Jeona Morh – Punjabi movies Jatt Jeona Morh & Maurh, a befitting tribute to Punjab’s Robin Hood

A dacoit by circumstances, Jeona Mour – Punjab’s Robin Hood or Lok Nayak (People's leader) – took up arms to protect the victims of the zamindari system in the undivided Punjab region during British Rule.

Revenge for the killing of his family turned a god-fearing family man into a dacoit. Mour, a native of Mauran village, led a group of bandits and used to rob from the big landlords, distributing it among the peasants. He became a savior of the marginalized.

Morh's legacy lives on in stories, and it has become a part of Punjab’s folklore. Punjabi cinema immortalized the life of a legend.

Guggu Gill’s starrer, "Jatt Jeona Morh," and Ammy Virk's starrer, "Maurh," were released on the silver screen on June 9, giving a befitting tribute to Punjab’s Robin Hood.

The 1991 blockbuster Punjabi movie "Jatt Jeona Morh" was the first big-budget project to bring Mour’s legacy to almost every household in Punjab. After over three decades, "Jatt Jeona Morh" was released again, clashing with the release date of the new arrival "Maurh," introducing the present generation to a legendary figure in Punjab's folklore, where he is celebrated as a hero of the oppressed.

Jeona Morh was a devotee of goddess Naina Devi – a holy shrine in Bilaspur, Himachal.

His elder brother, Krishna, was a dacoit. Once his close friend tipped off the police about his whereabouts, and during the arrest, the police tortured his family and killed his wife. Somehow, Jeona managed to flee and joined a group of bandits to take revenge for his family’s killing.

He had pledged to the goddess that after his revenge, he would visit the temple. After taking revenge, he went to the shrine to pay homage, but the police got information about his visit, and he was killed in an encounter.

His tomb is situated near Naina Devi temple, and his native village, Mauran, also houses his statue mounted on a horse.

He has been worshipped as a savior of the marginalized and a symbol of justice by generations.