Ishqnama is a Punjabi period romantic drama that brings together love, poetry, partition-era emotions and the harsh realities of an international border. Starring Jai Randhawa and Shehnaaz Gill in the lead roles, the film tells an emotional story set in the early 1980s along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
At the heart of the story are Nimma, a young Sikh student and poet from Indian Punjab, and Nasima, a Muslim girl from Pakistani Punjab. Their relationship develops across one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world, forcing them to confront political hostility, religious differences, distance and circumstances far beyond their control.
Directed by Arvvindr S Khaira, Ishqnama combines romance with period drama and social themes. The film was released in Punjabi cinemas on July 24, 2026, and carries a UA 16+ certification.
What Is Ishqnama About?
Ishqnama revolves around a love story that begins when Nimma and Nasima find an emotional connection despite belonging to different countries and religious communities.
Nimma is portrayed as a young Sikh student and poet living on the Indian side of Punjab. Nasima belongs to Pakistani Punjab. Their romance develops in a setting where crossing the border is not simply a physical journey—it represents political tension, family expectations, religious identity and enormous personal risk.
The film uses their relationship to explore a timeless question:
Can love survive when political boundaries, religion and history stand between two people?
Instead of presenting the border merely as a geographical line, Ishqnama makes it an important part of the emotional conflict.
A Love Story Between Two Punjabs
One of the most interesting aspects of Ishqnama is its setting.
Punjab was divided by the Partition of India in 1947, leaving communities, families and cultural connections on opposite sides of the newly created international boundary. Decades later, the film places its characters in the early 1980s and imagines a romance developing within this complicated historical environment.
The story therefore connects Punjabi culture, cross-border relationships, religious differences and forbidden love.
The two characters share a cultural homeland but live on different sides of a political boundary. This contrast gives the movie an emotional foundation that goes beyond a conventional romantic storyline.
Jai Randhawa as Nimma
Jai Randhawa plays Nimma, the young Sikh student and poet at the centre of the story.
His character represents youthful idealism and the belief that love can overcome barriers created by society and politics. As a poet, Nimma’s emotional world also gives the film an opportunity to connect romance with Punjabi poetry and lyrical expression.
The role places Randhawa at the centre of a period romance that demands more than conventional chemistry between two lead characters. His journey is closely tied to the film’s larger themes of sacrifice, loyalty and determination.
Shehnaaz Gill as Nasima
Shehnaaz Gill stars opposite Jai Randhawa as Nasima, the Muslim girl from Pakistani Punjab.
The character places Gill in an emotionally intense romantic drama built around separation, longing and uncertainty.
Nasima’s relationship with Nimma becomes complicated by the reality of the India-Pakistan border. Her character therefore represents more than the female lead in a love story; she is an essential part of the film’s exploration of identity, family, religion and cross-border emotions.
For Shehnaaz Gill, Ishqnama also offers an opportunity to explore a dramatic period setting in Punjabi cinema.
Ishqnama Cast
The movie features a sizeable ensemble cast alongside its two principal stars.
Main Cast
- Jai Randhhawa
- Shehnaaz Gill
- Saurabh Sachdeva
- Anjuum Batra
- Arvinder Kaur
- Mahabir Bhullar
- Jasbir Gill
- Guri Ghuman
- Preet Bhullar
The official film credits list these performers among the principal cast.
Saurabh Sachdeva and Anjuum Batra, in particular, add experienced character performers to a story that depends heavily on atmosphere, conflict and emotional tension.
Who Directed Ishqnama?
Ishqnama is directed by Arvvindr S Khaira, a filmmaker widely associated with Punjabi music videos and visual storytelling.
The screenplay and story are credited to Dheeraj Kedarnath Rattan, with Jassi Lohka contributing additional screenplay work. The dialogues were written by Gurpreet Bhullar.
The film’s story is described in its official promotional material as being adapted from the Hind Pak Bordernama novel.
This literary connection helps explain the film’s emphasis on the border, historical atmosphere and the emotional consequences of separation.
Ishqnama Music: Jaani and B Praak
Music is expected to be one of the major attractions for Punjabi audiences.
