Makers of Diljit Dosanjh-starring ‘Punjab 95’ announced the movie premiere at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in July this year. However, a recent report by Variety reveals the film has been dropped from the lineup. The report said there is no mention of the Dosanjh film on the festival’s website.
According to producer RSVP, the film, directed by Honey Trehan, is “a compelling story based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.” The festival had described it as telling the story of Jaswant “uncovering murderous corruption during Punjab’s period of insurgency” in social media posts. However, any mention of the film has disappeared from the festival’s website.
Khalra fought against alleged fake encounters of Sikh youths by Punjab Police during militancy. Alongside Diljit, Arjun Rampal and Suvinder Pal Vicky are also a part of ‘Punjab 95.’
The movie has been under the radar ever since it was announced. The film was originally titled ‘Ghallughara,’ a historical term used to refer to the massacre of Sikhs in 1746, 1762 and 1984. When the production banner RSVP applied for certification from India’s Central Board of Film Certification in late 2022, the process took six months. The film was cleared with 21 cuts and a change of title to ‘Punjab 95.’ RSVP appealed the decision in the Bombay High Court. The decision is pending.
Presenting the first look of the filming in July, Dosanjh had written on Instagram, “Waheguruji ka Khalsa Waheguruji ki Fateh (Sikh saying)! World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Presenting the first look of Punjab 95, a compelling story based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra Ji.”