Punjabi actor-singer Ammy Virk and director Simerjit Singh come together for the sixth time for OyeMakhna. They share notes from the journey so far

Mona

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Chacha-bhatija is a winning combination in Punjabi culture, add to it a love story and an Oye Makhna is born! Actor-singer Ammy Virk and director Simerjit Singh come together for the sixth time — after Angrez, Nikka Jaildar, Nikka Jaildar 2, Nikka Jaildar 3 and Muklawa — for this comedy drama. Actor Guggu Gill plays the chacha. The hero of this film Makhan Virk (aka Ammy Virk), is caught between two girls — played by Tania and Sidhika Sharma — but also has to choose between his love and honour of the family.

The story by Rakesh Dhawan, interested the director Simerjit immediately, “Chacha-bhatija is a special bond in our region, and probably all of India.” His working equation with Ammy has only got better with each film. “Ammy is an amazing actor. My effort is now just at 10 per cent, he understands much without saying. I share a wonderful bond with Guggu Gill, Tania and Sidhika Sharma too. We had fun shooting.”

Happy team

The cast duly seconds their director. “He is the most easy-going director on the sets,” says Tania. “The dialogues were so funny that we would start laughing ourselves and had to go for retakes,” says Ammy.

Simerjit moved from Moga to Mumbai in search of work. “Films attracted me from childhood. Doing college in Moga, I fell even more in love with acting. But knowing acting isn’t my cup of tea, I headed towards direction. I was fascinated by the person who called the shots on the sets.” Simerjit spent years in Mumbai, assisting mainstream directors. In 2010, he directed his first Punjabi film Chak Jawana with Gurdas Maan. Helming Punjabi films one after another, he calls Mohali his base now.

As Oye Makhna releases, Simerjit isn’t anxious but concerned. “Each Friday release is like an exam; you have the report by day-end whether audiences have liked the film or not. If the film works, great, if not it does feel bad as nobody sets out to make a bad film.”

Dividing his years between Bollywood and Pollywood, he sees a world of difference. “In Mumbai, actors are professional. Right from Shah Rukh Khan to Priyanka Chopra to Amitabh Bachchan report on time, get ready and wait for the call for the shot; here time is not the priority, the focus is more on gup-shup than on the job.”

However, it’s not just Pollywood that Simerjit wants to be restricted to. “I have a few subjects that have global appeal, and I am already in touch with some French, Israeli and Turkish screenwriters to develop the script. I want to make a film that’s watched all over the world.”

Oye Makhna cast wishes the audiences step into cinemas and enjoy the film they claim is a winning combination of comedy and emotional appeal, while Tania wants more female-centric films in Punjabi. “Internationally, and even in the Hindi film industry, now female-led films are accepted. I wish that is the case with the Punjabi film industry as well. Guggu Gill, who has enjoyed close to four decades in the industry, hopes to bag some memorable roles. “I grew up appreciating actors like Dilip Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar, who have given unforgettable performances. I wish for a role like that of Sanjeev Kumar in Khilona.” And, Ammy has his eyes set on an action film next!

(Oye Makhna releases in cinemas today)