Hareem Farooq’s ‘Mango Jutt’ Redefines Punjabi Cinema Beyond Stereotypes

Karachi: Actor and producer Hareem Farooq announces that her upcoming film Mango Jutt, releasing worldwide in cinemas on October 16, offers a fresh perspective on Punjab, challenging long-standing stereotypes tied to the typical Punjabi film heroine.

The Punjabi-language film will debut in the UK, US, UAE, Canada, and Pakistan, with Farooq starring opposite Faysal Qureshi.

Lollywood, Pakistan’s Lahore-based film industry, has produced numerous Punjabi-language films over past decades. While some left a lasting impact, many were not deemed suitable for family viewing.

Farooq, who is Punjabi, expressed a desire spanning at least a decade to create a Punjabi film that portrays the region positively and inspires pride among Punjabis.

“You can watch it with your family and you can let your children not be apologetic about Punjab,” Farooq told Arab News on Sunday.

Farooq was referencing an era when Punjabi movies, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s, faced criticism for provocative dance sequences deemed unsuitable for family viewing.

“That was something that really hit me hard, that we should not be apologizing for our language, we should not be apologizing for our identity,” she said.

The actress noted a period when Pakistan’s cinema was mediocre, featuring content unwatchable with families, which adversely affected both Punjabi and Pakistani film industries.

“So, one of the things that was really important was to break that stereotype,” she said.

Farooq produced Mango Jutt under her banner, Hameem Films, describing the film as pure entertainment—a core purpose of cinema that blends romance, action, comedy, and drama.

She essays the female lead, Noor Jehan, whom she describes as a “quintessential Punjabi Jutti”—a term denoting a woman from the Jutt community, a prominent agricultural and landowning group across Punjab.

THE PUNJABI HEROINE

Farooq describes her character as a strong-headed woman with a soft heart, who has endured hardship without losing her gentleness.

“For me it was a very complex character, and it was very interesting to play with that,” she said. “Dealing with that spillover in your present, and then wanting to and being able to take that leap of faith.”

Farooq has featured in TV dramas such as Bismil, Diyar-e-Dil, and 22 Qadam, and has produced several films including Janaan, Parchi, and Heer Maan Ja, where she also essayed the female lead.

For Mango Jutt, Farooq worked on her accent and fluency. Though raised in a Punjabi family where the language was encouraged, she was not conversational in the language.

“I was a bit nervous, especially because I was also concerned that when this comes out, the first question people will have is whether she is able to speak in Punjabi or not,” she said. “

And when you’re acting in a particular language, you don’t want to hurt anybody’s sentiments.”

Farooq stated she had no desire to conform to the established image of the Punjabi heroine, despite often being told she possessed a “Jutti vibe.”

“People would tell me that my body type is very Jutti, with curves and everything. I thought that was interesting until I had to portray that on the big screen,” she said. “Jutti is somebody who is all out and all there. And I wanted to really portray that comfort level they have with their bodies. That pride that they have.”

Farooq argued that audiences and the industry cannot always be blamed for the limited range of body types depicted on screen.

“We have to show them in a good way as well. We have not shown a lot of body types yet in films,” she said.

“Yes, there are a lot of times we instantly reject that, saying this is not going to work on the screen. My question is, have you tried doing that?”

NOT RESTRICTED TO PUNJAB

Having produced for the past decade, Farooq emphasized that the industry requires a collective effort to grow.

“If we are just going to be performing on an individualistic level, we will not be able to make it an industry,” she said. “It is very important for the producers to be encouraged and not make them run away. Making films is not an easy task. You really have to have a lot of grit and a lot of patience to be able to do that, and then to do it again.”

She expressed optimism, noting the state’s growing support for cinema. “We’ve realized the importance of cinema, not just for entertainment but for global image. And we’re working toward that,” she said.

Her optimism appears rooted in Punjab’s provincial government push to revive the industry. In April, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif unveiled plans for a 50-acre Film City in Lahore, featuring studios, visual effects labs, and a film and music school designed to nurture local talent and create jobs.

Farooq expressed hope that Mango Jutt would reach anyone connected to the language, or to “love, comedy, and entertainment.”

“Even though it’s in Punjabi language, it is not restricted to Punjab. It is for everybody. Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis, everywhere across the world,” she said. “That’s my target audience.”

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