I feel burdened with over expectations: Pankaj

Mona

Friendship, struggle, love triangle, family bonds to misunderstandings– Pankaj Batra’s next has everything that today’s youth may relate to it, however, it’s dramatically opposite to his last Sajjan Singh Rangroot. It’s a fresh artistic challenge that he enjoys with his each new one and High End Yaariyaan posed one, a journey – full on fun and frolic.

With Jassie Gill, Ranjit Bawa and Ninja in lead roles with pretty damsels Navneet Kaur Dhillon, Muskan Sethi and Arushi to keep company, this story pans out in Punjab and the UK. “I try sticking to one film a year and give my best. With each film, it feels like the expectations from me are only growing exponentially whether it’s setting the Box Office ringing or winning the cine-lovers’ heart,” says the Chandigarh born and bred director, who is rather happy to see the charged-up room with whole cast adding to the buzz.

As a director, turning an idea to 2/2.5 hour-finished project is a challenge he enjoys the most while Fridays set him anxious. “It’s like a whole arc – the idea, scripting, dialogues, cast to locales – so much goes into it and when it turns out a whole, living being, the satisfaction is unparalleled,” says the Bambukat director. He admits, the scripts land at his door aplenty, but since he cannot read each one, it’s something different that he tries to catch each time. “I have zeroed in on my next, it’s a romantic story,” he says, turning us over to the next on the table.

Ranjit Bawa plays a pind da munda who lands in UK for the sake of the girl he loves and the friendship with two boys he meets takes the story forward. “Friendship film was due in Pollywood and to be able to do it with Pankaj Batra and the team it got was a good personal and professional call,” says the singer-actor.

While acting is one, singing on stage remains close to his heart. “It’s where business lies as well one finds true fans,” says the Mitti Da Bawa singer that won him his famous surname. With Indo-Pak relations on the boil and artistic bonding under fire, we ask him about his take, “It’s such a complex political issue that you and I can never get to the reality of it. Work puts me in touch with Pakistani artistes whether singer, lyricists or music composers and as many as I have interacted with, none wants unrest or loss of lives,” he puts earnestly.

Next for him is a world tour taking him to Australia, America, Canada, Europe and Dubai. Constant travel? “This is the time that recognition is coming my way, family, fans love it and so do I.” For this singer, who sings of the Sassi as much as of Google, aims at taking Gurdas Maan’s legacy forward.

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