Punjabi film industry sets its sights on South Australia

A crowd of 2000 Punjabi people have gathered to celebrate their culture in Murray Bridge, and more may be on the way, temporarily or permanently.

Punjabi film industry sets its sights on South Australia
Bob Khehra, left, is introduced to the crowd at the Punjabi Virasat Cultural Mela in Murray Bridge on Sunday. Photo: Peri Strathearn.

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A Punjabi-language film being shot in South Australia could be the first of many, community leaders have predicted at an event in Murray Bridge.

About 2000 people congregated at Murray Bridge Showground on Sunday for a festival celebrating the food, music and culture of Punjab, a region of India and Pakistan.

Among them was Bob Khehra, a movie director who is about to start shooting – he said – the first Punjabi film to be produced on location in South Australia.

After two years of scouting and pre-production, the shoot will begin later this month.

Speaking in Punjabi, Mr Khehra said his people’s culture was growing and flourishing all over the world, “for the good of Punjabis and Punjab”.

He invited anyone interested the film industry to come and chat, as he was still building a team capable of staging more productions in the years to come.

“In (the) next five years, the plan is for more than 100 films to come here,” one of the festival’s organisers said.

“It will create more and more jobs.”

Punjabi families invited to move to Murray Bridge

Meanwhile, local civic leaders took the opportunity to promote Murray Bridge as a place not just to visit once a year, but to settle long-term.

Mayor Wayne Thorley encouraged more Punjabi migrants to make their homes and find jobs in the district.

“This is a place where we’ve been inviting migrants for 100 years,” he said.

“The more we have, the more we like it.

“You can come to Murray Bridge, you can live well, there’s jobs here … we have good education … and what a great lifestyle.”

State MP Adrian Pederick echoed the call, saying Murray Bridge had “so much to offer” and that Punjabi migrants could help make it a better place.

“The colours that you bring, the culture that you bring, the community that you bring, the economic asset that you bring and your work ethic, it is truly admired.

“Australia, South Australia and this region embrace you as much as you embrace (them).”

Sunday’s festival featured plenty of bhangra and gidha music and dancing; free food served by the ute-load; an ongoing game of volleyball, and a performance by heartthrob Hardev Mahinangal.

It also featured a much-anticipated tug-of-war in which some of the male dignitaries were invited to participate.

State Multicultural Affairs Minister Zoe Bettison and opposition spokeswoman Jing Lee were also present to welcome attendees to the festival.pokeswoman Jing Lee were also present to welcome attendees to the festival.

Disclosure: The author was presented with a trophy, similar to those given to the event’s sponsors, at Sunday’s mela. Mr Khehra’s comments were translated using Google Translate.

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