Akal Takht directs SGPC to form review board for ‘Punjab 95’ amid censorship concerns
The Akal Takht has directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to form a board of Sikh intellectuals to review the biopic ‘Punjab 95’, a film based on the life of late human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. This move comes after concerns were raised about the Central Board of Film Certification’s (CBFC) proposed 120 cuts to the film.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh issued the directive following a memorandum submitted by Khalra’s widow, Bibi Paramjit Kaur Khalra, and SGPC member Gurcharan Singh Grewal. The Jathedar expressed concerns that CBFC’s cuts may conceal the truth exposed by Khalra, a former leader of Sikh Students Federation.
The biopic, starring Diljit Dosanjh, portrays government repression and false police encounters during the Punjab conflict from 1984 to 1995. The Khalra family had initially consented to the film, but now fears that CBFC’s cuts will alter its message. CBFC has reportedly asked filmmakers to remove references to extrajudicial killings and change real dates and locations of recorded events.
Bibi Khalra and Gurcharan Grewal expressed concerns to the Akal Takht that attempts were made to alter facts verified by the Supreme Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Central Human Rights Commission reports. Grewal revealed that the film, ‘Punjab 95’, has been delayed for two years, sparking suspicions about the motives behind the proposed changes.
Three years ago, Jaswant Singh Khalra’s family — wife Paramjit Kaur Khalra, daughter Navkiran Kaur, and son Janmeet Singh — authorised Honey Trehan to direct ‘Punjab 95’, with Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role. After viewing the film, they praised its accurate portrayal of Khalra’s human rights legacy and Punjab’s tumultuous history.
However, they expressed concern that CBFC demanded significant changes like the removal of extrajudicial killing numbers and alteration of real dates and locations of documented events. Notably, the film’s depicted events are verifiable through news archives and court records.
