Alongside Naseeruddin Shah and rising face Suvinder Vicky, National Award-winning director Gurvinder Singh’s latest film in Punjabi has a debutant: Jaswant Singh Zafar, 60, the Director of the Punjab government’s Languages Department, and a poet-writer.Zafar, who retired as Deputy Chief Engineer from the Power Department in 2023, has held the post in the Languages Department for the past two years.Titled Rehmat, meaning compassion or God’s blessing, Gurvinder Singh’s latest film delves into the past 100 years of Punjab but with a strong reminder of its present. Earlier this month, it had its world debut at the Locarno Film Festival, Switzerland, and was selected to compete for its highest honor, Pardo d’Oro or Golden Leopard award.Also Read | The great Bollywood divide: What Indian movies lost between 2001 and 2026“Since the film was shot in Ludhiana’s Kila Raipur and Gujjarwal villages, I spared weekends to shoot,” says Zafar, an author of 12 books, who is based in Ludhiana but travels to Patiala for work.Gurvinder says he chose Kila Raipur and Gujjarwal as these villages still have some pre-Partition structures, along with symbols of modern life. “Spaces play an important part in a narrative. Every wall, window or a road, they matter,” he says.On choosing Zafar, Gurvinder says: “I never saw him as a debutant or Naseer as a veteran… Naseer agreed even before reading the script. It’s not just his skill but intellect that mattered for a role full of depth.”Rehmat is based on three short stories of Punjabi writer Ajeet Cour, 91, a Partition survivor. Gurvinder, whose grandparents migrated from Lahore, says he felt an “instant affinity” with Cour.Story continues below this adThe underlying message of the film, says Gurvinder, is the compassion of Punjab and Punjabiyat – where none, a suspected militant to a Partition survivor, is turned away, despite the deep trauma that the region has seen. It also deals with Punjab’s recent crises, be it drugs, agriculture, unemployment or the migration of its youths abroad.“Cinema has to ask questions, not give answers. A film should surprise even the filmmaker, not just the audience… With Rehmat, we have tried to walk Punjab’s past 100 years, but in hand with its present,” says Gurvinder.Also Read | SC disposes of petitions concerning The Kerala Story, leaves legal questions openHappy about Rehmat’s reception abroad, Gurvinder says he is, however, dispirited by the “lack of support” at home, from the Punjabi film industry, government and authorities.“This is likely my final work on Punjab… It feels like closure,” says Gurvinder, who won National Awards for both his 2011 directorial debut Anne Ghore De Daan (on oppression of Dalit labourers) and the 2015 Chauthi Koot (set during the militancy).Story continues below this adRehmat is produced by Ajeet Cour’s daughter Arpana Cour, and an independent French production company, Pavo Films, that focuses on Indian cinema.While he regrets that the Punjabi film industry does not have an ecosystem that encourages “thoughtful Punjabi films”, Gurvinder, who has been based in Mohali since 2019, says he is more disappointed by the state government’s “failure” to support such cinema, from production to distribution. “Punjab doesn’t even have a film policy. Even Haryana, Chhattisgarh have one. There is no film institute, no film festivals or any grants, nothing… It’s sad that we don’t have a support system despite having great talent.”Amit Dhaka, CEO Invest Punjab, Department of Industries and Commerce, told The Indian Express that they have taken measures to correct this. “In March this year, we announced the Punjab Film Promotion Policy. Filmmakers can apply on our portal for shooting clearances and subsidies. We are trying to sensitise filmmakers about it.”Zafar agrees that the government could do more to support “well-meaning” films. “I wrote to the authorities informing them that our film was screened at Locarno and that it was a matter of pride for the entire Punjabi community. But there has been no reply.”