The world of Punjabi cinema bid an emotional farewell to comedian Dr Jaswinder Singh Bhalla on Saturday. The Punjabi actor, fondly known as “Bhalla Ji”, was cremated at Balongi, where family members, friends, fans, prominent personalities from the Punjabi film industry and political leaders turned out in large numbers to pay their last respects.
Bhalla had passed away on Friday morning at the age of 65 following a brain stroke, at a hospital in Mohali. His mortal remains were brought to his residence earlier on Saturday, where several people queued up to pay homage to the departed soul. Actors Neeru Bajwa, Amar Noori and several other film actors visited his home to offer condolences to the family.
Bhalla was not only a celebrated comedian of the Punjabi film industry, he was also a respected academic. An alumnus of Punjab Agricultural University, he served there as a professor till his retirement. He rose to fame with “Chhankata”. His audio series “Chhankata 88” turned him into a household name across the state. His characters like Chacha Chatar Singh and Advocate Dhillon will always remain etched in public memory.
Tributes to Bhalla are pouring in from across the state. While Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann described his passing as a monumental loss, the film fraternity called his demise heartbreaking. They said the laughter of Chhankata has fallen silent, but Chacha Chatar Singh will always live in their hearts. “Carry On Jatta 4 was his idea, which now remains incomplete. He was a pillar of strength for newcomers, and even shared his dialogues with them to ensure they performed well,” said one of his colleagues.
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