Film on Bhagat Puran’s life shines at box office

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 8

The film “Eh Janam Tumhare Lekhe”, based on the life of Pingalwara founder late Bhagat Puran Singh, has got an overwhelming response from viewers in the state.

The first week’s box office collections of the film stand at Rs 69 lakh. There is also an increase in the number of volunteers at the Pingalwara here.

The film highlights the way the disabled and destitute are treated at Pingalwaras across the state.

A youth, Bhupinder Singh, who was in the direction team and has played a small role in the film, has approached the All India Pingalwara Charitable Society, seeking to marry a girl who has been brought up at Pingalwara. The society has accepted his proposal.

The film, inspired by the life of humanitarian saint Bhagat Puran Singh was released worldwide on January 30. The film is running successfully in 95 cinema halls in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Pune and Mumbai.

Dr Inderjit Kaur, director, Pingalwara society, said they had made special arrangements for free shows for schoolchildren.

“Inspired by the film, many people from various parts of the country and abroad have come forward to serve patients at the Pingalwara centre. A youth has showed inclination to marry a girl from the centre. Pingalwara is not just an institution, it is a movement initiated by Bhagat Puran Singh,” she said.

The movie is directed by Harjit Singh. The role of Bhagat Puran Singh was enacted by actor Pawan Malhotra. The childhood role of the saint was played by a KG student of Pingalwara School, Yuvraj. Punjabi singer and actor Daljit Dosanjh has sung the songs without charging a single penny.

Movie pips “PK” in UK, US

The movie has got a good response in abroad as well. It is being screened in 17 cities in the UK, six in New Zealand, 12 Canada, 16 US, six Africa and nine Italy. Reports say the weekend collections of the film are around 24,000 pounds in the UK and Ireland, whereas “PK” had done a business of 8,800 pounds. Similarly in the US, it collected nearly 22,500 pounds whereas “PK” earned 9,000 pounds. In Australia and New Zealand, it has topped the charts among the Indian films and realised around 28,600 and 8,900 dollars, respectively.