why it’s the need of the hour for filmmakers to foster change by giving under-represented cultures a platform in Hindi films too. Be it North-Eastern culture, or the traditions, music, and lifestyles of those from states like Odisha or Ladakh, there are so many beautiful regions we don’t see in Bollywood. Even the inclusion of something as relatively famous as South Indian music is not common in Hindi films. We have clearly seen how art forms like music and cinema bring people together with the example of Punjabi stars. Why not apply the same logic to other regional stars and give everyone else a stage, too?