With a strong culture, emotions, and a touch of Bollywood, Punjabi entertainment has found its place on the international map. From this list, we don’t just have moving stories

with the unmistakable Punjabi flavor but also Punjabi stories that have made quite a dent. Whether you like your comedy rib-tickling or your drama soul-stirring, there is something in this list for every kind of viewer. Let’s celebrate Punjab’s spirit, one screen at a time.

13. Chadi Jawani Budhe Nu (1976)

Adapted from the title play in Punjabi, A. Salaam’s ‘Chadi Jawani Budhe Nu’ is a Punjabi-language comedy film about a middle-aged fellow whose midlife crisis knows no limits. His desire overpowers him and he decides to divorce his wife and wed his new mistress. This is where his two children, fresh from college, step in to stop him. Starring B.S. Sood, Dheshi Kamleshwar, Dolly Walia, Subhash Sethi, and Vasundhara, ‘Chadi Jawani Budhe Nu’ is remembered for naughty puns and sexual humor. Watch it here.

12. Honeymoon (2022)

Directed by Amarpreet G S Chabbra, ‘Honeymoon’ is an Indian Punjabi-language comedy film that features Jasmin Bhasin, Gippy Grewal, Nirmal Rishi, and Nasir Chinyoti. It is all about a recently wedded Sikh husband and wife who are forced to bring their entire family to London for their honeymoon. This initiates a whole series of amusing situations as the entire family is in an unfamiliar and alien atmosphere. To discover what problems they encounter and how they resolve them, you can watch the movie here.

11. Son of Sardaar 2 (2025)

‘Son of Sardaar 2’ is an Indian film that is a standalone sequel to ‘Son of Sardaar,’ both featuring Ajay Devgn in the lead. The plot revolves around Jaswinder “Jassi” Singh Randhawa (Devgn), who goes to London to seek reconciliation with his estranged wife, who wishes to file for divorce. Alas, he is in over his head after being coerced into playing the role of a war hero who is retired. Why? To assist a girl in acquiring the nod of her lover’s nationalist gangster dad for their union. Accompanying Jassi on his mission is Rabia, the adoptive mother of the girl, who later becomes Jassi’s love interest. Tailored to delight Ajay Devgn fans, ‘Son of Sardaar 2’ is packed with hilarious moments brought about by Jassi’s difficulty in fibbing and acting. You can view the Vijay Kumar Arora directorial here.

10. Sardar Ka Grandson (2021)

‘Sardar Ka Grandson’ is a Hindi-language Indian comedy-drama film featuring Arjun Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Neena Gupta, John Abraham, and Aditi Rao Hydari. It follows the story of a man named Amreek Singh, who chooses to carry out his grandmother’s dying wish to reunite with her former house which now sits on the opposite side of the Indo-Pak border in Lahore, Pakistan. When a Pakistan visa is rejected, Amreek, an owner of a packers-and-movers firm in Los Angeles, chooses to bring her grandma’s house to her (in Amritsar, India) instead of bringing her to Pakistan. Whether this scheme happens, you can only discover by watching the movie right here.

9. Laal Singh Chaddha (2022)

An Indian Hindi-language remake of ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994), ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ features Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Naga Chaitanya and Naga Chaitanya, and has been helmed by Advait Chandan. The film narrates the life of Laal Singh Chaddha, from childhood to adulthood/husband who embarked on a cross-country run. Employing Laal as the POV, the movie also presents various historical events on Indian ground, such as the 1884 anti-Sikh riots and the Kargil War. Although it won acclaim for its faithfulness to the original film, it flopped at the box office. You can watch it here.

8. Dunki (2023)

A technically speaking Punjabi movie because it centers on Punjabi characters and is partly set in Punjab, India, ‘Dunki’ is directed by Rajkumar Hirani of ‘Munna Bhai’ fame. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal, Anil Grover, Vikram Kochhar, and Boman Irani, the movie depicts the Dunki route, or “donkey flight” that exists as an illegal immigration method in real life that continues to be a mode for many to immigrate to America/Canada/England. We trace the steps of Hardy Singh, Manu Randhawa, Buggu Lakhanpal, and Balli Kakkad, who all resolve to migrate to London and begin enrolling in English classes for the IELTS exam. But only Balli passes the exam and departs for London. After several failures, Hardy, Manu, and Buggu board the donkey flight. Their ordeal and perils throughout the months-long grueling travel, such as potentially life-threatening events and whether or not they arrive in London, comprise the remainder of the dramedy. View it here.

7. Wild Wild Punjab (2024)

A straight Punjabi film, by all means, though the language is predominantly Hindi, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ is a Bollywood buddy comedy-drama film under the direction of Simarpreet Singh. The movie is about four closest friends, Khanna (Varun Sharma), Maan (Sunny Singh), Honey (Manjot Singh), and Gaurav (Jassie Gill), who go on a cross-Punjab road journey to Khanna’s former (Asheema Vardaan) wedding so that he can give his R-rated diatribe to her for dumping him. Yet, the goal of providing Khanna his long-sought respite is put off by a series of outlandish misadventures, ranging from drug addiction to illicit emigration to gang war. Directed by Luv Ranjan of ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama’ fame, ‘Wild Wild Punjab’ does nothing new to the genre but is wild enough to have you hooked to the screen. You can stream it here.

