Punjab'95, a biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, directed by Honey Trehan is all set to hit the cinemas, but the movie has faced significant resistance from the CBFC, demanding numerous changes to its content. The Sikh community and the martyr's family views these alterations as an attempt to dilute the film's message and obscure its historical accuracy.
Earlier, the CBFC hesitated to grant a release to the movie despite the makers being ready to comply with the demand of 85 cuts. After which a cast member of the film said, "The movie might be heavily edited, but the team is determined to get it out there."
Recently, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) stepped in the matter to support the film. They have now received instructions from the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, the Akal Takht, to form a review board of Sikh scholars to examine this Diljit Dosanjh starrer. While the CBFC has increased the cut rates from 85 to 120 now, ranging from rechristening the film to renaming the character, Akal Takht and the SGPC are pushing back to ensure that the legacy of the activist is honoured.
Gurcharan Singh Grewal, General Secretary, SGPC, in an interview told, "The Khalra family has voiced concerns that the CBFC's cuts might dilute the film's message by removing references to events verified by legal and human rights institutions. Such changes could obscure the film's historical accuracy and impact."
The Akal Takht's jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, has called for a panel of Sikh scholars to conduct a thorough review of the film to ensure it aligns with the community's sentiments and maintains its integrity. Their primary agenda is to immediately consult these scholars and ensure the film is examined from every perspective before its release. They have committed to supporting the film and ensuring it is released in its original form, and it is crucial that the storyline has the originality intact as it is an effort to honour Jaswant Singh Khalsa's legacy.
Meanwhile, Honey Trehan and the producer Ronnie Screwvala, had objected to CBFC's almost 120 changes, are yet to hear back from the body about the film's certification. According to the reports, "The makers are seeing some hope after the Akal Takht and SGPC have decided to watch the film. The film has currently reached to a point that the makers are expecting not to make any more cuts other than the original 22 cuts suggested by the CBFC. They added that if the Sikh bodies are comfortable with the film, the makers will fight for the release of the original version."
