Sikh body on Panjab 95: 'We want to save CBFC from the shame of banning a gut-wrenching biopic'

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to make ‘one last attempt’ with the Censor Board to screen Jaswant Khalra’s biopic in the home country

On January 17, leading man Diljit Dosanjh unveiled the teaser of Panjab ’95 on Instagram, announcing that it will be released internationally on February 7. He ended the post with, “P.S. Full movie, no cuts.” While human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra’s biopic is poised to release around the globe, director Honey Trehan’s hope of familiarising the Indian audience to the braveheart’s journey remains unfulfilled so far. The biopic’s teaser was pulled down from YouTube India on January 18, indicating a ban of sorts on the movie. A source from YouTube India told mid-day, “The teaser hasn’t been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification [CBFC]. So, it cannot be made available in the sub-continent.”

Honey Trehan

With this, Trehan’s directorial venture has been dealt another blow by the CBFC. The biopic—which tells the story of Khalra, who had attempted to uncover the killings of Sikh youths during the insurgency in Punjab between 1984 and 1995—has been stuck with the board for over two years. Last September, the Prasoon Joshi-led body handed out almost 120 changes to the biopic, even suggesting that Khalra’s character be renamed (Cut, cut till you edit history, Sep 25). In the last meeting with CBFC held earlier this month, the makers conveyed that they didn’t agree with the proposed cuts. An insider said, “Since 2022, Honey has been fighting hard for an India release, but he is certain about not changing Jaswant’s name. That would be disrespectful to the memory of the martyr who brought to light the Punjab Police’s atrocities."

Jaswant Singh Khalra

So, will Khalra’s biopic never see the light of day in his home country? The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and the Akal Takht, which stood by Panjab ’95 over the past many months, aren’t giving up the fight yet. They have requested for another screening before the month-end, after which they will initiate talks with the CBFC. Gurcharan Singh Grewal, General Secretary, SGPC, told mid-day, “We want to give a proposal to the CBFC before January-end, asking if the film can also be released in India. This film tells the story of what happened when the Congress was in power. The BJP has no grounds to be upset with the film. We also want to save the CBFC from the shame of banning a gut-wrenching biopic of a man whose courage leads the way for us. Considering the court has been provided evidence of everything the film shows, [banning the film] will make people question the CBFC’s decision even more. We’ll talk to Honey Trehan and see if we can make one last attempt to release it in India. Even if there are some cuts, we can understand, but the essence of the story shouldn’t be compromised.”

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