How Do I Choose the Best Punjabi Movies?

The State of Punjab is located in Pakistan and India. For those looking for a Punjabi movie to watch, there are many Internet resources to assist in making a selection. Punjabi cinema has enjoyed an increased output in the 2000s and there are over 60 years worth of films to choose from. Movies are available for downloading or purchasing in almost any genre, and many movies can be watched online.

Known as “Lollywood,” a blending of “Lahore,” the province where the first Punjabi film was screened, and "Hollywood,” Punjabi cinema has produced over 1,000 films. Included in the many genres of Punjabi movies available are action, drama, comedy, epics, musicals, and romance. Some websites have English language movies subtitled in Punjabi and Punjabi movies subtitled in English.

Some websites contain links to movies available in other regions and dialects, such as Tamil, Hindi, Bengali, and Kannada. Pakistan Film Magazine maintains a website that lists all Pakistani directors who work in the Punjabi, Urdu, and Pashto languages. The site contains information about the first movie made by the director and links to biographical information. There is also a guide to the history of Pakistani cinema that contains downloads of complete films, including those in Punjabi.

Blogs such as Punjabi Articles and Punjabi Portal have viewer reviews of recently released Punjabi movies. Some of the reviews are very detailed. Cinebasti provides online movie reviews with links to information about the cast and some of their work. There also photo galleries of the actors, stills and film clips from movies, and trailers of new releases. Available DVDs are listed by genre and title, along with a picture of the cover art and a brief summary of the movie.

For those who look for movies with particular actors, there are websites devoted to Punjabi film stars. They contain actor bios, photographs, and upcoming movie projects. There is generally a listing of all the movies in which the actor has worked and any awards received.

Other sources for selecting Punjabi movies to watch are sites dealing with critically acclaimed films. PTC Punjabi, a satellite broadcast network, launched the annual PTC Punjabi Film Awards in 2011. Its site lists all the movies nominated for awards for the year. The many categories include best picture, best director, and best actor and actress. There are other award categories for things such as musical score, screenwriting, cinematography, and technical crafts.