The soundtrack brings together lyricist Jaani and composer B Praak, two highly recognizable names in contemporary Punjabi music.
The album includes songs such as “Narak,” “Tu Ladvayengi,” “Ki Keya,” “Aaja Yaara,” “Duniya,” “Mirzya” and “Kabutar Chine.” The soundtrack features singers including B Praak, Jyotica Tangri, G Khan, Jasmeen Akhtar and Afsana.
The musical style complements the movie’s central themes of love, separation, longing and heartbreak.
Popular Ishqnama Songs
Some of the prominent tracks associated with the film include:
- Narak – B Praak and Jyotica Tangri
- Tu Ladvayengi – G Khan and Jasmeen Akhtar
- Ki Keya – B Praak
- Aaja Yaara – B Praak
- Duniya – B Praak
- Mirzya – Afsana
- Kabutar Chine – Bhupinder Babal
The combination of Jaani’s lyrics and B Praak’s music gives the film a strong Punjabi musical identity.
Ishqnama Release Date
Ishqnama was released in Indian cinemas on July 24, 2026.
BookMyShow and District list the theatrical release date as July 24, while the film received its UA 16+ certification from India’s Central Board of Film Certification on July 22, 2026.
The CBFC database records the film’s certified length at 176.55 metres, while cinema listings give its runtime as approximately 2 hours and 57 minutes.
Ishqnama Movie Details
| Movie Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Movie | Ishqnama |
| Language | Punjabi |
| Genre | Romantic Drama / Period Drama |
| Release Date | July 24, 2026 |
| Director | Arvvindr S Khaira |
| Lead Actors | Jai Randhhawa, Shehnaaz Gill |
| Supporting Cast | Saurabh Sachdeva, Anjuum Batra, Mahabir Bhullar and others |
| Story & Screenplay | Dheeraj Kedarnath Rattan |
| Additional Screenplay | Jassi Lohka |
| Dialogues | Gurpreet Bhullar |
| Music | B Praak |
| Lyrics | Jaani |
| Certification | UA 16+ |
| Runtime | About 2 hours 57 minutes |
| Worldwide Distributor | Omjee’s Cine World |
Why Ishqnama Is Different From Other Punjabi Love Stories
Punjabi cinema has a long tradition of romantic tragedies and legendary lovers. Stories such as Heer-Ranjha, Sohni-Mahiwal and Mirza-Sahiban remain deeply embedded in Punjabi cultural memory.
Ishqnama draws from that broader tradition while placing its romance in a modern historical setting shaped by the India-Pakistan border.
The result is a story where love, identity, nationalism, religion and geography collide.
The movie also taps into a subject that remains emotionally relevant to audiences across Punjab: the shared cultural heritage of people separated by a political boundary.
The Border as a Character
In many romantic films, distance creates the conflict. In Ishqnama, the distance is far more complicated.
The border represents:
- Political division
- Religious differences
- National identity
- Family expectations
- Physical separation
- Historical trauma
- Fear and uncertainty
Nimma and Nasima’s relationship therefore faces obstacles that cannot be solved simply by travelling from one place to another.
That gives Ishqnama a larger emotional canvas than a standard Punjabi romance.
Is Ishqnama Based on a True Story?
The film is promoted as a cross-border love story inspired by true events, and its official promotional material says the story is adapted from the Hind Pak Bordernama novel.
However, viewers should distinguish between a film inspired by historical or real-life elements and a documentary-style reconstruction of specific events. Ishqnama is presented as a dramatic romantic film, using its historical setting to tell the story of Nimma and Nasima.
Final Verdict
Ishqnama brings together everything that can make a Punjabi romantic drama emotionally powerful: poetry, music, forbidden love, cultural identity, family pressure and a border that separates two people who believe they belong together.
With Jai Randhawa and Shehnaaz Gill leading the cast, Arvvindr S Khaira directing, and Jaani and B Praak handling the lyrical and musical side, the film offers a visually driven and music-rich take on cross-border romance.
For viewers searching for new Punjabi movies, Punjabi romantic films, Shehnaaz Gill movies, Jai Randhawa films, cross-border love stories and Punjabi period dramas, Ishqnama is a title that deserves attention.
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