Jatinder Mauhar

Jatinder Mauhar is an Indian Punjabi filmmaker, screenwriter, researcher and columnist known for socially conscious films rooted in Punjab. He began his career directing music videos before moving into feature filmmaking. His directorial debut was Mitti (2010), followed by Sikander (2013), Qissa Panjab (2015), Saade Aale (2022) and Maurh (2023). Mauhar’s cinema frequently explores political power, social inequality, youth, corruption and the realities of contemporary Punjab. His approach has deliberately moved away from conventional Punjabi commercial cinema toward stories dealing with social and political issues. He trained in film direction at the Zee Institute of Media Arts in Mumbai after initially studying knitting technology and working in the textile industry. He has also worked as a researcher on a BBC documentary about the Samjhauta Express and has written extensively on Indian and world cinema. In 2022, Mauhar made his acting debut as Modan in Gurvinder Singh’s Adh Chanani Raat, adapted from Gurdial Singh’s novel. His later work includes Maurh (2023), a historical Punjabi drama about Jeona and Kishna Maurh, for which he served as director and writer. Known for: Mitti, Sikander, Qissa Panjab, Saade Aale, Maurh.