With hits like Honsla Rakh and Babe Bhangra Paunde Ne to his credit, Amarjit Singh Saron is no stranger to commercial success or to working with some of the biggest names in Punjabi cinema , including Diljit Dosanjh. Yet despite delivering big box office numbers, the filmmaker says Ikk Kudi starring Shehnaaz Gill and co-produced with Kaushal Joshi has become a defining milestone in his journey. Not because it turned into a blockbuster, but because it strengthened his conviction in the kind of stories he genuinely wants to tell.



Speaking about his decision to make a women-centric story, Amarjit says, “I always wanted to make a women-centric film. I knew the story had to put a woman at the centre and explore her world. At its core, the film is about a young woman who simply wants to be sure that the man she is about to marry is truly right for her.”



The team did not expect the kind of slow but powerful rise the film eventually achieved. For Amarjit, the high was not the commercial numbers but the satisfaction of bringing a subject he believed in to the big screen. He shares, “As far as success is concerned, my previous films have been bigger hits with 50 and 60 crore earnings. However, Ikk Kudi opened to just 10 lakhs as compared to my other films with 2.5 and 3 crores. But it kept picking through word of mouth publicity. And today, we have earned 60 to 70 crores. So this was new for me. I have heard a lot the phenomenon called word of mouth but experienced it for the first time. This doesn’t happen in the Punjabi industry. Film chali toh chali nahi toh gayi. In this case, the second week was four times more than the first week.”



He adds, “I told someone recently that although I have made films with bigger budgets and hits but this film gave me validation as a director. This film belongs to the director. Otherwise, we often deal with star domination that this film belongs to this actor or that and the director usually doesn’t receive the credit he deserves. However, the amount of love people have showered on this film and the messages I have received for it, mujhe ummeed se zyada pyaar mila. People who work behind the camera should also get due credit. Kisi bhi industry mein nahi milta par hamaare yahaan toh baat hi nahi hoti.”



For Amarjit, Ikk Kudi became special because it freed him from the pressure of tailoring a film around a star image and allowed him to make the film the way he truly envisioned it. He shares, “The good part was that we were the producers of the film. So we were not too pressured by the fact that we had to recover money. Another good thing was that we had to make the film in a very limited budget but without compromising on quality. When I took on this project, I knew I could make it the way I wanted to. That may not be the case when I make a film with Diljit Paaji because you cater to his audience who wants to watch him a certain way. It was an opportunity for me aur woh sahi ho gaya.”



He also praises first-time producer Kaushal Joshi for his sharp instincts and commitment. “I have seen a lot of potential in him. My main job was to write and direct and Shehnaaz’s was to act. Kaushal was actually looking after the budgets and expenses. Despite being a first time producer, he has done such a fabulous job. He has taken care of the small things. He has put the money where it is needed. A lot of people don’t take background score seriously but when I told Kaushal that we needed more money here, he understood immediately and invested. He never asked us when it came to upgrade the quality. As a human being, toh woh achhe hi hain. Kaushal thinks long term and was hungry to learn the tropes of production through this film. He was there every day and wanted to learn. He was fully involved as much as I was. He may be wanting to produce more films now.”



The success of Ikk Kudi has opened a new creative chapter for Amarjit. He says the film has helped him shed hesitation and bring out stories that may not seem commercially safe. “I have a few stories which we tend to put on the back burner wondering whether they would resonate with the audience. If Ikk Kudi hadn’t worked at the box office, toh shaayad woh kahaaniyaan aise hi padi rehti. Now that people accepted this film, mujh mein woh himmat aayi hai ki main unn kahaaniyon ko parde par laaun aur acchi kahaani kehne ke liye star ya kisi aur factor ki zaroorat nahi hoti.”