The Crossbill News Desk
Renowned Punjabi actor and comedian Jaswinder Bhalla, whose sharp satires on state politics and the urban-rural divide left an indelible mark on Punjabi popular culture, passed away on Friday morning at a private hospital in Mohali. He was 65.
Bhalla had been admitted to the hospital two days earlier following a brain haemorrhage, his close friend and longtime collaborator Bal Mukand Sharma confirmed.
“A part of my heart is dead,” Sharma told The Indian Express, who worked alongside Bhalla for over four decades.
“He always treated me like a brother. I cannot imagine life without him.”
A towering figure in Punjabi comedy, Bhalla first shot to fame with Chhankata, an audio satire series launched in 1988. His portrayal of the iconic Chacha Chatar Singh, an elderly villager who commented with biting humour on Punjab’s politics and social divides, struck a deep chord with audiences during the turbulent years of militancy in the state. The immense popularity of the series, which went on to span 27 audio and video albums, eventually paved Bhalla’s way into cinema. Sharma played his “Bhatija” in the series, and together the duo became cultural touchstones of Punjabi satire.
Born on May 4, 1960, in Doraha village of Ludhiana, Bhalla pursued academics alongside his artistic passion.
After completing his BSc (Hons) and MSc at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, he earned a PhD in Agricultural Extension from Chaudhary Charan Singh Post Graduate College, Meerut. He joined PAU as an assistant professor in 1989 and went on to become Professor and Head of the Department of Extension Education in 2015, before retiring in 2020. Teaching remained his profession, but comedy was always his first love.
Bhalla’s first performance came in 1975 on All India Radio, but his big break was Chhankata, which turned him into a household name. His film debut came with Dulla Bhatti in 1998, followed by a breakthrough role in Jaspal Bhatti’s Mahaul Theek Hai (1999), a satire on the Punjab Police. Over the next two decades, he became a fixture in Punjabi blockbusters, including Carry On Jatta, Mr & Mrs 420, Daddy Cool Munde Fool, Jatt & Juliet, Sardaar Ji, Yaar Anmulle and Vekh Barataan Challiyan, earning him a Filmfare Punjabi nomination.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, himself a comedian before entering politics, said: “Chacha Chatar will always live in our hearts. The silence of Chhankata is heartbreaking.”
Bhalla’s satire, however, was not without controversy. In 2003, one Chhankata album sparked protests from religious groups, while another, Meethe Pauche in 2009, angered village sarpanches. He even faced physical assault after lampooning the government. Yet, he never wavered: “Satire is the mirror of society. If it hurts someone, it means the truth has been spoken.”
Beyond the stage and screen, Bhalla was deeply engaged with civic life.
Punjab Congress, in its statement, mourned him as a “legendary artist who gave Punjabi cinema its humour and heart.”
Jaswinder Bhalla is survived by his wife Parmdeep Kaur, son and actor Pukhraj Bhalla, daughter-in-law Dishu Bhalla, daughter Arshpreet Bhalla, and mother Satwant Kaur. His cremation will take place on August 23 at 1 pm at Balongi cremation ground in Mohali.
Bhalla had been admitted to the hospital two days earlier following a brain haemorrhage, his close friend and longtime collaborator Bal Mukand Sharma confirmed.
“A part of my heart is dead,” Sharma told The Indian Express, who worked alongside Bhalla for over four decades.
“He always treated me like a brother. I cannot imagine life without him.”
A towering figure in Punjabi comedy, Bhalla first shot to fame with Chhankata, an audio satire series launched in 1988. His portrayal of the iconic Chacha Chatar Singh, an elderly villager who commented with biting humour on Punjab’s politics and social divides, struck a deep chord with audiences during the turbulent years of militancy in the state. The immense popularity of the series, which went on to span 27 audio and video albums, eventually paved Bhalla’s way into cinema. Sharma played his “Bhatija” in the series, and together the duo became cultural touchstones of Punjabi satire.
Born on May 4, 1960, in Doraha village of Ludhiana, Bhalla pursued academics alongside his artistic passion.
After completing his BSc (Hons) and MSc at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, he earned a PhD in Agricultural Extension from Chaudhary Charan Singh Post Graduate College, Meerut. He joined PAU as an assistant professor in 1989 and went on to become Professor and Head of the Department of Extension Education in 2015, before retiring in 2020. Teaching remained his profession, but comedy was always his first love.
Bhalla’s first performance came in 1975 on All India Radio, but his big break was Chhankata, which turned him into a household name. His film debut came with Dulla Bhatti in 1998, followed by a breakthrough role in Jaspal Bhatti’s Mahaul Theek Hai (1999), a satire on the Punjab Police. Over the next two decades, he became a fixture in Punjabi blockbusters, including Carry On Jatta, Mr & Mrs 420, Daddy Cool Munde Fool, Jatt & Juliet, Sardaar Ji, Yaar Anmulle and Vekh Barataan Challiyan, earning him a Filmfare Punjabi nomination.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, himself a comedian before entering politics, said: “Chacha Chatar will always live in our hearts. The silence of Chhankata is heartbreaking.”
Bhalla’s satire, however, was not without controversy. In 2003, one Chhankata album sparked protests from religious groups, while another, Meethe Pauche in 2009, angered village sarpanches. He even faced physical assault after lampooning the government. Yet, he never wavered: “Satire is the mirror of society. If it hurts someone, it means the truth has been spoken.”
Beyond the stage and screen, Bhalla was deeply engaged with civic life.
Punjab Congress, in its statement, mourned him as a “legendary artist who gave Punjabi cinema its humour and heart.”
Jaswinder Bhalla is survived by his wife Parmdeep Kaur, son and actor Pukhraj Bhalla, daughter-in-law Dishu Bhalla, daughter Arshpreet Bhalla, and mother Satwant Kaur. His cremation will take place on August 23 at 1 pm at Balongi cremation ground in Mohali.
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