6. Animal (2023)

‘Animal’ is an Indian Hindi-language drama film that is effectively entirely Punjabi. The film features Ranbir Kapoor as Ranvijay Singh, a deranged product of an absent father and successful businessman Balbir Singh, acted by Anil Kapoor. Determined to avenge an attempt on the life of Balbir, Ranvijay goes to his brothers before calling war on his foe, who happens to be of his own lineage. While this is the core story, it is interspersed by Ranvijay’s childhood and how it has influenced his poisonous and needy behavior. Bloody and action-packed, ‘Animal’ is written and directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, who succeeds in giving a linear story a bingeworthy script. You can watch it here.

5. Jogi (2022)

‘Jogi,’ which is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, features the 1984 Indian anti-Sikh riots. The riots were a consequence of the assassination of then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on 31 October, 1984, by her personal bodyguards, who were Sikhs. The assassination itself was the fallout from Gandhi allowing the Indian Armed Forces within the sacred boundaries of the Golden Temple (Sikh holy site) in Amritsar (Punjab, India) and to act against Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his fellow militants who had barricaded themselves within. Though the militants were all gunned down, the damage caused to the holiest site by virtue of the intense firing by the army wasn’t lightly accepted and elicited global criticism and outrage among the Sikhs. Consequently, Gandhi was murdered. Having known the background, let us discuss the movie. It is based in Trilokpuri (East Delhi) and depicts a man called Joginder Singh, aka Jogi, who frantically tries to find a means of rescuing his Sikh community as everyone else around is determined to kill them. A personal film against the backdrop of an appalling national-level man-made disaster, ‘Jogi’ is harsh and realistic depiction of what occurred during that period. You can watch the movie here.

4. Kohrra (2023)

Netflix’s riveting Indian Punjabi-language drama, ‘Kohrra,’ directed by the talented Sudip Sharma, explores a crime thriller beyond conventional limits. In the story, the enigmatic demise of a bridegroom only a few days before his wedding serves as the backdrop for an engrossing tale. With their personal lives torn apart by turmoil, two serious police officers are forced to solve this baffling case, walking the thin line between justice and their frailties. The series boasts excellent performances by Barun Sobti, Harleen Sethi, Suvinder Vicky, Saurav Khurana, Rachel Shelley, and Manish Chaudhary, who all bring the characters alive, making ‘Kohrra’ an engaging and must-watch series. You may see the series here.

3. CAT (2022)

In the gripping Indian Punjabi crime thriller series ‘CAT,’ penned by Balwinder Singh Janjua, Randeep Hooda plays the lead role with a talented cast that comprises Suvinder Vicky, Hasleen Kaur, and Geeta Aggarwal. The engaging storyline revolves around Gurnam, an erstwhile CAT (Counter-terrorism and insurgency specialist) working in Punjab during the 1990s. He saves his brother Sunny from a drug peddling offense with the help of cop Sehtab Singh. Subsequently, Sehtab hires Gurnam as an undercover spy to dig up the city’s drug-dealing network. However, Gurnam stumbles upon a devastating reality – his parents’ murderer, Baljit Singh Rajpuria, is secretly working for Sehtab. Emblazoned with anger and revenge, Gurnam turns away from his assignment, craving revenge for the death of his parents. ‘CAT’ is Randeep Hooda’s first appearance in a streaming series and is Netflix’s trailblazing original in the Punjabi language. You can watch the show here.

2. Udta Punjab (2016)

With the rising cases of drug addiction in Punjab as the background, Abhishek Chaubey’s crime drama black comedy ‘Udta Punjab’ effortlessly weaves four characters belonging to different strata of society: a rockstar, a doctor, a migrant laborer, and a policeman. How their lives connect and at what points make the movie a must-see film about the interrelatedness of life that is as puzzling as the degree to which drugs have penetrated the various strata of society. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, and starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Diljit Dosanjh, ‘Udta Punjab’ is a gripping and realistic film that won four Filmfare Awards among numerous other awards. You can view it here.

1. Amar Singh Chamkila (2024)

This biographical musical drama is inspired by the life of popular Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who became popular in the 80s but lost his life prematurely at the age of 27. He and his second wife Amarjot were murdered on March 8, 1988, by people who disapproved of his risqué song songs and their obscenity, which was presented as shameful to his community. Though, Chamkila would become known as the “Elvis of Punjab,” his music making him the most-selling Punjabi artist of all time. Directed by Imtiaz Ali, ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ features singer/actor Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role as the eponymous character and Parineeti Chopra as Amarjot. You can stream it here. Read More: Best Twist Ending Movies on Netflix