Pollywood: Journey from TV serials to films, here’s Binnu Dhillon’s secret to success

Hometown

Born and brought up in Dhuri, a city in Sangrur district of Punjab, Binnu keeps switching between his two homes in Patiala and Canada, where his family lives.

Family

Binnu is married and has two daughters, who are all settled in Surrey, a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. His wife, Gurjinder Kaur, is a homemaker while daughters Dilnaaz Dhillon and Mannat Dhillon study at a high school in Canada.

Education

Although Binnu was always more interested in extracurriculars, including folk dance (Bhangra), plays and hymn recitation (shabad gayan), he always managed to pass his examinations in the first division. He did his matriculation from a government high school in Dhura in Dhuri and Class XII from the Desh Bhagat College, Bardwal, Dhuri. He earned his arts degree from the same college, followed by post graduation in theatre and television from Patiala’s Punjabi University.

Favourite Song

Binnu loves listening to Pakistani singers Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His favourite song is Omkara’s Naina Thag Lenge. “Its music is evergreen and pure,” he says.

Favourite Movie

Binnu prefers suspense dramas. Bollywood’s iconic film ‘Sholay’ (1975) always tops his watchlist. With bandits and criminals, the movie is completely action- and adventure-packed and forever entertaining for him. ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ (2013), which chronicles athlete Milkha Singh’s life, is another film he loves to watch.

Works Till Date

Before appearing in films, Binnu worked in various television serials such as ‘Sarhad’, ‘Lori’, ‘Gaoundi Dharti’, ‘Sirnaave’, ‘Man Jeetey Jag Jeet’, ‘Channo Chan Vargi’, ‘Jugnu Hazir Hai’, ‘Jugnu Mast Mast’, ‘Padam Paria, Kankaal’ and ‘Pagdandian’ among others.

He has also acted in telefilms like ‘Khara Dudh’ and ‘Khich Ghuggi Khich’ besides performing roles in Hindi films such as Shaheed-E-Azam’ and ‘Dev D.’ One of the best comedy actors in the industry, Binnu has acted in many Punjabi films, including ‘Carry On Jatta’ (2012), ‘Sirphire’ (2012), ‘Raula Pai Gaya’ (2012), ‘Tu Mera 22 Mein Tera 22’ (2013), ‘Lucky Di Unlucky Story’ (2013), ‘Rangeelay’ (2013), ‘Vekh Baraatan Challiyan’ (2017) and ‘Carry On Jatta 2’ (2018)’ to name a few.

Upcoming Projects

His movie ‘Gol Gappe’, directed by Sameep Kang, will come out at the end of this summer. In October, he will start shooting for the third sequel of ‘Carry On Jatta’, titled ‘Carry On Jatta 3’. Apart from these, he will be doing another project titled ‘Gaddi Jaandi Hai Challanga Maardi’ with White Hill Studios, which might hit the screens in 2023.

Claim To Fame

During his journey from serials to films, every role he played came across as an opportunity to groom himself as an artist. It has been great hard work, and nothing happened instantly. Also, it took time for people to recognise him. As far as fame is concerned, it was built over time and after many years of struggle. However, he wishes to mention that it was with the comedy show named ‘Hasde Hasande Ravo’ that audiences started identifying him as ‘Binnu Dhillon’. Things changed dramatically for good after the film ‘Carry On Jatta’ was released.

Secret Sauce

“Sincerity, focus, and dedication are all you need to accomplish in life,” Binnu says. He never takes work for granted and says that’s probably the only secret that keeps him going.

Thoughts About Pollywood

“The industry is doing good. It’s been progressing over time, which is very good for regional artists. Punjabi cinema has a great role to play in uniting Punjabis all over the globe and in promoting the culture worldwide. Although issues like piracy are a big threat to the filmmaking business, the positive side is that people invest time in viewing the content and thus stay connected with Punjabi roots irrespective of the country they are settled in,” Binnu says.

Challenges Faced

When he began his career around 20 years ago, things were difficult. The industry was in its nascent stage and actors had to face a lot of struggles from getting roles to getting paid. Also, as there were no phones or tools to communicate, the process of auditioning and casting was long and tedious. “Getting a role in a film was no easy feat for us unlike actors of today who have access to different media platforms and great connectivity enabling them to build their careers with fewer challenges,” the actor adds.

Future Plans

Binnu intends to make a sequel of the 2019 comedy film ‘Kala Shah Kala’. He also has plans to focus on his health and fitness.

Fitness Mantra

“Exercise every day is one fitness mantra everyone should live by. It is very important to take up physical activities in any form to remain fit,” Binnu says. He does 1,800 push-ups each day on an average before beginning the workout routine. Also, he loves outdoor activities like hiking and trekking. Recently, he went for a trek at Kheerganga in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh and it was an extremely exhilarating experience.

Mantra Of Success In Acting

“For an actor to be successful, he or she must possess multiple skills, including dancing, good body language, great speech, power to self-analyse and sincerity, among various others. Success doesn’t come with acting skills alone. It requires one to be a whole package to make it big in this field,” says Binnu.

Turning Point In Career

Binnu says when his elder daughter was born, it was a unique and an indescribable feeling. It was after her birth that he got more success and recognition.

Advice For Budding Actors

“Keep working hard and never lose hope,” he says. It took him 22 years to reach where he is today. “Quite a long struggle indeed. Aspiring actors must not shy away from the grind. But if you are persistent and patient, I believe God will reward you with good results and you will be amazed,” Binnu says.