PTC Punjabi signs 3-Film International Co-Production alliance with Australia’s TEMPLE

In a major breakthrough for Punjabi cinema, PTC Punjabi under  PTC Network, the world’s leading Punjabi entertainment platform, has joined forces with Australia’s internationally recognised production company TEMPLE to co present three Punjabi feature films under the newly activated Australia–India Audiovisual Co-Production Treaty.

This landmark alliance marks one of the first and biggest regional-language collaborations to directly harness the power of the treaty, unlocking world-class film benefits, international distribution pathways, and global creative infrastructure.

And at the centre of this next chapter is Australia, positioned as the strategic launchpad that will take Punjabi cinema from a regional powerhouse to a global cinematic force.

Under the co-production treaty, eligible Punjabi films utilizing Australian creatives, crew, locations and other film facilities will be able to benefit from significant federal and state grants, rebates, and creative incentives, enabling budgets to stretch further and productions to scale up to international standards. TEMPLE will lead the Australian side of the alliance, creating unprecedented global production value for Punjabi stories.

The timing of this partnership could not be better. Recent industry data confirms that Indian films — including Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and other Indian-language titles — have overtaken Australian films at the local Australian box office, a shift industry analysts say is historic for any major English-language market. This surge is attracting major players from India to view Australia not just as a shoot location, but as a global route for their films. With Australia now clearly embedded in the global Indian cinema movement, Punjabi cinema is perfectly positioned to lead the next wave.

This alliance also marks one of the largest investments into the Australian, particularly Victorian and NSW, screen sector from India 

PTC PUNJABI and TEMPLE will jointly develop and PRESENT three Punjabi feature films across India and Australia/NZ over the next 18 months. As part of this initiative, PTC Punjabi will also bring three independent producers from its exclusive pool of respected Indian producers, each of whom will invest in and creatively anchor these films alongside TEMPLE. This ensures a powerful blend of Punjabi creative authenticity and international production ambition. One of Australia’s biggest theatrical distributors of Indian and Punjabi films – Forum will provide Distribution across ANZ territory 

TEMPLE will manage the Australian co-production responsibilities — including treaty compliance, studio partnerships, post-production infrastructure, and access to incentives — while PTC PUNJABI drives the Indian creative, production and distribution arms. Each film will use Australian locations, actors, studios and world-class post-production; cross-cultural storytelling embedded in Punjabi identity; 

This collaboration empowers Punjabi filmmakers with international budgets, international settings and international standards; access to Australian talent pools, infrastructure and creative collaboration; and dedicated distribution across major international territories. With the Punjabi diaspora now one of the fastest-growing communities in Australia, and Indian films already outperforming local productions, Australia becomes the definitive springboard for Punjabi cinema’s global expansion.

Rajiee M Shinde, CEO of PTC Entertainment Channels , added, “Punjabi cinema is ready for its global leap, and Australia gives us the perfect runway. With TEMPLE this partnership is not just about making films — it’s about making history. Punjabi stories deserve the world, and together with Australia, we’re going to take them there with confidence, scale and pride.”

Anupam Sharma, Founder of TEMPLE, said, “The Australia–India Co-Production Treaty is a game-changer. Australia will be the engine that takes Punjabi cinema global — with world-class crews, studios, incentives and distribution access. PTC PUNJABI has been the guardian of Punjabi culture for decades, and together we will now take Punjabi stories to the world.”

This alliance is not just about producing films; it is about reshaping Punjabi cinema’s global identity with Australia as a cultural, commercial, and cinema partner to enable it.