Akal Takht to set up panel of Sikh scholars to review Diljit Dosanjh's Punjab '95 after CBFC demands nearly 120 cuts

Diljit Dosanjh and Geetika Vidya Ohlyan front the drama

Support for director Honey Trehan's Punjab '95, a biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, is rising. Last month, mid-day reported that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) stood by the film that has been held up at the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for the past two years. Now, the matter has caught the attention of the Akal Takht, considered the highest temporal authority of Sikhs. The body has instructed the SGPC to form a review board to examine the Diljit Dosanjh-starrer. This directive comes in response to the CBFC handing out nearly 120 changes, which range from rechristening the movie, to Khalra's character being renamed (Cut, cut till you edit history? Sep 25).

The instruction to change Khalra's name hasn't gone down well with the Sikh community or the martyr's family. In response, the Akal Takht and the SGPC are pushing back to ensure that the legacy of the activist - who had investigated the disappearance and extrajudicial killings of Sikh youths during the Punjab insurgency between 1984 and 1995 - is honoured. Gurcharan Singh Grewal, General Secretary, SGPC, told mid-day, "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 thoroughly review the film to ensure it aligns with the community's sentiments and retains its integrity. Our agenda is to immediately consult Sikh scholars and ensure the film is examined from every angle before its release. We will fight for it to be released in its purest form. It's crucial that the movie, in its original form, is released only after adequate efforts have been made to honour Khalra's legacy."

Gurcharan Singh Grewal, SGPC member; (right) Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra

Grewal says that the committee, which is currently being formed, will also include legal experts and academics who are well-versed with the politics of that period. The viewing will be held in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, Trehan and producer Ronnie Screwvala, who had objected to the CBFC's almost 120 changes, are yet to hear back from the body about the film's certification. A source told us, "The makers are seeing some hope after the Akal Takht and SGPC have decided to watch the film. It has now reached a point that the makers are contemplating not making any cuts to the film at all, including the original 22 cuts suggested by the CBFC. If the Sikh bodies are comfortable with the film, the makers will fight for the release of the original version."