REMEMBERING
MANOJ PUNJ AS waris shah ... goes to OSCARS
- SCREEN -
It is a mixed feeling for our entire team. While it is an
exciting news that our film Waris Shah - Ishq Daa Waaris
is one of India's entries to the 79th Academy Awards, the
loss of our dear director Manoj Punj is heart-breaking. I
wish he was here to enjoy the film's success said producer
Manjeet Maan trying hard to control her tears as she remembered
the young man.
Adding that Punj's ambitions was to bring
Punjabi Cinema into the world map, she said. "Now it
is finally being fulfilled." The entry of Waris Shah....
was made by India Waves TV Sanfrancisco, California on behalf
of the USA distributors of the film Golden Palm Entertainment
Inc. The film will compete in various categories, namely Best
Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting
Actor and Best Costumes.
"Manoj was instrumental in making Punjabi films reach
to a wider audience here as well as abroad. He was also the
director of all our films that have bagged national awards
and other main awards." Manjeet added recallingthat on
October 11, she and Manoj had gone to USA and on october 14,
they completed all the formalities required to enter the film
with the help of some India-based distributors there who were
very happy after watching Waris Shah....The film got wide
acclaim there.Happy with the result, the duo returened to
India on October 18th, with the plans to go back again to
US for promotional campaigns.
But on October 22nd even as a surprise party was being planned
to celebrate Manjeet Maan's birthday, news came that Manoj
Punj had met an untimely death. "He died on my birthday.
His end was so sudden and shocking. And look at the coincidence,
after exactly one month after his death, on November 22nd,
I received the news that Waris Shah.... has gone
to the OSCARS. I guess it is love and blessings that worked
for us. Waris Shah.... is a tribute to the director who passed
away of cardiac arrest a week after the premiere in Santa
Clara, California." said Manjeet choking on her words.
Even at the press conference held at the IFFI, Goa, the entire
team of the Punjabi film, Waris Shah..... became emotional
as they remembered the 37 year old director.The international
film festival of india honoured the director by paying homage
to him. Waris Shah.... is set in the 17th century,
and is about the sufi saint Waris Shah. The film stars Gurdas
Maan, Juhi Chawla and Divya Dutta.
Waris Shah…. Is the the fourth venture of Sai Productions,
which has to a large extent, been responsible for reviving
Punjabi Cinema. And all their films have bagged National Awards.
Punj’s first Punjabi directorial Shaheed –
e – Mohabbat boota singh won the award for the
best film. The next venture Zindagi Khoobsoorat Hai coveted
the best playback singer award. Des Hoyaa Pardes
not only bagged National Award for the Best Punjabi Film,
it also won the special Jury’s Award for the Best Actor.
This film was also made in English as Political Asylum.
And now Waris Shah…. Has gone to the OSCARS.
“Manoj Punj directed all my films that scaled great
heights. Now I cannot bear to think that he will not be a
part of my forthcoming projects.” Manjeet Maan avers.
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