Before OTT, Punjab had three entertainment pillars:
Before the age of television and YouTube, entertainment in Punjab was communal, organic, and deeply tied to the cycles of nature. The "Puran" entertainment was not something you consumed alone; it was lived.
Before cinema, there was Naqaal and Bhand. These were traditional folk theatre forms where performers used satire and comedy to address social issues, often mocking the aristocracy or the British Raj. It was the original "stand-up comedy," relying on wit, timing, and improvisation.
For all its success, there is a risk. "Puran-washing" is a new phenomenon where producers use a 5-second folk hook in a heavily autotuned song and call it traditional.
True Puran content is not an aesthetic; it is a living, breathing tradition that requires respect.