Right when we begin our chat, Gippy Grewal tells us that he is averse to the term ‘pressure’. Writing, directing and starring in the ambitious venture, Akaal, must have been an arduous responsibility, but the Punjabi actor-director says he had prepared himself mentally before setting foot on the set.

“When I go on the set, I never go with pressure. I know exactly the performance I have to deliver, what to extract from my actors, and how to shoot. I was prepared for [all the hurdles] when I decided to do this,” he says.

Set in Punjab of the 1840s, Akaal tells the story of Sardar Akaal Singh and his village as they are attacked by Jangi Jahan. As he retold a chapter of Sikh history, Grewal says that he was mindful about not depicting any community in a bad light.

“This story is of Sikhs, but Hindus, Muslims and other religions have been shown in a positive light because I believe it’s not about religion. In the past, a lot of people have [furthered] these divisive narratives. Even during the partition, if there were bad people on both sides, there were good people too. We’ve told the story of Sikh warriors, but we’ve not shown that people belonging to any particular religion are bad—that will never happen in my film,” he asserts.

With a larger-than-life central figure and its roots in Punjab, Akaal—also starring Nimrat Khaira—has the same palette as The Legend Of Maula Jatt (2022). Was the film an inspiration for him? “I have seen the new Maula Jatt, and the old one [1979]. It’s very interesting, but has no parallel with ours. Our film is based on our Sikh principles and Sikh warriors.”

Akaal is being touted as the biggest Punjabi film of the decade. It also marks producer Karan Johar’s foray into Punjabi cinema. Grewal says that Johar came on board after being captivated by the film’s vision.

The actor recalls, “When we decided to release it in Hindi as well, we went straight to Dharma [Productions] and showed the content. We met Karan and in half-an-hour, everything was locked. He loved the trailer. Language is hardly a barrier anymore. It’s about marketing a film in a big way. If Pushpa can be a rage in Punjab, Akaal can do well in south too.”