Jimmy Shergill scores a winner with Mel Karade Rabba

New Delhi: His Bollywood career may have gone cold, but Jimmy Shergill is not complaining as the actor has cemented his superstar status in Punjabi cinema with Mel Karade Rabba, which is running to packed theatres in Punjab and overseas.

The film is breaking all records in Punjab, grossing Rs 2 crore in the first weekend of its release and has also raked in the moolah globally in Australia, Canada, US and UK.

"What seemed like a big hit in the offing has now taken gargantuan proportions. There is just no stopping the film and the kind of whistles, claps and cheering happening inside the theaters is reminiscent of old times when long crowds thronged single screen theaters," Jimmy told PTI.

The actor started his career with Gulzar's critically acclaimed Maachis,  but commercial success eluded him in Bollywood. But now his Punjabi films are beating big budget Hindi films at the box office.

Despite the fact that it came along with the biggie Lamhaa that had the star power of Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu, Mel Karade Rabba has edged past the competition and emerged a huge money spinner overseas.

Starring Neeru Bajwa as the leading lady who recently made her Bollywood debut with Prince, Mel Karade Rabba is directed by Navanit Singh who had earlier delivered a hit with Jimmy in Tera Mera Ki Rishta.

"I have been told that in Australia, the film has broken the records of even 3 Idiots when it comes to print average. In Canada and UK, there is a good market for Punjabi films. The biggest surprise has been US where the film has seen such huge response that it was houseful in the first day first show," said Jimmy.

With the good response received by the film, Mel Karade Rabba will now be released in other pockets of the country as well.

The actor's last outing in a Hindi film was a supporting role in My Name is Khan, and will also be seen with Amitabh Bachchan in Shoe Bite.