Ishqnama: Box Office Collection, Cast & Review

Ishqnama, released on July 24, 2026, is a Punjabi period romantic drama directed by Arvindr S. Khaira, starring Shehnaaz Gill, Jayy Randhawa, and Saurabh Sachdeva. Set against the India–Pakistan border in the 1980s, the film tells a cross-border love story that unfolds against the backdrop of politics, faith, and family honour.

Cast

Actor	Role
Jayy Randhawa	Nimma
Shehnaaz Gill	Naseema
Saurabh Sachdeva	Supporting lead
Arvinder Kaur	Supporting cast
Anjuum Batra	Supporting cast
Mahabir Bhullar	Supporting cast

Plot Overview

Ishqnama is loosely inspired by a real-life account of a cross-border romance and is said to draw from a book chronicling the Indo-Pak border. The story follows Nimma, a Sikh from Indian Punjab, and Naseema, a woman from Pakistani Punjab, whose relationship takes shape between 1981 and 1988. Over the years, the couple must repeatedly fight to hold on to each other as the political tension between the two countries threatens to keep them apart. The film frames itself as a tale of two Punjabs divided by history but connected through love.

Ishqnama recorded an India net collection of approximately ₹1.35 crore on Day 3, taking its total India net collection to around ₹3.10 crore after three days. The film saw a noticeable improvement on Sunday after collecting ₹0.85 crore on its opening day and ₹0.90 crore on Saturday.

With approximately ₹11.67 crore collected in 28 days, Ishqnama has remained below its reported ₹20 crore production budget. The film’s collections slowed considerably after the opening weeks, making it difficult to recover its reported budget through theatrical earnings alone.

International Release

Ishqnama received a theatrical release beyond India as well, with reports noting screenings in Canada and the United Kingdom alongside its Indian run, catering to the large Punjabi-speaking diaspora in these markets. Given its cross-border love story and period setting, the film’s themes were expected to resonate strongly with overseas Punjabi audiences, though detailed overseas numbers have not been widely reported.

Cast & Performances

Jayy Randhawa as Nimma

Jayy Randhawa headlines the film as Nimma, a Sikh poet from Indian Punjab. Reviews have been divided on his performance — some found his early scenes promising before the film leaned more heavily into action and swagger than character depth.

Shehnaaz Gill as Naseema

Shehnaaz Gill plays Naseema, a young woman from Pakistani Punjab who falls for Nimma. Several reviewers singled out her performance as the film’s most sincere and believable element, even as some noted inconsistencies in her attempt at a Pakistani-Punjabi accent.

Saurabh Sachdeva and the Supporting Cast

Saurabh Sachdeva, along with Arvinder Kaur, Anjuum Batra, and Mahabir Bhullar, rounds out the supporting cast. Sachdeva’s role has drawn some criticism over dialect inconsistency, while the wider ensemble has generally been described as convincing.

Direction & Cinematography

Ishqnama is directed by Arvindr S. Khaira, who also has a background as a music director. The film aims for an emotionally driven period romance but has been noted for leaning into stylised action and dramatic set pieces — including horse-racing sequences and supernatural detours — that pull focus away from its central love story. Cinematography across the film’s border-set period backdrop has been highlighted as one of its stronger technical elements, capturing the landscapes of Punjab on both sides of the border.

Music & Soundtrack

The film’s music is composed by B Praak, with lyrics by Jaani — a pairing well known in Punjabi cinema for emotionally charged soundtracks. The songs are woven into the narrative to underline the film’s central romance and its themes of separation and longing.

Critical Reception

Ishqnama has received a mixed critical response. Some reviewers have praised the on-screen chemistry between Shehnaaz Gill and Jayy Randhawa and called the story emotionally engaging, with Gill’s performance often singled out as the film’s most human element. Other critics have been considerably harsher, arguing that the film abandons its promising premise of “love beyond borders” in favour of violence and genre spectacle, describing the finished product as a fairly ordinary saga dressed up as a cross-border romance. Despite the split reviews, trade reports note strong opening-weekend footfalls, suggesting the film found an audience even where critics were unconvinced.

Conclusion

Ishqnama arrives as one of the more ambitious Punjabi releases of 2026, built around a real-world-inspired cross-border love story and backed by a notably larger budget than most Pollywood films this year. Its steady, if slowing, box office run and mixed reviews suggest a film that connected with audiences even as critics remained divided on its execution. For viewers drawn to period romance set against India-Pakistan border history, or fans of Shehnaaz Gill and Jayy Randhawa, Ishqnama remains one of the notable Punjabi releases of the year.
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