Amritsar artists pay tributes to versatile actor Jaswinder Bhalla

The news of Jaswinder Bhalla’s demise after a long illness came as a shock not just for the Punjabi entertainment industry but also for the lovers of Punjabi films. Jaswinder Bhalla was an institution in himself, a versatile artiste and an educator, who brought laughter and evoked love for Punjabi boli.

As condolences poured in, Amritsar-based artists and actors, who had the opportunity to share screen space or personal time with the actor, shared their experiences and memories of Bhalla.

Kewal Dhaliwal, eminent theatre person, who had known Bhalla through his early on-stage collaborations, said that he was an extremely gifted artist. “He started his career in entertainment industry through live audio recordings and stage shows. At a time when not many Punjabi films were made and entertainment was limited mostly to live stage and DD shows, Jaswinder Bhalla’s comedy Chhankatta series, with Bal Mukund Sharma, became a super-hit worldwide. It was a phenomenal achievement at that time,” said Dhaliwal.

Kewal Dhaliwal’s association with Bhalla happened through his time serving as the in-charge of Youth Welfare Committee at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana. Through sharp political and social satire and character sketches, Bhalla did what most comedy artists do today — invite a jail term. “His comic timing was impeccable and his courage to call out political masters of the time while making them laugh at themselves was something that made him stand apart from the crowd. The Chhankatta audio series became a core memory of Punjabi pop culture with Bhalla later also giving other iconic characters like Chacha Chatar Singh and the more current, Advocate Dhillon (from his popular film Carry On Jatta).

Amritsar-based actor Anita Devgan, a well-known name of Punjabi film industry, has extensively worked with him. Anita Devgan and Jaswinder Bhalla have appeared together in several Punjabi films, often bringing comic flair to their respective supporting roles. She had once described Bhalla as an extremely humble and good human being. In her condolence message for the actor and co-star, Devgan described his contribution to Punjabi film industry as unparalleled, “We were supposed to work together more. No one thought that you would go so soon,” she posted on her social media page.